Posted in poetry, tagged appreciation, choice, first time attempts, humor, inspiration, know-it-alls, limerick, perspective, poem on December 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »
"I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it." –Frank A. Clark
My first attempt at writing a limerick
(A rhyme with a rhythm AABBA)
The critics who know everything
are like birds who fly with one wing.
As they drop from the sky without knowing why
that’s when other folk hear what they sing.
public domain drawing with major adjustment
Posted in inspiration, tagged Albert Einstein quote, choice, cooking, family, inspiration, memories, perspective, poem, positive attitudes on June 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Any fool can know. The point is to understand. –Albert Einstein Strawberry Pie Quatern Your handwriting in purple ink resurrects you ten years after your death when a recipe card falls from a forgotten cookbook. Tart, sweet, secrets sneak through curves of your handwriting. In purple ink, with bold color, you claim knowledge, if only how to bake a pie. Mom, you were taught to stay hidden in the background of a man’s world. Your handwriting in purple ink trembles to be more than pie dough. I apologize years later for asking so little of you. I long to see your soul shared through your handwriting in purple ink.
Posted in inspiration, tagged choice, color, encouragement, gratitude, nature, perspective, poem, positive attitudes, Val Uchendu quote on June 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
If you're to choose to paint your life today...What will it be? Remember, you're the artist, not the canvas. (Val Uchendu) Color. A celebration because I see. Can I discover what is inside each tree flower, blade of grass, bird on a branch? Darkness and light, or a lack of privilege? I close my eyes and picture the scene outside my window, every leaf, every bend in the branches, dark and light greens depending upon the favor of the sun. Color, simple yet complex. Complex, yet asking no more than to exist.
Posted in inspiration, tagged abortion clinics, acceptance, arrogance, Brad Pitt quote, family values, financial income, gay issues, inspiration, integrity, judgmentalism, perspective, poem, positive attitudes, tipping in restaurants, town hall meetings, welfare on March 22, 2023| 2 Comments »
"A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss... That's the trade-off. But I'll take it all." — Brad Pitt FAMILY VALUES Nephew flinches as Uncle drops a fork onto a china plate. It responds with a quick high-pitched cry. Uncle grumbles, There’s dried dog food on these tines. The waiter steps away from an adjoining table where a young woman feeds a girl in a wheelchair. No excuse for this, Uncle says. The waiter offers to get him fresh silverware. Nephew sends the waiter a silent eye-rolling apology. He cuts his salad into small bites, his focus on beans and rice while Uncle speaks about how the nation has lost family values, allowing abortion clinics, gay marriage, welfare for fools. Uncle slices filet mignon and complains about the quality of his chardonnay. Uncle leaves a two-dollar tip. Nephew drops a twenty on top of it. Uncle smirks. Insane. You don’t have the funds to support a hamster. Nephew nods toward the adjoining table. Meet the waiter’s wife and daughter. They live in the apartment behind mine. "See you at the next town hall meeting, Lyle," he calls to the waiter. "Family values," he whispers to Uncle.
