Common sense eloped
with critical thinking schlepped
affair on Face Book.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Springtime
Sassy
Puppies
Run after everything that moves
Inspecting with childlike fascination their
Noses checking the remains of dried bird poop.
Gregarious they plunge into the fishpond in their gourmand dash.
Tidily scooped out the rascals are then
Intent on ingesting lime green lizards and
Menacing bufo toads waiting for nightfall and
Equally keen to feast on delicate Formosan physiques.
Puppies
Run after everything that moves
Inspecting with childlike fascination their
Noses checking the remains of dried bird poop.
Gregarious they plunge into the fishpond in their gourmand dash.
Tidily scooped out the rascals are then
Intent on ingesting lime green lizards and
Menacing bufo toads waiting for nightfall and
Equally keen to feast on delicate Formosan physiques.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Stalling
I was going to write
but visions of tuna chilling
in a cold closet dressed in celery and onion, drenched in mayo and
pressed atop whole grain slices flagged me down and held me hostage.
I planned to write a poem but had to do the dishes
cut the grass and reconcile my bank statement.
As I calculated the cost
I checked the mail,
watched Life is Beautiful
and folded a dryer load.
Before I could write
my son stopped by and
we shared a coffee. A poem
skipped through my brain
teasing me with
parallel trains of thought
which led me down a
primrose path
in pursuit of monarch
butterflies flitting from
flower to flower
purpose driven
in the valley
of soon and very soon
panting for more
pressing further and further
through the muck of have to and should have
until I finally arrived at the
corner of here and now
where I carefully penned this
rambling verse and post it now to you.
but visions of tuna chilling
in a cold closet dressed in celery and onion, drenched in mayo and
pressed atop whole grain slices flagged me down and held me hostage.
I planned to write a poem but had to do the dishes
cut the grass and reconcile my bank statement.
As I calculated the cost
I checked the mail,
watched Life is Beautiful
and folded a dryer load.
Before I could write
my son stopped by and
we shared a coffee. A poem
skipped through my brain
teasing me with
parallel trains of thought
which led me down a
primrose path
in pursuit of monarch
butterflies flitting from
flower to flower
purpose driven
in the valley
of soon and very soon
panting for more
pressing further and further
through the muck of have to and should have
until I finally arrived at the
corner of here and now
where I carefully penned this
rambling verse and post it now to you.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Three Ku
Exercise trainer
dawdles on tropical beach
slurping chocolate shake.
Neanderthal dog
crushes rocks with incisors
leaves huge cavity.
Steam bubbles conduct
quake seismic blue symphony
maestro behavior.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Self-Published
S weeping style suggests
E uphonious
L yrics
F ormatted by talented Authors, Artists and
P hotographers. An
U ninhibited
B allet of writing and art
L aunching an evocative brand of story;
I nternal and external rhyme forming fresh free verse that
S ketches a vivid assortment of characters. Altogether
H armonious
E nterprising and
D elightful.
**Acrostic/Review Saturdays with Lillian: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2006721
E uphonious
L yrics
F ormatted by talented Authors, Artists and
P hotographers. An
U ninhibited
B allet of writing and art
L aunching an evocative brand of story;
I nternal and external rhyme forming fresh free verse that
S ketches a vivid assortment of characters. Altogether
H armonious
E nterprising and
D elightful.
**Acrostic/Review Saturdays with Lillian: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2006721
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Unstoppable
Freight train
Runaway car
horse trailer demolished
Slow motion pandemonium
Railroad.
*cinquain
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bright Objects Hypnotize the Mind
**Inspired by the Academy of Poets Poster celebrating National Poetry Month in April
Bright
objects
hypnotize
the mind, conceal
discernment in a
tapestry. A spinning
top wobbles and slams into
wall. A pear shaped diamond ring at
Tiffany’s. A shooting star. A slot
machine paying a huge jackpot. Bright things
hypnotize the mind. Sunshine mirrors sea
headlights glare inside island tunnel
the full moon’s steady starless ascent
a thousand candle watt light
shined into the starving
dark Chilean eyes
of trapped miners
surviving
major
stress.
