Slip Sliding Away

Sliding on the ice
Was fun as a child.
That moment of free fall,
Like the weightlessness
Of a roller coaster ride.
The glide toward the unknown
Ending in a tumble in the snow.

Not so fun as an adult.
All the thoughts
Running through your head
Worrying about the landing.
Too much experience
With hard pavement
To enjoy the ride.

On to the Next Holiday

Turkey's done
Shopping's started.
Lights are sprouting up
Like vines on the houses.
Christmas trees
Grow glass flowers
And ornamentation.
Snowflakes adorn windows
As well as sidewalks.
Reindeer are running rampant
As lawn decorations.
Santa's sleigh can't be far behind!

Writing

Let the words flow out

With the ink

No interruptions

From the brain.

Words floating

Like letters in Alphabet soup.

Scooping out spoonfuls

To be gulped down.

Short phrases

Standing in for

Whole trains of thought

And the stories behind them.

The printed word

The soul's voice.

Technology

Kids run headlong

Unafraid into the future.

Enticed by bright shinny things

And captivated by the possibilities.

Adults run screaming

From the abyss.

Afraid to push the wrong button

Or change their life.

There should be an app for that.

Food Hangover

Too many wonderful flavors

Overload the system

And befuddle the brain.

Turkey tryptophans

Bring relaxation,

Savory dressing

Wakes the palate,

Fruity wines

Mellow the meal,

Pumpkin pie

Brings peace to the conclusion,

And mashed potatoes

Are just plain comfort food.

What a great food high.

Thanksgiving

Thank you for our little Ash tree

A baby when we moved in

Now blocking my view.

Thank you for our kitties

Newly adopted in grief

A constant source of joy.

Thank you for our marriage

Embarked on in impetuous youth

Ripening to a delicious age.

Thank you for our house

A humble home of dreams

Our sanctuary.

Thank you for our family

A constant of our growing up

Companions growing older.

Thank you fr our friends

Forged in delight

Strengthened with experience.

Thank you for our nation

Expected freedoms

Respected rights.

Thank you for our world

Places known and imagined

All wishes cherished.

Thank you for us

Growing in wisdom

Content in peace.

Impending Storm

Storm clouds gathering.

Silver bank of snow

On the horizon

Encroaching on November

Pushing into December.

Only bare branches

Now stand guard.

Reaction

I'm a transistor
I feel the tension
In the air waves
And transform them into sound.
I can pick up
the vibrations in a room
And feel the mood
Like colors on a mood ring
They appear
As substantial substances.
Walking through tension
Is like the prickle and clang
Of barbed wire.
A light mood
Is a giggle.
A dark mood
The drum roll of a funeral dirge.
Sorrow is a sigh with the weight
Of a heavy wool blanket.
Anger is a roaring fire.
Peace is an empty room
Alone with my emotions
And not a sound.

Conferences

Students need us
Parents want us
To be all things to all people;
Teacher, parent
Counselor, psychologist.
To teach the whole child
You have to know everything.
You have to get inside their head
Open their brains
Work your way into their heart
And get them moving
In the right direction.

Puzzling

We find our place in childhood.

Where we fit in

The giant jigsaw puzzle of our world.

Are we the responsible eldest

Holding the frame together

And keeping all the pieces in place?

Or the background middle pieces?

Colorful and harmonious

Smoothing the way

For the front and center babies

So cute and endearing

That bring the picture in focus

And complete the scene.

Sandy's Jazzercise Birthday

Bright sprite

Dancing on air

Ageless and boundless

Grace in form and spirit.

Sprinkling pixie dust

Like blessings on us.

Sharing energy and attitude

With your smile.

Making us believe

That like you

We can fly across the dance floor

And never grow old.

Happy birthday!

Lost in Space

I lost an earring.

It was the second one

I've lost lately.

Is there an earring thief?

A pirate who only needs one.

Is there an earring heaven?

Where they dangle like stars.

Maybe the pair divorced

And hooked up with the other partner.

Or maybe there's a black hole

That sucks it to the other side

Where aliens only have one ear.

It couldn't be

A lapse in memory

Or confusion

In my life.

I'm going with

A rabbit hole

And Alice is wearing

My mismatched pair.

