#SoCS: At Least it’s Mostly a Sonnet

Nature, the earth, calls to those who listen From autumn leaves to dew drops that glisten Canopies of green, a cathedral’s arch A wavy breeze across white daises march The world awaits with a beckoning call Mostly desirous of wildflower sprawl Mountains glorious, waters jeweled blue Trails of copper stone, plateaus with a view No matter man’s lofty line of concrete The peace of majestic beauty entreats With the softness of whispering tall grass Winter’s snow, agates reflecting like glassRead more

All of Us…

“None of us are free until all of us are free.” -Emma Lazarus (1800’s) (variation) -Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin Luther King Jr. (1960’s) -Janelle Monae (2017) -Kamala Harris (2020) This would be the preferred motto of democracy. That all people are free, not held in chains, not held back by law or public opinion. Acceptance and love of all. No judgments, no grudges, no feuds, no wars. Acceptance and love. Honoring. Respectful. Viewing humanity in color, but treating everyoneRead more

Jell-O with an L

When I was very young, I had a hard time saying yellow. It came out as “Lell-O.” Jell-O with an L. Hello with an L. I have vague memories of the Lell-O, but the correct pronunciation eventually made its way out of my mouth and all was right in the world. Yellow was yellow again. Yellow is not my favorite color and it’s not due to the long-ago missing Y. It’s simply a matter of preferring jewel tones and blackRead more

Between the Cotton Sheets

Her muffled, fearful yelp woke him. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked as his hand fell softly across the ivory of her shoulder. “Did you have a nightmare?” “Yes, it was awful. I was living in a house with snakes.” “Really? That sounds incredibly creepy.” Margo rolled over onto her right side, toward her love, the angst of a slithery dream still fresh on her face. “It was so weird, as if living with snakes was normal. They were everywhere –Read more

Finding the Bathroom

I am this. The sullen smog from Jimi’s rock and roll guitar. The faithful mist of a a royal prince. The reddened azure of water’s vapor. I am not a sissy pastel, nor the good-for-nothing child of black and white. My soul is the first breath of spring’s vibrant columbine. My heart is filled with the liquid of amethyst jewels. I embrace the grandiose swirls in the sky of a rising day. Never will I be boring khaki pants, norRead more

Gone

Gone are the flowers of summer. Burgundy, pink and white. They lived forever, it seems. Through rain and blazing sun bright. Gone are the hues of precious petals. The colors that swathed the porch. They lived forever, it seems. And held nature’s beautiful torch. Gone are the leaves that climbed and spread. The vine as it followed its trail. They could have lived forever, it seems. Impatiens under the guise of frail. Gone are the flowers, into an empty field.Read more

Spring Buds

A tree may be lovelier than a poem, but it is nothing without its spring buds. The buds that bring life to the earth after a long winter. The buds that shout, “Hello! It’s time!” Time for beguiling beauty. Time for the richness of color. Time for Mother Earth to bless us with renewal. This past week, as I spent time walking on two different trails, I took note of the buds. Buds on the trees, buds on the bushes, budsRead more

Jimi Sky

“Excuse me while I kiss the sky!” ~Jimi Hendrix~ This is not today Today is wet and gray This was yesterday A day to be outside, to play The sky was magnificent blue A slightly mystical hue The color rang true From this writer’s point of view The senses feel a high Something you cannot buy The bluest of blue’s dye This is Jimi’s sky.Read more

A or B?

We’ve all done it. Paid a visit to the eye doctor. Sat in a chair with our faces plastered to a doo-dad contraption, our chins supported in a little plastic holder. We’ve looked through lenses and recited letters on the wall. If we can read them. And then we move on to multiple choice. “Which is better, clearer? A or B? A or B? A or B?” I’m always afraid I’ll get it wrong, that a buzzer will go off andRead more

Color of Summer Love

The past five days were filled with family, friends, food, music, laughter, visits to local brew pubs, and a walk through gardens of color. I’m still recovering from the food and brew pub portion, along with two nights sleeping on the sofa. I need a few extra days at the gym and a 10-hour nap. In the last two weeks, I’ve been surrounded by the color of summer love with visits to West of the Lake Gardens in Manitowoc andRead more

April’s Buds & Brown Bits

Two weeks past, I went for a walk amidst the brown of early April. Grass seized the only color, peeking its newborn green out of a former blanket the color of straw. Trees held the first offering of spring buds, waiting to burst into naïve, pale leaves. The creek crept contentedly past a thicket of brown bits along its bank, and under the speeding wheels of a four-lane highway. Destination unknown. The path of April’s newness begins with shades ofRead more

Black is for Dead People

So says my mother. Mom has a ratty black cardigan sweater that I have been wanting to replace the last few months. It is her “wubbie” of sorts, a cover-up when the A/C is too cold or the heat is not warm enough. It is also in a condition that Goodwill would consider ripe for the “no” bin. This black sweater is full of pills and pulls, linty pieces of Idontknowwhat and a hole big enough for a child’s handRead more