Saturday, November 27, 2010

Brides

Two girlfriends are recently engaged to be married. Both are suddenly being loved by real men who are mature, grounded, and generous. Neither one has experienced anything similar in previous relationships.

This thing they are experiencing doesn't resemble the Hollywood model of lust, infatuation, or obsession.

For both of them it is a mature, long friendship that time and circumstances turned into romance, then wrapped in intimacy. Heart, mind, body, and soul. It was lagniappe on both accounts. Unexpected.

Both are older gals. They have known trouble and despair. Each in her own way has felt hopeless of ever knowing a future including a loving companion.

If you could see their faces. They shine. The room brightens when they walked in. They both look ten years younger. These women were pursued by men who took the initiative in wooing. The grooms wait impatiently to make them beloved brides. The wedding plans are unfolding with delight and joy.

It will be special to be a guest at their weddings.

Wait a minute! We are The Bride. Shouldn't our faces shine, too?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Slashing at Windmills


These replace
the old style. We needn't
slash at them Don Quixote. 
Graceful field growing
a crop of windmills
harvesting wind instead of
wheat. Man can't live on 
bread alone. 

Dreams of Steel









Grounded beside iron feet
I look up and through
crazy house of mirrors. 
The tunnel repeats support 
again and again
waiting for its reason 
for being. 
The trestle bridges valley 
and river anchoring
bluff to bluff where
brave men taunted death 
straddling 
someone else's blueprint dreams.  
This train I wait for 
comes speeding,
rumbling along
trust's thin, taut 
 high wire.  


Friday, November 19, 2010

No Clue

A few months ago we were able to go see the opening of a movie. It was happenstance. Through the blog world of poetry, I had become facebook friends and twitter friends with a young poet in Bellingham. Little did I know he was shooting a film. When he announced the showing close by, we went.

As we were finding a place to sit, we saw the brother and sister in law of a long time friend. We made small talk until I spied the young poet. I recognized him because of his gravatar. I went over to meet him and his parents. I told them they must be proud - to which they agreed - and asked if he would come over to my little group.

I introduced the poet / movie maker to our friend's family, thinking they would be honored. They were so anxious about finding a seat they couldn't be bothered. They missed the best part of the entire evening. It would have enhanced the movie without 3-D glasses. And it was a free opportunity. The saddest thing? They don't have a clue what they missed.

Anxiety robs. Worry wastes moments. Both put blinders on my noticer. I don't have a clue how many wonders I've missed, myself.

Lord, let me see and be anxious for nothing ~ simultaneously.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Clothespins



The line strung between posts 
doesn't sag dangerously close 
to the ground anymore.
The heavy wet wrinkled washing
wrung out by the wringer doesn't
flap or snap. Clothespins put crimps
in sheet corners and made companions 
of shoulder seams and Levi legs. Rules
were followed for correct 
ways of hanging and attaching.
 Jessie (Jesus) Viviana Victoria 
Cota de Jose brought her 
pins inside with every basket of 
crunchy ritual. Noel didn't know 
the rules or follow laundry protocol
when she ate the crotches, the all 
important part, out of grandma's
underwear. How do you punish
a donkey who only leaves elastic
hanging lonely on the line with 
a wooden clothespin? Hot 
steam melts wrinkles flat 
and sends donkeys to the 
farthest back forty. 





This is my grandmother's clothespin bag. I think a couple of the clothespins might have been her mother's. The Pacific Northwest is too quirky rain wise for hanging clothes. Unfortunately. 
I played under her flapping sheets for hours using dropped magnolia pods for people. 



Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Man in Black










Harnesses and hames hang 
with dusty reins 
tangled in single trees.

The surrey sings
 a red fringe on top song.

Horseshoes fit hooves 
as big as dinner plates 
for working horses 
 drafting with pride.

Yoked together
 beasts obey bit
attached to reins 
held gentle. 

Knowing hands feel 
current passing through 
leather ~ master and team ~ 
at one. 

Double trees, cutters, and sleighs
collect our storied past.

The springy buckboard
 dream made from scratch
 takes his lady easy
on Sunday drives slow.

Runners, wheels, and antique 
saddle frames restored 
preserve history.

Bells and rings attach 
when it's time
 to play dress up. 
Prancing, they put on a 
show for us and 
the man in black. 

I love the prowess of reinsmen. Garfield and Uncle Cliff have given us many hours of pleasure. The sleigh rides and hay rides on the wagon are epic memories. Thank you. 








Sunday, November 14, 2010

Making Rope


Three strands twist until 
they twine about each other 
shortening their length by half
and multplying their strength in 
triplicate. But even unbreakable 
unity has tangled knot capabilities. 

Pulling rope strands apart is difficult 
for they have permanently indented
each other. A ring finger minus its ring 
doesn't lie. It waits for oneness to return 
A welcome weight.  



This is a tribute to Loverby. Seeing a woman through all the hormonal stages of her life must be a challenge for a man. After menopause, what will I have for an excuse? His patience and kindness towards me when I'm most difficult ~ sometimes fails in a weak moment ~ but he decides to agape me again the next moment. This grace never fails to keep me completely devoted.

Love never fails. It is the true......a cord of three strands is not easily broken.  






Craig's dad let me have an old rope maker we found in the barn last summer. Craig helped me try to make rope tonight. The rope turned into poetry. Poema means workmanship. The in-progress-whenever-it-is-now-kind. Continually. Ongoing. The Ropemaker's. His. 



