Headline Poem 5/31/14 -- She's Arrived!

Tonight I read about the beautiful Golden Banner flower blooming in Rocky Mountain National Park. Here is today's poem! 

She's Arrived! 

She shows up every year 

Ready to begin whatever it is she has surpressed since last spring

her 

bright yellow petals and long slender neck

are

Tantalizing and smooth,

her colors make the others drool. 

They want a picture next to her. 

They want to take 

a piece of her shape,

to try to plant and recreate 

what it is they are seeing. 

Common sense flies with the wind, 

and she is a magnet, coercing them in

like lead from elementary school sandbox pots,

full of dangling, half committed slots. 

High in the Rocky Mountains

they think they've died 

because she's like heaven, 

only they're not dead, 

Yet. 

They may be 

If they're herbivores

In which case, it can't be her 

tender meat that they seek. 

For although 

her aroma intices, 

She is toxic, 

and they must play safe. 

Headline Poem 5/30/14 -- In Awe (A poem for Aiden)

Today's poem is dedicated to my oldest son, Aiden. It is slightly inspired by the Scripps Spelling Bee. 

In Awe (A poem for Aiden)

My oldest son Aiden 

rises early with the birds
not to catch the worm, or anything else,
but because his heart is a compass

that steers him through the still dark morning kitchen, 

the subtle creeks in the welcoming floor, his guides, his companions. 

While his brother and sister sleep, 

he eats, 

and reads, and waits. 
He rises because his veins 

and muscles long to be used, 

he rises for himself 

because he has it in him to achieve 

the things he dreams. 

He sets his alarm for five when there is work to be done and knows that in the quiet of 

Dawn he thrives. 

I trust him,

though perhaps he procrastinates, 

I do not worry because to watch him 

balance scholar and athlete,

is to watch 

a becoming man,

A man becoming.  

His hands are thick with determination,

his mind is open
to differences and delights,
he's curious about the Greeks
and the workings of Ancient Rome,

and why some people love and some people hate. 

He is hungry for knowledge, and the healthy foods,

he asks that we use
to 

fill 

him

up
like a watering can,
bright blue and green,

clean and smooth, 

the earth nourishes him, 

and he does the same. 

He treats his body as a muse,
his mind is a cloud evolving
and floating, each day
full of love, and shapes 

that change,
resembling the animals he adores,

the books he explores, the cars he longs to drive
alongside.

I am in awe. Completely and fully

Of him 
whose big, wonderful body grew 

inside of me
until it was time
to cut the cord, and feast from mine.

I do for him what he needs, 

for in my eyes,
he is me. 

Courageous, but reluctant. 

Adventurous, but cautious. 

Silly, but serious. 

Explosive, but calm. 

A friend with time. 

A lover of words and discourse.
A believer in eyes, 

like sapphires and coral,

they are the window to the soul 
Sharp and sweet,

he greets 

new challenges with hesitation and frustration, but admiration. 
His strong shoulders hold burdens with grace and ease, 
and like a mountain lion, he cruises this land searching for truth. 

No matter how old, or fractured, or centered, or free, I hope he sees

What I see. 

I hope he sees.  

Headline Poem 5/29/14 -- Genuine Distractions

Tonight I read a headline about the health benefits of organic green tea. It got me thinking about fads and fashion, and genuine distractions -- overall meaning well, but perhaps being a bit off base. Here's today's poem. 

Genuine Distractions 

Everyone's talking about 

fashion trends 

And mother hens

       Like there's a difference...

Jolly ol' Saint Nick

Knows how the story goes

Naughty or nice,

Love wins 

where Karma lives. 

The end. 

What's real in a world of 

Walmart grins

And inflated shins?

Heart. 

Bells and whistles make 

laughable songs --

Flashy and haughty 

but

With no substantial 

lyrics 

in which 

to sing along,

it's all wrong. 

Twisted 

like a brand new hose,

water spouting 

in all the wrong places. 

Kinked,

like a neck that's been turning 

a blind eye far too long

Ouch. 

Hey! I know that guy. I taught him to fly

A kite when he was seven. 

Bravo! 

       Come on back, come on back. 

I'm not rocking boats

Just to connote 

We've got a problem on our hands, 

But I'll tell you in a world of 

Boiling pots and roasted knots, 

People are confused

across this land. 

