Month: April 2016

Front Book Cover - We Shall Overcome We Shall Overcome

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver

A Pirate Poem

How I Could Be a Pirate Despite Limited Vision

Prone to motion sickness on the high seas,

during battle, I can vomit

in the general direction of the opposing ship.

Able to see numbers on corners of bills,

when treasure falls into our hands,

I can count how much there is,

keep records in Braille,

entertain others with guitar and voice,

play a last request for those walking the plank.

If our ship goes down like the Titanic,

I’ll sing “Nearer My God to Thee.”

***

The above poem was inspired by this prompt. Click this link to hear me read the poem.

Now it’s your turn. Write a poem or essay, telling a pirate ship captain how you could be an asset to his crew. When I first read the prompt, I considered writing my poem in the form of a resume but realized that pirate captains don’t follow normal hiring procedures. They don’t reject prospective employees in the usual way, either. If I applied for a job with a gang of pirates, using the above poem as a resume, I would be the one walking the plank.

***

Front Book Cover - We Shall Overcome We Shall Overcome

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver

Four Ways a Dog Looks at Life (Poetry)

I’m too outspoken

so I must wear a special collar

during the day while no one’s home.

When I alert the empty house, the collar

vibrates against my throat, feels weird. Sometimes, it’s uncomfortable,

causes me to whine when I speak my mind.

Life is “ruff.”

“Turkey muffin, turkey muffin,” you squeak,

as my leash clicks into place.

What’s a turkey muffin, anyway?

It doesn’t sound nearly as appealing

as that rotten fish head in the alley.

Now, that’s what I want.

Oh, you’re hungry.

You don’t live here

so you don’t know where anything is.

You can’t see very well, huh?

Well, how about some potato chips?

I know where they are, in the pantry.

Open this door–they’re right here on the floor.

Now, here’s one for you, five for me,

one for you, ten for me, one for you, twenty for me,

one for you, forty for me. Oh, the bag’s empty.

Just throw it away.

They’ll think you ate all the chips–ha ha.

What’s that on the other side of the fence?

A white stick it is, rolling along the pavement.

A human pushes it.

I want to chase it

so I bark and bark and bark,

leap in the air many times,

try to fly over the fence.

I’m ignored–human and stick

walk and roll away.

***

I decided to write the above poem when I read Francesco Marciuliano’s book, I Could Chew on This: and Other Poems by Dogs. It was also inspired by my recent visit to Florida, where my brother has two dogs, and my experiences with other canine friends over the years. I wrote four poems but then combined them into one. Click this link to hear me read it.

***

Front Book Cover - We Shall Overcome We Shall Overcome

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver

On Beach Time

Thanks to poet Glenda Bealle’s post for inspiring this. I got the idea for the following poem’s title from a sign on my niece’s bedroom wall in Florida. As I write this, it’s cold, cloudy, and a little windy. Snow is forecasted, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Still, it’s a far cry from sunny Florida.

You may wonder why I don’t move to Florida since I write about it so much. The answer is simple. This time of year, the weather is ideal, but in the summer, with the humidity as high as it is, it’s miserable. That’s why I like to visit and dream about Florida on wintry days in Wyoming.

The following poem illustrates that. Glenda’s post contains a perfect video to go with it. This is a 60-minute beach-at-sunset scenario, but when I hear the waves, I’m reminded of the Jupiter, Florida beach at any time of day. Click this link to hear me read the poem.

***

On Beach Time

A winter day in Wyoming,

my mind takes me to Florida

where I feel the sun against my bare skin,

breathe the warm, salty Jupiter air,

walk on sand and water,

eat a sandwich under an umbrella

while listening to the ocean.

I’m already warm.

***

Front Book Cover - We Shall Overcome We Shall Overcome

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver