Monday, July 31, 2017

Enmity


Vengeance is
Endeavored in the
Name of the
Dead, and
Every hateful moment
Tightens
The mind into
A knot of dread.


Sunday, July 30, 2017

Floating


Bobbing
Up in the
Bright
Blue sky, it looked
Like it might
Eat a house nearby.




Saturday, July 29, 2017

Trumpeting the...


Stock
Comedic characters play
A specific
Role; the “little skirmisher”
Artfully
Makes
Outrageous the whole by
Uniquely
Combining servant and
Henchman. Does he
Even have a soul?


Friday, July 28, 2017

Protest Parade of July 28, 1917


Soundlessly they walked
In united indictment of
Long-standing hypocrisy.
Even today, this
Nation can’t say it is a
True democracy.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Obtuse


Anally he is bent on
Nullifying
Good will. What kind of
Leader hooks his
Electorate with such swill?


Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Sweet family


Really? I was not aware
Of all the edible connections:
Some are
Apples, apricots, pears.
Consider the perfection of
Each sun-ripened bit.
Applaud Mother Nature’s
Endless gifts.

Happy Birthday, Rose A.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Phytology cycle


Plenty more
Of these botanical
Deeds will result from their protected,
Secret-knowing seeds.




Monday, July 24, 2017

Jeg kose meg


Comfort
Of body, mind, and soul is the
Zen for which I often
Yen.



Sunday, July 23, 2017

Young wonders


Patient, and
Unflustered by expectation, the
Little hen
Laid her first
Egg, gaining
The child’s adoration.

With gratitude for leisurely strolls through the Rochester, MN Farmer’s Market.


Saturday, July 22, 2017

The Big Dipper, for example


A group of
Stars
Takes form in human minds,
Evoking a
Relatable
Image,
Stellar navigation for
Mankind.


The Big Dipper is comprised of the seven brightest stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Thanks to Ptolemy, and to Rich M. for pointing me to earthsky.org

Friday, July 21, 2017

Variation


Spontaneous change might cause
Parental surprise when an
Offspring’s features, for example, eyes don’t
Reflect the dominant gene. No matter.
Therein love is still seen.

Thanks for the word, Wiley C.



Thursday, July 20, 2017

Miles of storms


Downbursts of wind in bow
Echoes
Race across the
Endless sky
Causing
Hazards, prompting floods;
On a straight course they fly.

With thanks to Dr. Gustavus Hinrchs, who coined the term (1888), and Cathy Wurzer, who shared it on MPR.



Wednesday, July 19, 2017

His Achilles’ heel


Cognizant of her well-
Learned skills, she deftly
Engaged the right and
Verified to all the world the
Emperor’s
Ruinous blight.


Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Listen


Daily its song
Of love and peace
Voices an
Environmental ease.


Monday, July 17, 2017

True


Can there be
An animal clearly
Nearer to the heart?
I was once afraid of them.
Now I see the
Empathy they amazingly impart.

Thinking of Tiger and Lucy, Emma and Lynn, all who trained me.




Sunday, July 16, 2017

Drumming 101


Practice
A cool,
Rudimentary beat,
A
Dap-
I-
Dap-
Dap,
Like it’s an
Everyday feat.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Family, the gift that keeps on giving


Just what is all this
Underhanded
Nonsense about? Nepotism
Is  
Opening a can of
Real worms with clout.


Friday, July 14, 2017

Everything in its place


One by one, the
Rudiments of her work she
Gladly and logically
Arranges.
Neat and ready
Is her space; her
Zeal never
Ever changes.

Thanks for the inspiration, Stacie A.


Thursday, July 13, 2017

Pause to wonder


Very
Intriguing, this Latin word: shall I
Regard it as a slash? The 
Grammar gendarmes would
Urge me to write a comma, a
Little curl. Alas, the ‘little twig’
Exists in two worlds.

 ,  /  ,   ,


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Observing observance


Conventional display of
Unquestioned
Social norms, can its
Time-honoredness be
Open to
Mindful forms?


Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Meeting in the library


Jest or no, this
Unusual sight is telling of the
Xenophobic plight of
This world; when
Armies back
Parochial views, the
Outcome is a nation
Suffused with
Intolerance of free-
Thinking citizens. Some see
It as a kind
Of patriotism. Does it
Not join totalitarianism?

A children’s non-fiction collection just happened to end up this way, with books on military juxtaposed to those on religion. It got me thinking about all the wars throughout the history of our so-called civilized world. Is it indeed civilized when governments force their people to think in a particular way? That they disallow questions? That they conflate church and state? I hope our education system will continue to emphasize the importance of critical thinking, of empowering students, of encouraging resilience. 



Monday, July 10, 2017

Consider all...


Or offers
Preference,
The opportunity to choose;
In the case
Of electing officials,
No one ought to
Snooze.


Sunday, July 9, 2017

Keep the investigation alive!


Minding others’ business,
Engaging in their affairs is
Definitely
Detrimental to the
Larger picture where unbiased
Information and truth are a
Necessity for the ultimate
Goal of a strong democracy.


Saturday, July 8, 2017

Indulge


Some
Purchases
Lend
Us a
Rare
Glimpse of our
Extraordinary self.


This word heard from early childhood will always remind me of my mom Glorya and her sister Boots. To them, ‘splurge’ usually meant paying full price for something. It could also be a trinket they bought for themselves after finding thoughtful gifts for everyone else. Thank you, Tina H., for using this word and taking me back in time.


Friday, July 7, 2017

Landslide


Stones slip down
Covering mountain slopes,
Resting at the bottom in
Ever growing mounds of rocky
Earth.


Thursday, July 6, 2017

Utterance


Caw, caw, caw
Repeats the ebony bird; is she the
Only one 
Who speaks this word?




Wednesday, July 5, 2017

On the Fourth


Fantastic splashes of
Iridescence celebrate
Remembered
Events.
Wonder expressed in
Oohs and ahs
Reflect a
Kindred youthful
Spirit.

Thank you, dear sister Tina H., for such a lovely time.




Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Tears?


Stars
Parade across a field
And
Never
Glittered more than on our
Land’s striped banner,
Evoking a
Desire for peace to be restored.

In the spirit of this word’s Proto-Indo-European root,      *(s)pen-, may we draw upon our united strength to stretch our thinking and help spin our country in a positive direction. While today’s Google doodle might reflect our amazing national park system, one might also contemplate the resilience of nature. And how is our current political climate affecting the world?


Monday, July 3, 2017

Love the tournament


Take the racket,
Engage the ball,
Now whack it over the
Net; keep it volleying
Inside the lines.
Strive to win the set.



Sunday, July 2, 2017

Tubular word


Songbirds have this
Y-shaped part. As famous
Reeds in ancient myth
It’d been a nymph who
Needed help or
Xenial ways in pyramids.


Thanks for the word, ever-curious Ruthy M.

Wow. This was a stretch, with that letter ‘x’ and the definition of ‘xenial.’ It means being ‘hospitable,’ especially to strangers, but I couldn’t find definitive information about stone channels in pyramids – one of the contexts in which this word was introduced to me – and their function. In any case, composing this one was a fun experience. 

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Still


Seize the chance to
Enjoy peace and tranquil
Relaxation;
Every moment of this
Now can be drama-
Emancipation.