Mismatched like laundered

socks

Not hanging on the line. 

What happened to the line?!

It's okay. 

We've got flash mobs and Starbucks cards 

And lots of fake breasts (think about it)

To help us along the way. 

Overall people are small, 

but mighty. 

And wonderful 

and good. 

So when the sun goes down 

And you look around,

make-up free and raw,

Ask yourself -- Who manufactured

this refreshing, organic green tea

that I drink?

Headline Poem 5/28/14 -- How do I as a woman?

Maya Angelou has died at the age of 86. Today's poem is dedicated to her. 

How do I as a woman? 

How do I as a woman

Use words she hasn't already 

to describe the depths of what it means 

to be alive

As a sensual, attentive human being

Who sucks the craters 

of the ocean floor

dry?

How do I as a woman 

Continue

To love 

To cherish 

To trust

To      interpret the depths 

in spite of   our  faults,

That   run  asleep  like rivers so deep 

Trickling through dark, 

uncharted extremes, 

only to 

Awaken 

    Soaked   and   enlightened

At the back of a handsome stream?

How do I as a woman 

balance 

The triskele of femininity 

being virgin, mother, and whore

Answering to everyone, 

yet to no one 

     but 

     myself?

How do I as a woman 

Learn to embrace my sisters 

(and brothers)

Instead of compete with 

them 

For the attention I teach 

my boys and baby girl 

Not to need?

As a woman I rise 

each day 

to the multitudes of the earth, 

Arms outstretched,

and I breathe 

   in 

     the 

       strength 

From 

all of you 

and within,

And I say -- dammit if I don't deserve to eat this life up! 

As a woman I sing. 

As a woman I love. 

As a woman I release. 

Headline Poem 5/27/14 -- Three Guns, Three Counties

Recently, a small UC, Santa Barbara community was rattled by a lone gunman. As we learn more about the shooter and his victims, there are more questions than answers. Here is today's poem. 

Three Guns, Three Counties

He purchased all three 

legally,

And passed the necessary 

tests

To prove he was 

sane 

Enough. To own not one, 

but three.

The assumption was made

That he'd 

confess 

What the questions may have

missed. 

He was given 

multiple chances

To play the role of 

competent civilian. 

Meanwhile, 

his family was

Scared to death, 

and a sleepy 

beachside community 

Had no idea 

what was coming. 

Headline Poem 5/26/14 -- One Man's War

Today is Memorial Day. Thank you for all of those who have served, are currently serving, and will serve in the future. #weremember #memorialday

One Man's War

He'd sit me down 

every Memorial Day. 

To remind me 

that it was not 

simply

A day for barbecues 

and no school. 

This shit is real, he'd say. 

He'd show me pictures 

of young men, 

Once boys with long hair,

now bears,

Defending God-knows-what 

for God-knows-who. 

They were just like me and you, 

he'd say. 

The faces, tan and leathery,

and jagged, but smooth 

Came through. I could tell

They knew

they were aging

Far too soon. 

Wet from the rain and hot jungle

Claws,

Their eyes were etched with 

Beauty and promise. 

Some smiled. 

They were good guys, he'd say. 

The people wanted freedom, 

but they spit on me 

when I came home. 

They cursed the very shoes 

I wore 

to carry the blood 

of my brothers. 

Freedom isn't free, he'd say. 

When he returned home

to New York in 1969, 

his mother knew

she'd have to walk a fine line

of fragile shells 

And patient wires

because he was 

angry that he had,

and they hadn't.  

Do not let the TV men glamorize this for you,

he'd say. 

Before falling asleep on those 

Long afternoons in May,

I thought of bears and boyhood

And bravery 

And youth,

And plastic Santas on top 

of a foreign roof, 

symbols for strangers 

Celebrating birth. 

Some came home to celebrate their own. 

For those who didn't,

Fallen, but not alone,

We remember 

and we mourn. 

Headline Poem 5/25/14 -- Shoe Test

Today I saw this Shoe comic, and wrote this poem. 

Shoe Test 

Sometimes 

I leave my shoes 

Intentionally scattered

At the bottom of the stairs

Just to test 

How much 

you've changed. 

Headline Poem 5/24/14 -- Rolling Stones and Donut Holes

Today is Bob Dylan's birthday. Cheers! 