Posted in humor, tagged acceptance, experience, humor nature, poem, siblings on February 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Living on earth may be tough, but it includes a free ride around the sun every year. (Author unknown) Nature’s Creations A young boy clasps a crayon with his fist and draws an oblong, orange sun with long uneven spokes. He scribbles a blue-clouded sky. His big brother points out the real sky with patterns his kindergarten colors can’t imitate. The boy wads his drawing into a ball and throws it at his sibling. Their mother grabs the crumpled paper. She tells her sons that nature creates superb designs. But the sun is too hot and too far away to fit on their refrigerator. Could the smaller child please try again. And would Big Brother please edit another artwork Nature has provided. The lawn needs to be cut. illustration made from colored paper, chalk, and colored pencil, with paper towel clouds
Posted in inspiration, tagged Abhijit Naskar quote, choice, hate, inspiration, peace, poem, small beginnings, violence, We Are All Black: A Treatise on Racism on December 30, 2022| 1 Comment »
“It is character that should be the sole measure of judgement in the society of thinking humanity, and nothing short of that would do.” ― Abhijit Naskar, We Are All Black: A Treatise on Racism CONTRAST The news broadcasts the story in an infinite loop. Nine people killed, one an unborn baby. Boy or girl, identity as unknown as the reason for the bullets that stopped them. I listen to commentary about hate and racism while a winter-pale goldfinch travels from tree to wire, a place where robins perch. The wire is long with plenty of room. Perhaps, there is no genuine connection. Only a brief metaphor. And yet I wonder if change can begin with subtle movements toward peace. bird illustration made from public domain photo, colored pencil, and chalk
Posted in poetry, tagged child neglect, Haim Ginott quote, perspective, poem, poem. foreign travel on September 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression." Haim Ginott World Traveler Her guests gather at the garden party, admirers, distant family, anyone who has heard about her glorious travels. Her words fit like jewels set in fine gold, impeccable, precise. All listen mesmerized as Arabia, China, Australia, Egypt find space among the common folding chairs. She waves her hands and the pyramids seem to appear from the tips of long, tapered fingers as she describes the exotic with a practiced voice. A toddler tugs at her skirt “Mama. Up. Now?” The traveler looks into the small arena. Ears catch a tale touting the memory of elephants. She begins a story about the dangers of desert, dry, miles of hot sand, no water, no human contact for miles, or days. The child, silent, seeks the lap of a stranger. The stranger understands. She strokes the girl's head, and imagines stroking her own.
Posted in humor, inspiration, tagged acceptance, imperfection, keeping my mouth shut, poem, Roy T. Bennett quote, the human mind, thoughts on August 20, 2022| 1 Comment »
“Guard well your thoughts when alone and your words when accompanied.” ― Roy T. Bennett Thoughts, Cracked and Imperfect small thoughts wander through small minds the way grains of sand move inside a plastic water bucket EXAGGERATED THOUGHTS CHARGE THROUGH INFLATED MINDS WITH THE CLAMOR OF BLINDED DRIVERS SPEEDING THROUGH ORANGE BARRELS DisJointed tHoughtS haZZard tHrough ScaTTered miNds LiKE a hUndrEd lOsinG lottery TicKets FloatinG in a fLoodeD STreaM. Clear thoughts carry possibilities, confined by human limitations. small, EXAGGERATED, and DisJointed fraGmentS impoSe upoN clariTy. May I keep my mouth shut until clarity wins.
Posted in inspiration, tagged challenge and controversy, Donald Trump narcissist, inspiration, integrity, Martin Luther King quote, perspective, poem, truth on July 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The narcissist mentioned in the following poem is obvious. However, it could refer to many dangerous historical figures. The following quote presents a massive challenge.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bag of Wind
Wind lifts a white plastic bag
and carries it with
bat-swift gusts from the street
to the base of a tree.
The bag appears to be
moving on its own, breathing,
mimicking a
living creature.
An illusion. I think
about people fed
hot, even dangerous air,
led to follow the whims
of a narcissist who claims,
“I will be there,” words made of
vague promises. A breeze arrives
and lifts the bag to a sharp branch.
Misled followers leak air.
They blame enemy design.
I pray the truth saves all.
Before the tree dies.
previously published in For A Better World
Posted in inspiration, tagged age, choice, determination, experience, gratitude, humor, Mark Twain quote, pain, perspective, poem, positive attitudes on July 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” – Mark Twain No Clapping Zone Dupuytren’s Contracture in my left hand joins with an arthritic thumb to create its own clumsy five-digit island. On my right hand, a long-ago partially healed broken middle finger refuses to bend. And avoids vulgar messages. None of the ten appendages chooses to juggle anything more challenging than a dose of Tylenol. On one point both hands agree. No clapping possible. We look like drunk spiders. And yet, both left and right concur in more important matters. In everyday places. Let’s cook a meal. Ignore the spills. Or type this poem, or send a message to someone who needs support. Let the larger audience carry the greater approval for performances. These hands will offer gifts. Just give them time.
terrypetersen 