Enmity

Vengeance is

Endeavored in the

Name of the

Dead, and

Every hateful moment

Tightens

The mind into

A knot of dread.

Floating

Bobbing

Up in the

Bright

Blue sky, it looked

Like it might

Eat a house nearby.

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?

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.

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article164116762.html

Obtuse

Anally he is bent on

Nullifying

Good will. What kind of

Leader hooks his

Electorate with such swill?

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.

Phytology cycle

Plenty more

Of these botanical

Deeds will result from their protected,

Secret-knowing seeds.

Jeg kose meg

Comfort

Of body, mind, and soul is the

Zen for which I often

Yen.

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.

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

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.

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.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts.htm#strength

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.

Listen

Daily its song

Of love and peace

Voices an

Environmental ease.

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.

Drumming 101

Practice

A cool,

Rudimentary beat,

A

Dap-

I-

Dap-

Dap,

Like it’s an

Everyday feat.

http://www.freedrumlessons.com/drum-lessons/single-paradiddle.php

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.

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.

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.

/  ,  /  ,  /  ,

Observing observance

Conventional display of

Unquestioned

Social norms, can its

Time-honoredness be

Open to

Mindful forms?

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. 

Consider all...

Or offers

Preference,

The opportunity to choose;

In the case

Of electing officials,

No one ought to

Snooze.

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.

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.

Landslide

Stones slip down

Covering mountain slopes,

Resting at the bottom in

Ever growing mounds of rocky

Earth.

Utterance

Caw, caw, caw

Repeats the ebony bird; is she the

Only one 

Who speaks this word?

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.

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?

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.

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. 

Still

Seize the chance to

Enjoy peace and tranquil

Relaxation;

Every moment of this

Now can be drama-

Emancipation.