**Double etheree
Bright
objects
hypnotize
the mind, conceal
discernment in a
tapestry. A spinning
top wobbles and slams into
wall. A pear shaped diamond ring at
Tiffany’s. A shooting star. A slot
machine paying a huge jackpot. Bright things
hypnotize the mind. Sunshine mirrors sea
headlights glare inside island tunnel
the full moon’s steady starless ascent
a thousand candle watt light
shined into the starving
dark Chilean eyes
of trapped miners
surviving
major
stress.
**Double etheree
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
GOD Grew Tired of Us
That was when he created dogs
It was an off day
his son was lost in the wilderness
and he couldn’t find a decent grape
let alone turn it into wine.
No rest for the almighty!
Then his old buddy Lucifer
saw himself in a mirror
and suddenly thought
he was Caesar. And there was
some nasty talk about repossession.
So what was GOD to do?
He needed a friend
something that would love him
through the thick and the thin
the good, the bad and the ugly.
He needed good karma
to change the landscape
make the world a softer place.
It required creativity.
And lots of newspaper to soak
up those messy leaks and logs.
And GOD knew that
after listening Oi weh
to that voice crying in the wilderness
it was time to give his nephew
John the Baptist
a companion
someone he could cuddle up with
between those power locust lunches
with the new recruits.
So GOD created dogs
Tall dogs
small dogs
skinny, bald, muscled, hairy, yapping
howling at the moon dogs.
Spirited furry canines that didn’t bite the hand
that feeds them
who would love man and wo-man
no matter what they did.
And GOD relied on wo-man
to speak up and let man know
when he was getting crazy and warlike.
And although she tried to model good behavior
Man did not always listen, so sometimes he was sentenced to go to sleep in the dog house
which wound up being not so bad
because he could always rely on his furry friend
to lick his wounded alter ego
and show him that
he was still redeemable.
And if worse came to worse
his devoted friend would introduce him
to the new female dog
down the street
that’s
had all of her shots!
It was an off day
his son was lost in the wilderness
and he couldn’t find a decent grape
let alone turn it into wine.
No rest for the almighty!
Then his old buddy Lucifer
saw himself in a mirror
and suddenly thought
he was Caesar. And there was
some nasty talk about repossession.
So what was GOD to do?
He needed a friend
something that would love him
through the thick and the thin
the good, the bad and the ugly.
He needed good karma
to change the landscape
make the world a softer place.
It required creativity.
And lots of newspaper to soak
up those messy leaks and logs.
And GOD knew that
after listening Oi weh
to that voice crying in the wilderness
it was time to give his nephew
John the Baptist
a companion
someone he could cuddle up with
between those power locust lunches
with the new recruits.
So GOD created dogs
Tall dogs
small dogs
skinny, bald, muscled, hairy, yapping
howling at the moon dogs.
Spirited furry canines that didn’t bite the hand
that feeds them
who would love man and wo-man
no matter what they did.
And GOD relied on wo-man
to speak up and let man know
when he was getting crazy and warlike.
And although she tried to model good behavior
Man did not always listen, so sometimes he was sentenced to go to sleep in the dog house
which wound up being not so bad
because he could always rely on his furry friend
to lick his wounded alter ego
and show him that
he was still redeemable.
And if worse came to worse
his devoted friend would introduce him
to the new female dog
down the street
that’s
had all of her shots!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Alternative Publishing Panel
Saturday, April 16 · 10:30am - 11:30am
Kapolei Public Library
1020 Manawai St. Kapolei, HI
You have written a book but are wondering how to get it published. Join us for a panel discussion by three published local authors as they share with you a variety of different publishing options you may not be aware of to get your newly finished book off to the presses. They will discuss self-publishing formats, publishers, online options and self-publishing. They will fill you in on the pros and cons of their choices and provide a list ot the publishers and options they discussed.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Easter Island
A single row
of moai statues
stare
from massive ahu platforms
out beyond a cloudless coast
their landscape now
arid and treeless.
They face the sea and wait
for no one in particular.
The old ones have long since passed over
their silence roars like a cannon.
Traces of their language
frame an obscure curtain
as one face cracks
crumbling at the chin.
Tiny shards slowly release
the life-force that plummets
soundlessly
towards the jagged rocks below
taking old knowledge and forgotten history
along for the ride. Hammered and
lost at the bottom
by conflicting views
and swept away at last
by the raging sea.
