Saturday, December 31, 2016

Remind me...


Reduce,
Evolve,
Spruce up,
Or dissolve
Lugubrious
Undermining thoughts;
These
Intentions
Of bold dimension in the
New Year might
Seem forgot.












Friday, December 30, 2016

Holding on


Having and following
A specific
Bent
Implies that one
To flexibility not consent.


Thursday, December 29, 2016

Thanks a latte


Could I please have another cup
Of this exquisite brew?
For several help me wake up and be
Fresh for a day that’s new.
Every drop of rich, dark roast is
Evidence of your love so true.


Image result for heart in latte foam

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Bark less


Waving wildly that friendly tail is
A happy
Greeting humans know well.




Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Turning the tables


Scrawling
Characters
Randomly
Across the
Board, the
Babbler’s
Letters
Evened the score.


Monday, December 26, 2016

Joyful songs


Choral dances
Accompanied by flute
Ringed the halls
Of old, where
Legends and myths and
Stories as festive songs were told.



Sunday, December 25, 2016

“That which is given”


Giving happens
In many ways
From simple sharing
To
Splashy displays.

And this one is from Emma Gregston:

Great are those
In which play a part
Friendly endeavors
That come from the heart.




Saturday, December 24, 2016

Star...


Presenting stars
In solid, living green, this tree of
Norfolk Island all over the
Earth is seen.



Friday, December 23, 2016

Symbol of calm


Cymbals ring in
Harmony, gently
Inspiring peace; through
Mindfulness of
Everyone
Sensibility will increase.




Thursday, December 22, 2016

Uplifting


Majestic monuments
Of
Undeniable
Natural might,
These rocky projections, often
Abrupt, are an awe-
Inspiring sight, though perhaps
Not when they
Suspend a traveler’s delight.




Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Appalled


Deep sadness and alarm was
In her voice as
She recounted that
Maddening display;
A sibling had jubilantly
Yelled “Hurray!” following the results of
Election
Day.


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

What?


Offering fish a way
To hear, this structure
Of calcium carbonate
Lets them know
If something is near and helps
Their balance in the
Hydrosphere.

A student was reading a passage about fish, which stated they could hear sounds made by boats. She wondered how. Our school Media Specialist, Stacie A., overheard and handed us a brief explanation. And what a cool word we learned! Otolith, literally, earstone. My young student was amazed to see how parts of olds words made up one new word. I am thinking of Betsy H., too, from LHS days with great thanks as I write this, and all the times I get excited by words.




Monday, December 19, 2016

Minnesota winter


Frigid toes and bright
Red noses are signs
Of sub-
Zero cold.
Even after just a few days and
Nights, this is getting old.

The good news is that it will warm up this week.




Sunday, December 18, 2016

Fleecy


Llamas, sheep,
Alpacas, yaks,
Neighboring musk
Oxen, goats, and rabbits
Seasonally lose their fuzzy coats to
Eager, industrious textile folks.






Saturday, December 17, 2016

Vows


Now they
Unite, this happy
Pair, declaring
Their heart-felt
Intentions; family
And friends share in the delight, lavishing
Love and attention.

My heart is full for you two, Martha and Greg! Congratulations!




Friday, December 16, 2016

Dried fruit...


Can you gather this merry mix
Of dried apricots, figs, and tart cherries?
Maybe also raisins, apples, dried oranges,
Prunes, and cranberries? Sprinkle
On salt, cinnamon, cloves, and a little sugar
To sweeten the stew. Please
Enjoy this delightful treat, a gift from me to you.

Years ago, a very dear friend shared this recipe with me in a card. I have been making it ever since and enjoy a dollop of it on my cereal every morning. It freezes well, too.

In a large pan, combine:

3 C. mixed chopped dried fruits
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces
¼ to ½ C. brown sugar
Heaping ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. salt

Almost completely cover the fruit with water. Stir the mixture. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer until the fruit is good and soft, stirring occasionally. 

It keeps well in a glass jar in the fridge or frozen in an airtight container. When I freeze it, I usually lay a folded piece of wax paper over the surface before putting on the lid. This seems to discourage freezer burn. Thaw in fridge.

It’s great on cereal, on a bagel with cream cheese, mixed into fresh ricotta or yogurt, etc. The tart cherries and dried mandarin oranges give it an extra special zing. ENJOY!




Thursday, December 15, 2016

Trending?


Already this
Resounds across the land, a
Rash
Of irrationality
Gaining command –
A political 
Newcomer so bumptious, he
Could
Establish a new norm, trumptious.


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Harmony


Choral and
Orchestral performances
Note beautifully this
Christmastime;
Eardrums ring with
Repeated tings as
The highest pitched bell chimes.




Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Unconventional democracy


Annoyed by
Unnerving new information,
The leader
Opined it was nonsense, and when
Contradicted, he
Railed on
Against it; he’ll rule at
The taxpayers' expense.


Monday, December 12, 2016

Abhorrent aberrance


Until
Now, this
Convenient description has
Offered a
Not too
Vicious depiction, but
Even as the
New regime is planned,
This
Idea
Of
Normal is becoming
A venomous prescription for our
Land.

I have heard this word used more and more in the media to describe the new leader of this country and his tactics. His approach normalizes hatred, engenders fear, and encourages greed, a deleterious prescription for progress.