Rolling Stones and Donut Holes

Reckless misfortune 

can alter us

one at a time,

but like rolling stones 

and donut holes, 

we are not alone. 

We hail from bigger

places 

And

end up together 

Sometimes at the bottom 

of the way 

or 

inside canyon walls 

that seem too tall

   to reach or climb out of

     without a ladder 

to the top 

of the rusted tin roof

built with admiration and solid truth

Sturdy and sun-kissed,

the mounds circle

Ruffled and roused 

Around and around

Dipped and slick 

Like 

wind swept feather

Beads 

Ready to guide us home

to the place 

Rolling Stones and donut holes 

go to feel whole. 

Headline Poem 5/23/14 -- What separates me from you now?

May is National Sewing Month! Here is today's headline poem. 

What separates me from you now?

Is a fine line 

On the end of a thimble

My grandma used while threading

A needle through

The buttons she kept in my mother's old

Room

That is now ours to use

When we come to visit

Her house 

Like a seashell 

Smooth and molded into

A better version of itself 

With the same lampshades 

And shelves 

Like eyes to see what might have been missed

And bedside manners

Like a mermaid's key that unlocks

The gate that hasn't been open in years

Because all of this wonderful 

Paint by number art 

means more now

That she isn't around. 

Headline Poem 5/22/14 -- Awake

(Photo credit Google Image) 

Today's poem is based on this headline about how eating grapefruit may ease lung disease conditions.

Awake

Like a splash of grapefruit before 5:00 a.m.,

You make me pucker in a way

I don't recall

Anything

Ever doing before. 

I'm on to you,

Though I know you're good,

You make me question 

why I'm out of bed,

Enjoying you with a serving of 

toasted bread instead

Of peaceful slumber

That is easier on the mind 

And mouth,

But no where near as refreshing. 

Headline Poem 5/21/14 -- Reflections from a Bench

(Photo credit Google Image) 

Tonight I read that Disneyland is overcrowded and has two choices: raise prices or expand. I thought about Disneyland, and how much I enjoy watching the people while I'm there. I reflected, and then wrote this... a poem loosely based on this headline. 

Reflections from a Bench 

Because I love you 

I will keep you safe

And agree to attempt to fall for 

The new man you have become,

the one who drinks warm tea and honey 

And mends his own heart with books and conversations about his youth 
and the women who broke his heart 

while he stayed patient and faithful. 

Until, with me, you broke and the pieces flew in all different directions,

While I gladly watched the wind that blew,

accepting that I could not fix the mess alone (if I wanted to), 
and resented that you'd even ask,

But really, all you wanted was to feel love and connection from the woman who promised 
never to push you away,

And really, all I wanted was the same. 

On the day I started to leave, and you decided to stray, 
the tiny compasses drawn on the palms of both of our hands were erased and lost. 

Kisses made their way to others, 

Circling where they could not see, 

Because it was dark and spiraling downward

And a place they should not have been. 

Now though, as I sit and think, 

I realize in an odd way,

It's a beautiful thing. 

Headline Poem 5/20/14 -- Your Own Stories

Cuento Cup (Photo credit Joseph Rios, found on Michele Serros's Facebook page)

Chipotle has a new literary promotion going on called 'Cultivating Thought.' The problem is, being a Mexican Grill, they failed to include any latino/a voices in this initial campaign. Michele Serros, author of Chicana Falsa, is not happy, and she is not alone. Here is the LA Times headline that inspired tonight's poem. To show that we really all have a story to tell, Berkeley based restaurant Flacos, is handing out blank cups and pens to customers so that they can write and share their own. Cheers to Michele and Flacos and all of those who contribute and cultivate in this crazy world of ours.

Your Own Stories

My grandfather rolled rice
of his own
mixed with zucchini
and lemon and allspice
and memories of home
     slapped in the face for what
     he might have done wrong,
it took time to crack the code
and produce seeds and vines
and long, hungry lines

But, like baklava
and sweetened honey,
and rocks
and borrowed money,
his stories fell from bigger
places where they
migrated
and cultivated
and congregated
together --
stretching and reaching
toward an illusive sun

you can't admire the beauty
and ignore your own
son,
or daughter
hello, I know you're there!
One by one,
they denied the bribe with false
condolences...

we had full intentions
of including you

     next time,

once things took off, and became a
little more
real
we were going to let you in
to the viewing room
to spy and stare
and
echo and share
your own stories

but first we had to get
the people to stick
like stolen, rotten syrup,
     dwelling
blank, on the plate,
damn you are too late
why did you wait?!

that's what happens
when you're hungry,
for the cash
and the flash
and the unlucky dine and dash

you don't mind
that you forgot
and left behind
your own kind

Are you sorry yet? 