That culture's most famous features are its enormous stone statues called moai, at least 288 of which once stood upon massive stone platforms called ahu. There are some 250 of these ahu platforms spaced approximately one half mile apart and creating an almost unbroken line around the perimeter of the island.
The Legend of Captain Bly and the Mermaid
Word Bag
(deluxe, rope, weight, lifesaver, broom, gauges, battery, fishnet, tide calendar, cooler)
The Tide Calendar hung lopsided
its edges curled and yellow.
Water flooded the bilge
the relic listed to the port side
barnacles clung steadfast
to the thick rope tightly tied to the dock.
The cabin reeked of mildew
and stale urine. Pitted gauges
balanced haphazardly amid the dust and grime.
In the corner a couple of dead AA batteries rolled over a faded photo
of the vessel and her captain.
A beauty in her prime
she was in desperate need
of a stiff broom, spit and polish.
Rusted cans of off white deluxe deck paint
stood prominently
beneath the starboard seat cushion.
The scarred cabin door
hung on for dear life
like a holocaust survivor.
Captain Bly once a handsome rake
regularly drank
his dinner, his vessel was aptly named
The Heeia Kea Queen after The African Queen.
His cooler was always well stocked
with green bottles.
His weighty reputation had
stretched beyond the confines of the small harbor
and swept throughout the windward coast.
He always wore a black shirt
the collar ripped at the neck
thin against his salty frame.
Often comatose
he dreamt nightly
of snaring a mermaid
in his fishnet.
He was her Lifesaver.
The next day
he would wake in a cold sweat
as she disappeared
into the sea flipping her tail
splashing him with sea foam.
One fateful morning he was gone
that was better than thirty years ago
Some say that the mermaid took him
others say it was them green bottles.
Either way
he finally succumbed to his deeds.
So keep in mind
A full cooler
doesn’t float
as well as a life preserver
even if you are a lifesaver
and unless you have gills
you could wind up sleeping
with the fishes.
****
(deluxe, rope, weight, lifesaver, broom, gauges, battery, fishnet, tide calendar, cooler)
The Tide Calendar hung lopsided
its edges curled and yellow.
Water flooded the bilge
the relic listed to the port side
barnacles clung steadfast
to the thick rope tightly tied to the dock.
The cabin reeked of mildew
and stale urine. Pitted gauges
balanced haphazardly amid the dust and grime.
In the corner a couple of dead AA batteries rolled over a faded photo
of the vessel and her captain.
A beauty in her prime
she was in desperate need
of a stiff broom, spit and polish.
Rusted cans of off white deluxe deck paint
stood prominently
beneath the starboard seat cushion.
The scarred cabin door
hung on for dear life
like a holocaust survivor.
Captain Bly once a handsome rake
regularly drank
his dinner, his vessel was aptly named
The Heeia Kea Queen after The African Queen.
His cooler was always well stocked
with green bottles.
His weighty reputation had
stretched beyond the confines of the small harbor
and swept throughout the windward coast.
He always wore a black shirt
the collar ripped at the neck
thin against his salty frame.
Often comatose
he dreamt nightly
of snaring a mermaid
in his fishnet.
He was her Lifesaver.
The next day
he would wake in a cold sweat
as she disappeared
into the sea flipping her tail
splashing him with sea foam.
One fateful morning he was gone
that was better than thirty years ago
Some say that the mermaid took him
others say it was them green bottles.
Either way
he finally succumbed to his deeds.
So keep in mind
A full cooler
doesn’t float
as well as a life preserver
even if you are a lifesaver
and unless you have gills
you could wind up sleeping
with the fishes.
****
Friday, March 18, 2011
Leisure
You can do what you like
No strict guidelines to follow
No appointments to keep
Bliss.
~
Do you prefer dark chocolate
Or creamy vanilla
with your strawberries
heaven.
~
Currency has been
converted.
We now take
Room keys.
~
Time stretches
across an undulating
sea,
Anna Karenina rises.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Taking Back Custody
Write a story that is between 100 and 150 words. The trick is you must use the following words: drink - rock - damage - heartless - destiny - cruel - abandon - lost - regret - bastard. Words may be used in different formats (for example: drink, drinking or drank)
It’s a new day
to rock!
