“To my aging eyes
that redbud tree looks purple.”
My kind son replied,
“the fault, dear mother, lies not
with your eyes but with
the one who somehow said that
purple blooming tree is red.”
JDG
Category Archives: poetry form – choka or naga-uta
With A Wink And A Nod
The Universe sent
me a brief, after-dinner
wink last night when I
opened my fortune cookie,
pulled out the tiny
slip and read, “The fortune you
seek is in another cookie.”
JDG
Earth Song
Not even a cloud
lingers in the empty sky –
a monotone of
endless gray. A cherry tree,
rooted firmly in
the earth, lifts its branches high,
singing a pink hymn of praise.
JDG
Evening Reflections
Toward evening the sun
appeared, casting a final
glow on a dismal
day. Nothing I did brought this
about – something worth
pondering as I begin
to move into this good night.
JDG
Whine And Shine
For some reason I’ve
tuned into BNN (Bad
News Network). Today’s
focus is bad poetry.
A few examples follow.
~
Irascible me
waits and watches for something
to make a big deal
about. I don’t have to wait
long. Vigilance pays off.
~
No edifying
reading for me, no self-help
DVDs, podcasts,
exercise tips, or improved
eating plans. I just
want to sit around and whine
which, right now, feels quite sublime.
~
When grouchiness comes
and stirs a pot brim full of
out-of-sortsness spiked
with the whine of nothing suits,
it might be time to
get another recipe,
switch cooks, or decline to eat.
JDG
Clocks And Cats And Kids
Though my inner clock
allows for a week-end shift,
can recalibrate
and let me drift, the same’s not
true for cats and kids.
They’re up and clamoring to
be fed, urging me
to rise and shine, but I seek
to hide and remain supine.
JDG
When Ducks Talk
When ducks talk, they speak
with quacking authority,
like those campaigning
for office at Liberty
University and those
hosting fair and balanced talk
radio and Fox t.v.
JDG
Ageless Pleasures
The older I get
the more I appreciate
small things – words spoken
loud enough for me to hear,
an unhurried pace,
a welcoming smile, an
outstretched hand, a soft
touch, a listening ear – things
that acknowledge I am here.
JDG
Holding Pattern
Even when I know
change can originate with
me, I hesitate,
hoping for an easy out
so I can stay the same.
JDG
Celebrating Distance
A certain quiet
fills the house and for a time
I breathe deep and slow,
cherishing each breath as it
comes and goes. It won’t
be long before chattering
girls return, bringing
with them a different kind of
joy, but for now I
celebrate having placed our
mailbox distant from the house.
JDG
aholdingplace 