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

We All Get One

One acre given at birth
One acre for everyone

One acre plants flowers and trees
One acre collects garbage

One acre births art
One acre breeds violence

One acre provides nourishment
One acre poisons the ground

One acre attracts butterflies
One acre draws flies

One acre gives life
One acre aborts thinking

One acre gives succor
One acre pillages

One acre craves more
One acre refuses growth

One acre learns new ways
One acre parrots old news

One acre values wisdom
One acre seeks fame

One acre celebrates freedom
One acre crimps ideas

One acre dreams awake in light
One acre hides in nightmares dark


This is my stab at a catalogue poem. I found it very difficult. LL Barkat offered a Random Acts of Poetry prompt over at High Calling. Check it out. Join in.

The thoughts that created this came from Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird where she talks about all of us receiving the equivalent of an emotional acre when we're born. What do we do with it?

Redemption. The desert may bloom as paradise. Direction may be changed. We may make U-turns, make changes, and start again.  We get to choose how we live on our one emotional acre. Often we are the recipient of someone else's largesse. It makes us want to turn our wasteland into garden.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Upon Waking

Last night I ran out of gas on the way to a wedding. A rodent of a man offered me three pepsis and one 7up. He said it would be a good substitute for gas. As he spun away I heard an evil laugh. This gave me red flags. 


I knew before I started the motor I had to wake up - to wake Loverby up - to ask him his opinion. He said, "Don't start the car!" 


He recommended me going back to sleep to siphon it all out. 


He couldn't do it for me. I hated that. He always rescues me. 


Loverby went back to sleep mumbling, "It might have worked if it had been coke." 

Friday, November 5, 2010

Learning Prepositions


aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, among, anti, around, as, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but, by, concerning, considering, despite, down, during, except, excepting, excluding, following, for, from, in, inside, into, like, minus, near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, outside, over, per, plus, regarding, round, save, since, than, through, to, toward, towards, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, versus, via, with, within, without

How did other children learn their prepositions without the benefit of Mrs. Orr's legendary arms? 

She was a few years from retiring when I was in fourth grade. It was obvious the shine had worn off teaching. She seemed tired the entire year, except when we learned prepositions. 

Frozen in the 1920's, her jersey dresses looked like costumes off the set of Cannery Row. Belted with short sleeves. Classy, but outdated. 

She became animated during this rote memory work. We were embarrassed, but had to stand and repeat them together, while doing the hand motion for that word. 

Her arms had an indecent enthusiasm for the task. They escaped the confines of their sleeves upon any hint of a prepositional list. 


As she wrote the list on the chalkboard - and while she energetically did the hand motions - the underneath, fleshy part of her arms flew about. They flapped like worn out, leathery elephant ears trying to fly. No amount of hydration or lotion could have brought them back to life. 


It formed an unforgettable trauma bond. 

My worst fear has come about. I'm glad I don't have to write on a chalkboard. I'm also grateful for long sleeves, and try diligently to stay hydrated. And moisturized. Perhaps it's not too late to find a preventative exercise? 


Weight and gravity, can they be defied? It's too late. It is. But maybe I can use them to fly. 


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

My Space

The cranky lady next to me on the plane jumped out of her seat to frantically keep anyone else's luggage from harming her Ferrari (?) laptop. She didn't want to put her second piece under her feet, but it was a good thing for two others to put their only piece under their feet. Everyone within a four row radius knew her opinion about my space.

I was angry at her for being so self centered. Later I softened when she told me of the places she'd been, the businesses she had started and been successful at. She needed to be a spitfire to accomplish what she had. When I found out she was eighty, it was hard to believe. She looked 60. Begrudgingly, I came to admire her as we parted. Still, I thought she was completely out of line and selfish.

A few days later I felt the grinding ugliness of my space. The beach was sparsely populated. Brita and I had a sweet little spot under the sun filtered fronds of three palm trees. A group of senior citizen's with visors and clothes screaming Tourist tottered over and plopped their chairs right between us and the water. Inconceivable! The whole beach beckoned..... and they picked that spot? Ruining my view? My afternoon? My vacation? My life?  

It was unbelievably rude and inconsiderate of them. They didn't notice my scowl. They were oblivious of my offended huffing and puffing as we laboriously moved our pile of stuff to another place.

They wrecked my space. It was mine. I was there first. Acquiring two year old emotions came easily.

As lady dragon smoke continued to puff out my ears and nose, the frail older man who picked their spot came up to our chairs. Extending his hand he apologized. "We come from the East coast where the beaches are packed like Honolulu. I didn't realize we were sitting between you and the water. I'm sorry."

His timing churned my stomach. Brita had just been reminding me that they probably had been oblivious and weren't purposely being annoying or mean. She gently helped me remember times I had probably been unaware myself.

What could I do but blush and welcome him to the human race while taking his warm, wrinkled hand in mine? It was hard to make eye contact. His knobby knees had become fascinating.

David Rupert at Red Letter Believers does a monthly roundup of featured posts at High Calling. Check out the other featured posts Around the Network

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Rocked by Love


On the beach I noticed this foot sized heart shaped rock. Tip your head or screen sideways and you'll see what I noticed. It is still laying in the sand on an island in the South Pacific. As I was downloading the album, editing and rotating pictures, I saw the embossed heart and the indented heart side by side. 

Please tell me you see them. Love rocks!

I found these the next day. Everywhere I walked..... 



Reading Red Earth

She sprawls 
unashamed
letting us watch 
sweat trickle hot
 between her breasts



under her arms 
 unshaven tufts
 wait to catch 
evening's coming
cool


strong shoulders 
shrug pack aside 
letting heavy 
lay still


 resting awhile
taking her ease 
she swings in 
rhythm with 
island time