Amend some damage.
Make better choices.
Listen up.
Read the signs.
And not fall for the same
old mistakes this time.
Abandon the whine
and regrets
for the heartless bastard
that did you wrong.
Re-write that song.
Outwit the cruel fanatic
that led you astray
paved the way
for your friends who lost
the game of life.
Rewrite your destiny.
Because drinking to get drunk
or getting wasted
to unwind
for you
isn’t cool
it’s a crutch
And you are smarter than that.
So carve a new path
And never
ever
look back!
It’s a new day
to rock!
Amend some damage.
Make better choices.
Listen up.
Read the signs.
And not fall for the same
old mistakes this time.
Abandon the whine
and regrets
for the heartless bastard
that did you wrong.
Re-write that song.
Outwit the cruel fanatic
that led you astray
paved the way
for your friends who lost
the game of life.
Rewrite your destiny.
Because drinking to get drunk
or getting wasted
to unwind
for you
isn’t cool
it’s a crutch
And you are smarter than that.
So carve a new path
And never
ever
look back!
Rabbit Ears
We ran into
Peter Rabbit
at the Beach
and dared to ask the question
What do you get
when you introduce
two bull mastiffs males
to a fluffy white rabbit?
Wait
For
It
No-- it’s not,
a lucky foot,
Or rabbit stew
Do You Give Up?
These super smart canines know
that with rabbit ears
They can get not only
local network broadcasting
but with any luck
Animal Planet
and The Dog Whisperer.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
should scare the hell out of you.
We don’t even know how big it is
because it keeps growing.
Located somewhere between Hawaii and California
it is one of seven garbage islands
spread across the world’s oceans
funneled and trapped by planetary rotation,
converging ocean currents and wind.
6.8 billion people will inhabit
planet Earth by the year 2012.
As of 2005
33 million live in Tokyo alone.
Beijing has 12 million.
Los Angeles another 12 million.
And 80 percent of our garbage comes from land sources.
Garbage that
impacts our wildlife
that has the potential to hitchhike.
Imagine
barnacles attaching to floating garbage
not normally found in your neck
of the planet
that can infect another
area’s native species.
Ninety percent of these islands contain plastic items
like nylon nets, six pack rings, balloons,
straws and sandwich wrap.
Water bottles, cups, bottle caps, plastic bags
and billions of plastic pellets called nurdles,
a byproduct of other plastics manufacturing.
Plastic that chokes whales, seabirds and other animals.
Brightly colored plastic pellets
that are mistaken
for fish eggs and krill
that is toxic
can magnify over time
across our food chain
and have an effect similar to DDT.
Plastic that does not break down easily in water
that is cooled and coated with algae
shielded from sunlight and
will last well into our future.
Clean-up and removal of these islands is futile.
They are growing faster than we can clean them up.
Our task begins here
Get involved
Clean up local beaches
Suppress further growth
by recycling and reducing the amount
of trash you throw out.
Your future is at hand.
should scare the hell out of you.
We don’t even know how big it is
because it keeps growing.
Located somewhere between Hawaii and California
it is one of seven garbage islands
spread across the world’s oceans
funneled and trapped by planetary rotation,
converging ocean currents and wind.
6.8 billion people will inhabit
planet Earth by the year 2012.
As of 2005
33 million live in Tokyo alone.
Beijing has 12 million.
Los Angeles another 12 million.
And 80 percent of our garbage comes from land sources.
Garbage that
impacts our wildlife
that has the potential to hitchhike.
Imagine
barnacles attaching to floating garbage
not normally found in your neck
of the planet
that can infect another
area’s native species.
Ninety percent of these islands contain plastic items
like nylon nets, six pack rings, balloons,
straws and sandwich wrap.
Water bottles, cups, bottle caps, plastic bags
and billions of plastic pellets called nurdles,
a byproduct of other plastics manufacturing.
Plastic that chokes whales, seabirds and other animals.
Brightly colored plastic pellets
that are mistaken
for fish eggs and krill
that is toxic
can magnify over time
across our food chain
and have an effect similar to DDT.
Plastic that does not break down easily in water
that is cooled and coated with algae
shielded from sunlight and
will last well into our future.
Clean-up and removal of these islands is futile.