Headline Poem 5/19/14 -- eyes on the sea

Puffin (Photo credit Danny Green) 

Today's poem is inspired by this headline about the Puffin bird.

eyes on the sea

i must keep my eyes
on the sea
in case i need to slip
away unexpectedly
like a
red flame
in the face of uncertainty

Headline Poem 5/18/14 -- Chandelier Tree

Chandelier Tree (Photo credit Google Image) 

Tonight, I read this great piece about the California Redwoods. If you know me, you know these trees bring me great peace and balance. This poem is about the 2,400 year old Chandelier Tree, which is where, according to the article, the author's road trip companion was conceived.

Chandelier Tree

Among the canopy
of green
and moist tendrils
she waits for him
to notice
her heart
   
prepared to
lend it to him
under the new moon
of
patience
once she is
convinced
that her beloved offers
an endless dawn
of pink and silver,

she decides to
let him
make her smile
even though
she is afraid
and he
     is   only   a   boy
who promises
to protect her
like Chandelier Tree
when rain and fog
blanket
the night sky

she believes him
because
who could exist
under
limbs of beauty
and bark so wise
and
not tell the truth?

Headline Poem 5/17/14 -- It's Easy When

Today's poem was inspired by a story about leadership. 

It's Easy When 

It's easy to lead with love 

instead of fear 

when things are high and tight 

and you're sitting upright 

in a soft, fluffy chair 

looking down on those hurting 

while you're feeling 

just fine. 

Reality is when you can 

take on the role of model 

from the ground up, 

showing others that 

grace is stronger than disparity, 

and that even though you're tired, 

out of room, and not in the mood to entertain, 

you are somewhat glad that chaos and anger stopped by for a visit. 

True love begins when 

you connect with compassion and kindness during times of feeling everything but smooth, used, 

and must

learn to be genuine 

with yourself,

able to sit peacefully on the floor 

because being centered and awake begins within

and 

it's easy when... 

Headline Poem 5/16/14 -- Alligator Bites

(Photo credit Google Image) 

I read this headline today about a photographer who took a picture of a model and an alligator taking a bite of an alligator purse. You can imagine the various reactions. For me, I thought about the alligator being manipulated on film for simply biting what was put in its way.

Alligator Bites

There are fewer traces
of her than before.
Alligator bites with deadly,
dripping
teeth are only a threat
if you get too close
and attempt
to invade and penetrate
her space
(or share your purse in a rat race).

She will hurt you
if you
put yourself in the water
with her,
if you
search for her,
if you
attempt to uncover
her madness,
and her desire to eat
your flesh.

She doesn't want that,
but she will
if
you act like a duck
or deer
or a mossy-bottom lake
she may, by mistake,
treat you as the
occasional, replaceable
golf ball she
gobbles
for fun because
she is bored and
it is there.

Back away and
do your
own thing,
and
she may eat your pet,
or swing your baby doll
around
like bacon on a hot stove,
but she won't get you
because she can't.

You are quick
and in-tune,
and
she will
grow
uninterested
in you
too.

Headline Poem 5/15/14 -- Dance of the Dandelion

(Photo credit Google Image) 

I read this post tonight about dandelion flowers. I am not sure if it is a headline from today, as it does not seem to be dated, but it is spring (although it feels like summer), and a poem about a strong flower that thrives felt right tonight. Cheers!

Dance of the Dandelion

These steps I take
Like shooting stars
Soaring upward
Climbing onward
Swaying freely
Toward the sky
You take with me
For I am composed
of hundreds
Of smaller florets
Who believe in me,
Who work with me,
Who connect with me,
Who smile and sulk with me.
Some see only edible lion teeth,
Some see only weeds,
able to be eradicated
and taken away.
It truly is a sight to see
me grow
Where others know
they could never
In the wildest of places,
I flourish and thrive.
Stop and sit
on bended knee

and see what I see.

