Home

So, when Poets United gave us the writing prompt ‘home’ for their Thursday Think Tank two different thoughts came to mind.  One was from my sappy, romantic heart, which is this:

My home is

the size

of your heart

The other response comes from my bleeding heart:

Some food for thought:

1. There are approximately 6.1 Million vacant houses In America

2. Approximately 3.5 million people are likely to experience homelessness in a given year

(Now the thinking part)

3. So, what’s wrong here?

(Vacant house statistics from blog.wsj.com 11/5/11, Homelessness statistics from National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty)

*Please follow the link at the top to Poets United to find the responses of other poets.

Safety in Numbers

Sunday morning I balance my check book;

the orderliness  of rows and columns is comforting.

I write in pencil, so errors can be erased,

though I rarely make a mistake.

I print the numbers deliberately,

 forming each line and curve with care.

I double-check the math, and when I am finished

 the bank and I agree: everything balances.

I print ‘BALANCED!” with precision

across the front of the statement in ink,

because once reconciled, it never changes.

Then I file the statement in the hanging file labeled

‘Bank Statements-Checking’ in the

third drawer of the file cabinet in my home office.

And everything is just so.

Next I do Sudoku puzzles.

The nine, neat boxes stacked in order wait for me;

there is logic, process, method used to solve the problem.

It is a comfort to find where each number belongs.

There are rules to follow as I systematically fill in the grid.

Numbers are safe (thus the expression).

They don’t lie, or cheat, or grow bored and fall out of love.

One day I will move on to the Sunday Crossword Puzzle,

but not yet. 

I am not yet ready to deal in the treachery of words.

Image by bits-apogee.org

This can be found at Poets United in their Poetry Pantry.  Go there to see lots of others' offerings, or post a poem of your own.  

Yes

The aim is to balance the terror of being alive with the wonder of being alive.   -Carlos Castaneda

Where do I set the fulcrum

to balance

fear and curiosity

too far one way

makes a homebound,

crazy cat lady

paralysis creeping slowly

from extremities to heart

subsisting on

bland, over-filtered sustenance

through electronic i.v.

but too far the other way

 leaves one skewered

on sharp spikes of sarcasm

or burning in fires of

 requited or unreturned love

or lost in the dark labyrinth

of an unknown city

following one way roads

to a dead end

There is no middle ground;

if I close my eyes

and step off the cliff

what revelation will come

on the way down?

Image by Emma Clark at at clarkazcreativedesign.wordpress.com


This is in response to Poets United Thursday Think Tank provided by Ella Wilson.  Click on the link to read the link to read the prompt and lots of other responses.

Siren Song

 Poets are not afraid to drown. -Janet Frame

All our gods have turned to stone.

We are edified, petrified

by the letters of a law

chiseled onto tablets,

absolute, unyielding

Thou shalt not…

instead

speak deep

sing low

there is grace here

submerge

in my

lips


Image by Jason deCaries Taylor


This was written for The Mag where Tess Kincaid provides a weekly visual writing prompt.  Congratulations to Tess on the 100th Magpie prompt!  Also submitted to Poets United Poetry Pantry. 

Woo Hoo - Interview!

The delightful Sherry Blue Sky of Poets United interviewed me for their 'Life of a Poet' series.  You can read it  here: Poets United!  Thanks so much Sherry!  By the way, this is a great writing community for anyone interested  in both information about and encouragement with their writing.

Red Sky at Night...

Red reflection bleeds

across the water as Sun

surrenders the day

I too relinquish,

give this day up to the tomes

of time past – finished

though still incomplete.

Long wavelengths shimmer, quiver

flash upon the cones

The brightest beauty

revealed for just a moment

do not turn away.

Written for Thursday Think Tank at Poets United.  Click on the name to go to this wonderful site that encourages and assists poets in so many ways.

Thursday at the Park

I watch
light and shadow
play across the bench
where you sat
a moment ago
when you told me
no

This is written for Poets United Thursday Think Tank #51