Dig: Get a Wiff of the Earth that Grows Us

Early this evening I found myself surrounded by shovels, trowels, and mini dump trucks. I was elbow deep in the dirt and earthworms digging up the lawn to plant flowers. I don't know what possessed me.  Maybe shower of fall's chrysanthemums colors? Maybe the hours spent digging in the Nebraska sand as a child? Who knows! What I do know is that the smell of the earth draws me in and forever holds grass and dirt stains on the knees of my jeans.

Tonight allow yourself to enter your favorite childhood activity and savor its adult comforts. What did you learn? What did you remembered that you may have forgotten?

In an Afternoon

 Today is a day that passed by pleasantly amidst the bumps and snags flowing from one moment to the next. I'm reminded of Jason Mraz's song, After an Afternoon. You leave it a little breathless and wanting for more. Today think of the moments that leave you breathless, where do you feel it--not in your head, not the feelings happy, sad, ambivalent--really, where to do feel it? In your big toe in your right foot? Now show us, give us the words and put us in your body.

In Jason's world

In our world


An Afternoon

We're late. We're late. We're late.
Sitting at the base of my collar bone
Keeping time with my heart

Balloons! Balloons! Balloons!
The pounding time Flying
Left eye to left temple

Stop! Stop! Stop!
Ballooned eyes see the red.
Never ending brakes lit up ahead

Socks, socks, socks.
I look down and swallow the lump
Bowling with no socks!

Tears, tears, tears.
Welling in the backseat
Don't worry, we'll find some socks.

Where? Where? Where?
Long, lurid breath brings a sigh
Socks are easy to come by

Panic. Panic. Panic!
Where's the party girl?
No, no Lucy here.

Hand. Hand. Hand
Small and warm to the car
Oh. Four weeks early. Let's go...

Home. Home. Home.
Backyard mud, squishy toes
Belly laughs and clay river dams

Breathe, breathe, breathe
Warmed face tipped toward the day
Eyes close. Ears steeping little songs

Deal's Wild

Who are the people that have most influenced you life? Who's that someone whispering in your ear imbuing you with strength and courage from when you don't think you can walk another step, take another breath, or climb another hill?

Today, in a way special to you to honor an ancestor who's life influences your own.

That woman for me is my Grandmother Zenobia. She was a nurse, she was a teenager during the 1930s, she would smoke cigars with my dad, and who know what she was going to pull out of her bra! Today is her 94th birthday. She didn't see me graduate 8th grade and so much life has happened since then. I still hear her voice. She didn't whisper and she doesn't still.

Deal's Wild
Salt and pepper coiled neatly top your head
Shuffling to the bathroom
The rush is on
We know when you make it first
We'll never get to go

Shuffling back to the kitchen
Easing down to the blue chair
Walker at the ready
Deal the cards.
What's the game tonight?

"Oh I dropped one!" You say
We're on to you. Must be a 1 or
or wild down there.
Here it is!
Not even a smile. You win again!

How many words are in
"Hippopotamus?"
There's no E! It's a hard one!
Bits of paper with words
Scribbled everywhere

Achoo! The magic tissue
appears from your chest
Ready at the front. Drip.Wipe.Wipe
Hocus Pocus!
The magic tissue's gone again

The hum of old country
From the small radio
Fills the silence. I'm stumped again!
No E! Had I looked
Would I have seen hints of your smile?

Living Bliss

Life has a funny way of speaking to us sometimes. It's been a long week with a bit of unnecessary suffering thrown in to the mix. And, yes, I helped! Some battles we fight. So I decided to find myself living in bliss. What's your bliss?

Living Bliss

When fate flings flaming feces
Under foot

Breathe lavender

When impossibility impresses its image
Above the sink

Breathe possibility

When hit with wholesome Hillary
Between the eyes

Breathe hope

Be free. Live out loud. Imagine. Smell roses
Sleep bliss

Breathe bliss

Superheros. Who are you?

Welcome!

It's time for blog of my own, since the uncontrollable stream of poetry seems to be at a trickle and jumping head first into the cascade of a novel runs my blood cold. Blogging is writing!

I'm not sure what we will find here yet. A rhythm? A rhyme? Something to bring us together with the forces stretching us in all directions.


A writing prompt for today: Sing a verse. Play a rhyme. Show us. What superhero are you today?

Word Girl

Word for fist
Word for thought
Caped in comics and
Riddled sudoku
Pencil in hand
Eraser nubbed

Word Girl's words never snubbed

On the world-go-round
Legs weightless
White knuckles dance
Grins like the slivered moons
Orbit Pupils wide
On this fly-go-ride

Word Girl's Coming

A C
An O
An M
An A
A few SS
And an ION

The world-go-round
Screeches still
We all Breathe in
Dizzy still

World Girl's rescue?
Flawless.