Dance with me. 

Dance with me. 

Headline Poem 5/14/14 -- Moons Like Magic

Art by Audrey Von Hawley (Photo credit Mystic Mama)

Tonight there is a full moon in Scorpio. Here is a post about the moon which inspired today's headline poem.

Moons Like Magic

Moons like magic
with cinnamon and sugar,
Craters from a majestic old lake,
sprinkled
like treasures
finds in the dark,
they wait for you.

Curves like old friends,
familiar, foreign, but not forgotten
flexible
are those who wind up their internal clocks
to repeat,
consistently,
Wanted or not. They show.
Predictable and sweet.

They embrace and surrender to thee,
Full moon in Scorpio times three.
They believe in the depths of the ring
and the light, and the masterful
core and delight,
In cleaning of wounds rather than scrubbing them.

The healing stage hurts the most,
Before the edges become smooth
and the angles roast,
Calmly caressing the contents of your
valleys and peaks,
alleyways and caves,
cool waves and heat.

They meet. She greets.
Love is released.

Headline Poem 5/13/14 -- Selling Nightmares

Swiss artist H.R. Giger (Photo credit NPR)

Artist H.R. Giger has died. Here is the headline from NPR which inspired today's poem.

Selling Nightmares

You've tripped and fallen

Underneath your art 
which shrouded 

And suffocated, 
while you shared and sold
images and fantasies
documented on a notepad
next to your bed 
through fingers separated from shear 
terror and dread

Dali inspired dreams
hesitant to transpire within
or without your mind
in the hour
of mice and men and hay and wheat
and coolers and creatures
and skulls and unrest

Crazy are the ones who
understood the madness,
grateful they were not alone,
appreciative to listen
to 
their own screams
mixed with yours
alive through the surreal and decay
merging sex, technology, and legends of the day

You were a kind man, falsely judged 
by your
dark existence and alien jugs, 
marking mishaps of man and machine,

wicked handprints on the zebra's back

makes safari animals out of masks 

and cantaloupes

And dripping seeds 

Envelopes and darkness become serene

Men and women line up to purchase 

And receive 
someone else's nightmares, 
because they cannot get enough,
and for a moment it makes them forget 

their 
own

In she walks with a nobler idea...

Get rid of them altogether! 

Headline Poem 5/12/14 -- Hang on to your hope!

(Photo credit Google Image) 

I read this tonight -- a quote and letter from E.B. White, and although it is not necessarily a headline, I'm inspired by it, and, so, here is today's poem.

Hang on to your hope!

I am getting good at detecting the hollow eyes
and crooked smile,
leaning, because if you are broken, you cannot be
without the downward turn
watches checked, phone confirmed
how many marriages have unwanted guests
lurking or invited to observe and request
the maze of sunshiny days and the darkness of
hours before full moons
how often did he linger before he came to you?
In spite of the foreign regions and unconfirmed invitations
sent without hesitation, there is hope that
in the circle of things, wet with sweat and mystified by
foggy dreams, something with ribbons and steal feet and wings
waits for you with open heart, and says,
come fly with us when you are ready,
for lucky are those who get knocked down, rattled to the toes, and
get up, battered, and limping, to continue the fight, to believe in the cause
to smile at the sunset because tomorrow is another day
and we are worth it!

Headline Poem 5/11/14 -- Mother May I?

Just a little Mother's Day poem for today. :)

Mother May I? 

Don't spin that bottle

But you can dance all day

Flipping a coin might be okay

Always look left, and then right, and then left again

Smile at your neighbor

Trust yourself and genuine friends

Truth or dare? Just be ready 

To fight or flight what appears

Red light 

Green light

Goooo!

No Bloody Mary in the mirrors 

Help an old lady across the street

Ask whether you should stay or go

Listen to the answer

Even when it's no

Freeze! Unfreeze!

Impossible, I love you more. 

Mother may I?

Yes you may -- gotcha!

Simon didn't say. 

Headline Poem 5/10/14 -- Oak Creek Canyon

Today there are high winds in Sedona, Arizona. I read about this wind, as well as this headline about Laura Tohe, the daughter of a Navajo code talker. These inspired today's poem.