Sunday, December 11, 2016

CW pneumoconiosis


Combustible carbonized plant matter, as
Old as the earth and seas, has
Aided mankind greatly, but
Laboring with it brings disease.


Saturday, December 10, 2016

Iron Age structure


Built on
Rugged landscapes,
Of stone, timber, and thatch, the
Complex atlantic roundhouse
Has in the rest of the world no match.

With thanks to my cousin Gail K. for the word.

Image result for where are brochs found?




Friday, December 9, 2016

En route


Present in mind on
A pleasant way I
Tread, entertaining
Hope, but being aware of dread.




Thursday, December 8, 2016

Acrostic #1,000!


The many
Happy hours
Of this rather
Unique parade will
Spill into yet
Another
New
Day of wordplay.



Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Playing nice


Considering all the
Options, doesn’t it
Make sense to set aside
Pretense and
Remove the parts of greatest
Offense? Somewhere in the
Middle
Is that sweet
Spot where concessions create the
Essence.


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Glow


Linked to ancient stars are we;
It’s a great inner
Gift for
Humanity. Let’s honor
This luminosity.

Image result for milky way galaxy


Monday, December 5, 2016

Deserved?


Consequences
Of
Naughty
Deeds, are they severe enough
In cases of
Greed? Wait! There are
No laws, only self-centered need.


The tone of this word has changed greatly. It once meant ‘appropriate’ or ‘wholly deserving’ in a positive sense. 

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Crooked


Working as
Right’s antonym, it turns
One’s
Notion of justice
Grim.


Saturday, December 3, 2016

Smart trees


Smart leatherwear and firs from
Prussia the English
Regarded as swanky.
Unkemptness
Calls for spiffing up
Even if just with a hankie.



Friday, December 2, 2016

Depths


Plunk sank vertically the
Lead ball on a line, its
Ultimate destination, the
Murky floor of the
Brine.


Thursday, December 1, 2016

Mesmerican


Magnificent marvels
Astonished the crowd; they
Gaped as their
Independence disappeared in a
Cloud.


Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Move


Darting or stepping in
A beat-induced way can
Nurture sullen
Corners of the soul
Every day.



Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Class act


Citizens living
In
Various settings
Indicate through words and deeds their decision to
Live together with respect and
Integrity for
The good of all – a huge
Yes! for the sake of community.


Monday, November 28, 2016

Man-invest Destiny


Far away
Ancient
Times had spoken what greed and
Envy would betoken.


Sunday, November 27, 2016

History repeats


Every
Xenophobic
Trend
Relies on fear,
Encouraging
Malevolence,
Inciting jeers. The
Specter of such beliefs
Tends to offer no relief.


Saturday, November 26, 2016

Aspiring to be Putin


Knaves and thieves will
Lead this nation,
Exploiting
People’s minds and
Trust. Through
Obfuscation their mean
Creation will
Reduce
America
To dust. 


…unless We The People stop this normalizing of what most of us have up to now considered deplorable and immoral behavior.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Seasoned teacher


Serving as
A mentor, the quiet,
Gentle woman allowed the
Eager fledglings to make mistakes.


Thursday, November 24, 2016

Latitude


Thoughts and acts of gratitude
Hover in the
Air, though perhaps this time
Not everywhere.
Kin have been divided in their
Sincere beliefs; both
Glee and grief might prompt
Impolitic topics. This
Very word ‘thank’ has lived
In thinking.
Now is a chance to
Give.




Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Fee, fi, foe, fu...


Even the innocent
Millstone, that grinder
Of flour,
Lends an
Unusual
Meaning to the
Enormous amount of power
Now wielded by his earnings, his wealth, his
Trumpeting towers.


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Useful


Take up these
Objects to prepare
Or repair; they’ll
Likely help
Someone somewhere.

While this word might also bring to mind ‘weapons,’ I am thinking of the constructive power of implements.


Monday, November 21, 2016

Inclusion


Diversifying
In
Views
Eventually
Rounds out to
Seeing
In 
This wide world a
Yes! for all beings.




Sunday, November 20, 2016

Remembering our PFC


Mayhem of
A sordid kind has lately
Divided this
Nation’s mind. May
Every person
Stop and breathe and
See the need for sanity.


Saturday, November 19, 2016

The hard truth


Obstinate, not willing to
Bend, they
Deemed him the
Underdogs’ friend; he
Ranted
And raved – they thought
They’d be saved – but the joke is on
Everyone in the end.


Friday, November 18, 2016

Watchful


Very wary and awake we walk
Into these next years;
Ghosts of
Ignoble past governments have
Lately here
Appeared. We’ll
NOT let the atrocities of the past be
Committed in this land. Stand firm!
Embrace wakefulness without fear.


We must also act. We cannot rely solely on those we believe represent us to act on our behalf. 

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Unconditional


In our
Neural make-up
The synapses fire
Emphatically,
Letting us discern in our
Learning that attuned
Interaction
Generates
Empathy. We see the
Needs of others as
Cultural anthropologists, that is, with
Equanimity.


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Malus pumila


Autumn months
Proudly present this crisp
Pomaceous fruit; these
Luscious spheres if
Eaten plain,
Sometimes make one toot.


I just had to lighten things up.