* Small * Kindness * Blogsplash *

Thoughtful ornament made for me, sent unexpectedly last year
by Ella Wilson (see link on her name in poem)

Small kindness~

an unforeseen deed

filled with thoughtfulness

unexpectedly received

 

expressed, in times of need;

whether we know it or not,

planting a reciprocal seed

in a person's sweet spot.

 

Take for instance

the cardinal above,

made for me, the essence

of Ella's talent and pure love.

 

Another time, a dear friend,

Linda (who lives in Germany),

sent me fine chocolates (a sin)

to share with family.

 

A simple inquiry

of how I really feel,

a smile or a hug for me~

all reminders kindness heals.

 

*

 

This poem is written for Fiona Robyn's blogsplash which accompanies the release of her novel, Small Kindnesses (available free today,11/27/12).

Slick

Inspiration- The Mag145
Photo source here

 

a red throne, ego
your demise
to sit alone
in other's eyes

while I
swept the floors
beneath your feet
watched life crumble
in defeat

Regifted

*

 

Burlap wrapped,

burlapped-

your regifted gift

slapped me

to my senses,

and course defenses

like downed fences

drifted away.

 

*

Prompt inspiration- Imaginary Gardens' A Word with Laurie: Burlap

***To read more about using texture in poetry, click Here.***

Happy Thanksgiving

Caramel

Anticipation,
a burst
of pure caramel,
sweet goodness
down
my throat
pure ecstasy,
my love affair
with you.




*

Inspiration- Imaginary Gardens- Out of Standard- Isadora Gruye wants us to write about guilty pleasures

A Message from Fiona Robyn

Join our Small Kindnesses Blogsplash & write about kindness...

On Tuesday the 27th of November, I'm joining the Small Kindnesses Blogsplash and writing about a special small kindness someone paid me in the past. Would you like to join me?

The Blogsplash is organized by Fiona Robyn to celebrate the release of her novel 'Small Kindnesses' which will be free on Kindle on the day. All you have to do is write something about being kind - a memory of someone who was kind to you, a list of kindnesses over the past week, or something kind you did for someone else. It'll be a celebration of kindness in all its forms, especially those little kind acts that make all the difference (like this one Fiona wrote about).

To find out more visit Fiona's blog here, or join the Facebook event here. Do ask your friends to join you, and feel free to copy this blog onto your own to help us spread the word.

See you on the 27th!

Prepared

Squall, 1986, by Andrew Wyeth
Photo prompt courtesy of The Mag 144

Your practicality breeds pandemonium-

on one side, a plethora of contradictions clash

the other, a crystalline constancy makes not a splash

and I remain in the middle, prepared for either one.

Last Night

When the light turned red, a man and a lady impeccably dressed stepped out in front of the cars, started pointing to a house on the corner. The man was wearing a suit and shiny black shoes. He was waving a fedora hat with one hand and a walking stick with the other. The woman had on a bright red dress with ruffles around the bottom that she held in her hands and swayed side to side while kicking like a can-can dancer in spiky heels. 

The decrepit house had a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard I could hardly see through the overgrown bushes, scraggly trees. I rolled down my window because a look of desperation on the couple’s faces touched my heart, but the light turned green before we could talk. I then pulled into the out-of-business gas station across the street.

We never spoke, yet we communicated. They couldn’t sell their house and I wondered how someone dressed so nice could live in such a dump. I decided to take a look, not because I was interested in buying a house, but because curiosity got the best of me.

The house sat on cinder blocks. White paint was chipped off the outside causing it to resemble a splotchy albino. Rotten wood had created depressions on the side. Weeds ran rampant throughout the yard.

Inside, the house looked like something from the 1960s with Pepto-Bismol colored tile on the bathroom walls and avocado green appliances in the kitchen. There was no furniture in the dank, musty one-bedroom house.

Somehow I got the word out about this couple’s onus and the community came together to repair the home. When they were finished, it looked like a cute cottage from a fairy tale where everyone lives happily ever after.

Only, this story doesn’t have a happy ending. Many things occurred during the house’s final touches. My middle son befriended a trouble-making boy and went over to his house. I later found out the thirteen-year-old had driven him in a truck without a steering wheel. Apparently they remained in the boy’s house without adult supervision and when I went to pick up my son, I discovered the boy had shared some very inappropriate things with him from the Internet. We were both disturbed by it, although I have no idea what it was.