Oak Creek Canyon

Fields of purple and yellow,
like the chin of a wise woman
you read about in books
crystals and sage,
and organic yellow pears
fill her cloth bag,
oh how different it all is now

Skin dark, covered in lines
that swirl,
coffee and cream
Her roots run as deep as the juniper tree
Her eyelids glisten
while she walks beside the water,
beside the dream.
How lucky she is to be
awake for the whole thing!

Headline Poem 5/9/14 -- Anvil Rock Road

(Photo credit Google Image) 

I read this Arizona headline today about the community of Avondale. The mayor has unveiled a new logo which represents the desire to embrace harmony, diversity, and moving forward. This combination inspired today's poem. 


Anvil Rock Road


Songs surprise me now

I sing along, but the words are scuffed

And changed

and sad where they were once happy

And happy where they were once sad

She creeps in.


Sometimes I scream

To please leave,

Other times, I let her linger

Just above the clouds

and the ridge line

Until I'm ready to release

If I'm ready

In between tears and touch

My heart races

And retreats,

But on it beats,

on it beats

Thank God

It beats


I'm leaving some of her here

among the rocks and trees

because they'll know what to do

with her

more than I.

And I'm growing tired of her.


Tired but grateful

For the part that hovers

The sway and swallow

The revelations

and extremes


Today we found some

ground that was common

Inside our hurt and pain

And false walls and anger

And betrayal and shame

And parents, our own

The cycle of broken

Stops here

On Anvil Rock Road


A dark bird flew

While the wind blew

And cows mooed

And in that warm Arizona sun,

I left a piece of you.

For that one moment,

I was restless no more.

I smiled and cried,

I stopped keeping score.

Headline Poem 5/8/14 -- Laughter

Lady laughing (Photo credit Google Image)

Here is today's headline poem about laughter, the best medicine.

Laughter

Some snort or hold their breaths

Some fear they'll rumble and start to confess

The bursts that lurk under the surface may rise,

coming out like a cannon when you 

Eat or exercise,

It can happen at any moment, 

in an alley or on a train

It's okay to let go of 

what the rest of us know,

for 

when you release laughter,

you give up control. 

Headline Poem 5/7/14 -- Thou mayest

(Photo credit Google Image)

I read this headline about Mumford and Sons. I thought of their song "Timshel,"  which led me to John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, and the meaning of "Thou Mayest." In this life, we can choose. (Special tributes to JD for helping me surrender and EB for reminding me I'm not alone).

Thou mayest

today i
 surrendered

to the universe
to asking for help
to accepting it when it comes
to white light and love
to healing
to angels
to demons
to all of the above
to brothers and sisters
to not going it alone
to hearing whispers
to smiling at black crows
to a long time coming 

to what I'll never know
to timshel and thieves
to climbing mountains
 instead  of  moving   them
to doorsteps
to choice

today,
I am me, and

I mayest. 

Headline Poem 5/6/14 -- Bring Back Our Girls #BringBackOurGirls

(Photo credit Google Image)

I've been reading about this horrible story of the 234 Nigerian girls ages 12-17 taken from their school a few weeks ago. They may have been sold as brides for $12 each, but no one knows. Here is a link with three ways to help, and here is today's headline poem.

Bring Back Our Girls

Already away from home

To obtain an education

To create less frustration

To contribute to a nation

Girls with books are dangerous
They learn to think for themselves
To try to change the degeneration
Of tormented generations
With smiles and love

Echos of skipping fill the halls
When the devil and his sons
break down the walls
Screams and scratching
flesh and blood
red ants of fire take them
one by one

Distinct adventures

Unique looks

Seeking knowledge 

As a gift 

White lights

Open hearts

Stories they love

Plucked

From their grounds

Ripped 

Like wild suckling babies

Abandoned 

Too early on their own

Kidnapped and

Dumped
Into a nightmare
without any 

Rules

Broken
Hearts yearn for answers

Help us find our daughters and sisters!

Eyes of brown, skin of salt, 

we see you even though it's dark!

We vow to find you! 

We will not forget you!

We will not let you disappear
into the air like a storm that's run its course! 

Hell no,

We will not let you go

unseen to the in between!

Please God, send faith and love.

Please God, grant serenity from above.

Please God, make those evil men pay.