They are growing faster than we can clean them up.
Our task begins here
Get involved
Clean up local beaches
Suppress further growth
by recycling and reducing the amount
of trash you throw out.
Your future is at hand.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
How many Friends Do You Have?
I have four hundred and forty.
He is a new friend on FB
but he doesn’t have any posts on his wall.
He is a relative
but his wall is a blank space.
We share nothing.
We do nothing together.
I have
added him
to my list
of friends.
Cyber space
can be so cold.
The distance
is unfathomable.
The point
relentless.
R.S.V.P.
Thank-you for including me in your event
regretfully
I won’t be attending your celebration.
I have a previous engagement
perhaps another time?
It appears that Madame Pele
has a big surprise in store.
She’s busy cooking up
a decades old favorite recipe. It is a spicy concoction
sure to overwhelm
it promises
to melt the taste buds.
She is rearranging the table
as we speak. Had to lower it a bit
underwent a major transformation.
Clever hostess
insists that everything be just right.
The invitations
have all been sent.
The seating is fixed.
The guest register
reads like a who’s who
on the endangered list.
Says here to take note
the ring of fire
welcomes all
comers.
Mind the dress code and
observe the boundaries.
regretfully
I won’t be attending your celebration.
I have a previous engagement
perhaps another time?
It appears that Madame Pele
has a big surprise in store.
She’s busy cooking up
a decades old favorite recipe. It is a spicy concoction
sure to overwhelm
it promises
to melt the taste buds.
She is rearranging the table
as we speak. Had to lower it a bit
underwent a major transformation.
Clever hostess
insists that everything be just right.
The invitations
have all been sent.
The seating is fixed.
The guest register
reads like a who’s who
on the endangered list.
Says here to take note
the ring of fire
welcomes all
comers.
Mind the dress code and
observe the boundaries.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Llama
Lovely diva brays distinctive solo. She
Lusts for a three year old male. Tamed they
Are friendly and pleasant company.
Mature llamas guard livestock. Once depicted
As the god Urcuchillay by the Inca.
Lusts for a three year old male. Tamed they
Are friendly and pleasant company.
Mature llamas guard livestock. Once depicted
As the god Urcuchillay by the Inca.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Six Word Memoirs on Writing
Voracious words eat writers for breakfast.
Syllable stew simmers notably spicy syntax.
A and E unite against U.
I keeps date with lady O.
I O U an E Mail.
Consonants pick up vowels; add meaning.
Cross word puzzles create sharp minds.
Pencils consistently lose their terse point.
Red pens bleed over tabloid article.
Articulate writers never get over themselves.
Syllable stew simmers notably spicy syntax.
A and E unite against U.
I keeps date with lady O.
I O U an E Mail.
Consonants pick up vowels; add meaning.
Cross word puzzles create sharp minds.
Pencils consistently lose their terse point.
Red pens bleed over tabloid article.
Articulate writers never get over themselves.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Laying Odds
Thank-you to David Johnson for this video
Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1529705457600
The weatherman was wrong.
My back yard is now a raging river.
I'm no expert
but as we speak
a traveling mass of dead leaves and dirt
has clogged the storm drain
and is forming a brown island
reaching towards a gray sky
obscuring mountainous peaks.
The weatherman didn't know
that it would pour
only that there was a
chance of showers.
Swirling streams now converge
on yesterday's cracked soil
flooding crevices
And a thick green carpet
threatens to overtake
and cover the curb.
So be sure to carry an umbrella
and apply your sunscreen
Because being mere lay people
of average intelligence
who live in screened houses
with glass windows
we can't even hope
to predict the weather.
Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1529705457600
The weatherman was wrong.
My back yard is now a raging river.
I'm no expert
but as we speak
a traveling mass of dead leaves and dirt
has clogged the storm drain
and is forming a brown island
reaching towards a gray sky
obscuring mountainous peaks.
The weatherman didn't know
that it would pour
only that there was a
chance of showers.
Swirling streams now converge
on yesterday's cracked soil
flooding crevices
And a thick green carpet
threatens to overtake
and cover the curb.
So be sure to carry an umbrella
and apply your sunscreen
Because being mere lay people
of average intelligence
who live in screened houses
with glass windows
we can't even hope
to predict the weather.
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