But I didn’t pick my son up until after what I’m about to tell you had happened. I had a vision that the house was in flames, but shunned it off to this dream I was having. We had made the final walk-through, but a child who appeared from nowhere forgot her purse. She went inside to retrieve it and couldn’t find it. After a thorough search through closets, she found it in the kitchen by the stove. Suddenly I appeared as a fume arose from the gas burner. I grabbed the girl and jumped out of the house just as it exploded.

Then I woke up. Can you believe it? If you had to write an ending to this story, what would it be? Please share in comments!

*

A Morning Twist of Fate

S - - - - T - - - - R - - - - E - - - - T - - - - C - - - - H
when you wake up, fetch
a cup of coffee (for me,
add a touch of cream,
for you a splash
of water).

We might be late.
Cause: A chill to mark our fate,
a   let's - not - get - out - of - bed
quicker than the flicker of dawn
decision to satisify the need
for exercise. Go ahead,
implicate us... but
don't tell anybody.


*

Prompt inspiration:
Imaginary Gardens- Breaking the 4th wall
 3WW- cause, implicate, stretch

Dispersed No More

Verdun, 1917 by Felix Vallotton
Coutesy of The Mag 143

Black and white spotlights,

ocher, midnight blue

over fields of golden wheat-

-geometric fate, the weight

of clouded views

converge.


 

Mesh Mess

Everyone knows what mesh is, right? Part of a net, fabric, metal links for jewelry, weblike pattern; or to entangle, work together, etc. Well, let me tell you something that just doesn't mesh; the commercial I just saw on Cartoon Network.

Let me backtrack a bit. My middle son is home sick today with a headache, stomachache, overall blah feeling. Friday a substitute had a stroke in one of his classes. Literally, he had a stroke! I hope that's not what has my boy not wanting to go to school, but I digress. Let's get back to mesh.

I was sitting at my computer ruminating over what to work on. When someone is home during the day, it's really hard for me to get a lot of writing done. Anyway, Tom & Jerry was on the TV, my son resting in a recliner by my side with a cold washcloth on his forehead, when all of the sudden he starts making gurgling noises.

"EWW. I can't believe this."

Of course, I turn to the TV which is showing a class-action lawsuit ad for... get this... vaginal mesh! It was showing detailed diaphragm diagrams of the subject matter with an explicit narrative; all the possibilities, infections, etc.

"Oh, my God. What are you watching? Turn this off!" I said without thinking.

"It's Tom & Jerry, Mom. I know it's the middle of the day, but Tom & Jerry? Shouldn't they be showing ads for tonka trucks or Cheerios?"

"I just can't believe this." I was googling vaginal mesh at the same time I spoke. I'd never heard of such a thing. Was it some kind of STD or a new name for a mysterious discharge? Thank God I'm married.

Meanwhile, the channel had been changed to Phineas & Ferb where Doofenshmirtz was walking around with a net on his head. Now that's how mesh should be used on kid's shows. My son's forgotten about the whole thing. It will be a while before I can. But at least I know what not to do if I have future problems in that area.

Peace, Captured

*

Fleeting

like deer across an open field 

moments of peace.

Forever captured

through observant eyes,

that moment of peace.

*

BlogBlast4Peace, Nov.4, 2012

 

One More...

Minute's sleep
Cup of coffee
Sugar high
Email
Wave goodbye
Yawn
Sugar high
Sign-up sheet
Volunteer
Book fair rush
Christmas gift
Sugar high
Point to earn
Judge to turn
Yawn
Sugar high
Tear from child
Heart to mend
Stitch to sew
Sugar high
Report to print
Printer flaw
Call for help
Wave goodbye
Sigh
Sugar Rush
Yawn
Crash

*
Condensed version:

Halloween aftermath-
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
Mounds of chocolate pounds

*

Note- Of all the days to have a Mindful Writing Day where you focus on one small detail, this was not the one. I had to work a school book fair, judge a literature contest, tutor, do some serious Mommy-ing, make a sock baby, the list goes on... but one thing was constant- candy!