Please God, stop raping them today.

Bring back our girls,
sold,

like property,
and keep them
safe. 

Headline Poem 5/5/14 -- In Your Eyes

Motherhood (Photo credit Google Image)

I read this interesting headline tonight about motherhood awards in India. It made me think of my own children, and how they see me through their eyes, and what I see in theirs. 

In Your Eyes

In your eyes 

Of sweet blue 

I see my heart 

And truth. Hope lives

Inside your wide

Expressions. 

Your laughter and pain

I stare into them 

and 

practically 

Melt. Away. 

My job is honorable and

dignified. 

I smile because in your eyes

I am mom.

You deserve to feel me 

Wholly,

Faithfully,

Completely. 

In your eyes, 

I am 

Pure Love. 

Headline Poem 5/4/14 -- On her shoulder

Little bird (Photo credit Pinterest)

I came across this website today about all things birds. It inspired today's poem. 

On her shoulder

A bird

Free now,

Sits 

on her shoulder

In love. 

Headline Poem 5/3/14 -- We Call Society

I have learned a lot about society throughout the writing-a-poem-a-day process. Most headlines, as you know, are sad, negative, and uninspiring. I have to search hard to find ones that enlighten, connect, and build us up. They are there. People want them, but they get lost in the other "stuff" that creates fear, and tears people apart, and that disconnects. Today's poem is inspired by  headlines and news as a whole, and a reminder that we owe it go ourselves and each other to take a step back and simplify and balance. 

We Call Society

We have billboards with naked women

That tempt you while you drive

And websites for

Married people who want to cheat and hide

We are told food will fill us up,

And once we're good and fat,

We are told we need a surgery to lose the weight and fast

Then prescription drugs and alcohol

To mask the pain 

and 

church memberships are on the rise

with plenty to gain

From messages of hope and rebirth

You've sinned and you're welcome here

Come in

Come in

To sit with partners and call them brothers and sisters

Here's a shrink to discuss your woes

And recall the moments of curled toes

Where you cry that you're sorry

And look down when you're done

To your phone,

The enemy, the party of one 

Where you play games and watch videos with strangers 

Only to

then go home at night

To lock your door 

and set your alarm

Because in all of this craziness

You don't feel safe,

And want to be armed 

Free to protect your property and such

As fate may have it that one night

You'll have no such luck

Fear may knock on the door 

And your life will change

Family will visit through glass 

once a week

If you're lucky,

You'll be released,

A felony will get you no where

You'll go back to the drink

And the lonely

And the rage

And before you know it

You're stuck in a cage 

We call society 

We call society 

Headline Poem 5/2/14 -- Friday Night

Lots of headlines are swirling, and I can't bring myself to care or focus on any of them. I'm surrounded by magazines while under the hair dryer, and I'm waiting. This is my Friday night. 

Friday Night

I sit in the chair

Not ready to share

But I prepare 

Just in case 

It shows up

In my stare 

I'm trying to live 

In the present moment 

But the past 

Was not that long ago

And you've been lying. 

Headline Poem 5/1/14 -- Wind and Wildfires

This week in Southern California, there are strong winds and wildfires, not a good combination. They inspired today's headline poem. 

Wind and Wildfires

Sharp and sweet and hot, 

destined to meet. 

They move quickly. 

They spin around. 

They unravel. 

They pick up speed. 

Fingers bleed from mistaken steps. 

Wind and wildfires are a 

deadly combination. 

Often, there's no end 

in sight. 

It takes an intervention. 

It takes a hose 

of gold 

to tighten up the reins. 

Wind and wildfires 

are out of control. 

They're messy and aggressive and selfish and 

Before you know it, 

turn you to dust. 

To dust. 

But when they stop, and things are calmer than they've ever been, 

you see the damage, 

and you assess 

what's been lost,

and what's worth salvaging. 

You take a walk. 

You feel a spark. 

You're not sure it's safe. 

It's never safe, 

so just in case, 

You cross your fingers behind your back and beg 

(this time) that it lasts. 

You wonder if you have it in you to rebuild. 

It might be easier to start anew. 

After both die down, 

you'll still be afraid 

to light a candle, 

for fear of burning up, 

but you must (you tell yourself). 

For if you live in fear of wildfires and wind, you'll never truly live.