The Last Vestiges of Dad's Inheritance $139.70

$20 bills from dad
Were a sign of
A job well done
The way he could say
I love you.
Money was always dad's currency
For expressing emotion.
His job was giving us money
Like a cash machine.

So cashing out the last account
Is hard.

The ATM is closed.

Children's Choir

Hearts on their sleeves
Mouths wide open
Singing their hearts out.
Fingers tapping thighs
Wiggling down to their toes.
Shuffling sneakers
To the beat
Only they can hear.
Pitch perfect
For their high octave voices.
Smiles turn from timid
To Ecstasy.
Eyes staring straight into heaven.
Thank God.

Check Mate

Chess club allows the students
to grapple with
the problems of life.
Thinking ahead-
What is your next move?
Make a plan-
How can you capture the King?
Keep your eye on the prize-
Can you win in spite of loss?
Good sportsmanship-
Can we still be friends?

Family Bowling

Memories of childhood
Sharing stories
And once upon a time.
We each have our own chapter
And things that were important
In our version.
Ran Ham,
Orange Crush,
Grade school bowling,
Mom and Dad.
The colors of our memories
Are as varied as the swirling patterns
Of the bowling balls.
Gutter balls or strikes
We remember.

Visions of Snowflakes

I heard the cheers

Across the miles

Children waking up

To the first snowfall.

The flurry of hats and mittens

As they slide out the door

Anticipation of a dive

Into virgin snow.

Snow Angels

Covering where

Piles of leaves

Were recently raked.

Snowmen sprouting up

Like winter's harvest.

Jackets pelted with

Snowflakes and snowballs

Creating a new breed of polar bears

Out of the lumbering bodies beneath.

Winter Haiku

Fresh snow is fodder

Planted like seeds of wonder

For a thousand poems.

Reruns

I feel like I'm repeating myself.

I look outside my window

And can't find the words.

June, moon, spoon

All the good poems have been written.

This is when a picture's worth

A thousand words.

Date Night

Unlike the movie
It's relatively calm.
Quiet conversation
Instead of
In front of the TV dinners.
Food is savored
Sipping wine over an entree
Instead of milk and left overs.
The atmosphere is romantic
Instead of a bright kitchen
And cats on the counter.
A change of scenery
Reminds us of who we are
And to appreciate our partner
In any setting.

Barometers

Warm Autumn Day.
Students itching to get out of their skin.
Winds changing to the East.
Either Mary Poppins
Or a storm's coming in.

Chess Club

Strategies
Problems in black in white.
Focused on the game,
Ignoring the distractions;
What's for supper
How much homework
Who friends like.
Eyes on the prize
Decisions and desire
Plan ahead
Make a move.
Checkmate.

Undaylight Savings Time

A Cheshire cat grin moon,
A sliver of the lunar surface,
Smiles down on us
As we wave the sun goodnight.

To Sleep Perchance...

My dreams aren't subtle.

Even my subconscious

is open and honest.

I dream about losing my teeth

When I feel loss.

I dream about babies

When I need care.

I dream about water

When I need to look under the surface.

My dreams remind me

What I should be paying attention to

In my waking life.

Soup

A pinch of this

A sprig of that

I like to have a recipe.

I appreciate

that someone already tested

And found the easiest way

To combine ingredients

The zestiest blend of flavors

The best way to do it.

I like to be creative

But I'll stick to the recipe.

Feeling a Cold Coming On

The fuzzy headed

Scratchy throat

Resulting from too many

Germs sneezed out by third graders

Or a spouse's contagious kisses.

Dreading the coming battle;

The struggle to sleep at night

The crisis of surviving the day

The fatigue and toll

Of flu season.

Waiting for the Birds To Come Home

Whiskered nose
Pressed against the pane.
Eyes wide
In curious delight.
Hunkered down
To wait for dusk
And the last bird
To land softly
In the picture
Framed by his window.

Hump Day

Sometimes it's nice
To break up the week.
Pretend Wednesday
Is the weekend.
Shed the skin
Of your occupation.
No papers to correct
No work to get up for
Just leave your day job behind
And revel in the joy of Wednesday.

Tommy's Election Speech

"I really don't need anything else

I have all of you for my friends

And that's all I need."

Monday

We all need a little help sometimes.
Bits of wisdom or advice
Constructive criticism
Keeps us on the right path.
Just like the students
We need gentle direction
And praise
For a job well done.