Weekly Poem: "Time for Treats"

Time for Treats

"Treat, treat, treat?"

Scattered on the floor,

little tuna and chicken goodies.

Treat, treat, treat.

He hovers over the meat cooler,

looking for the biggest packages

of the leanest hamburger.

Treat, treat, treat!

We pick up two buck chuck,

chocolate, Irish Breakfast tea

and German herring at Trader Joe's.

Treat, treat, treat?

At this rate, his Lotto winnings

will not last long.

Licking icing off my fingers

from the cinnamon rolls

good luck brings.

(It brings treats.)

February 28, 2015

prompt:  treat poem

Weekly Poem: "Careless"

Careless

We were so careful with each other,

not willing to risk heart, home,

flesh, bone.

We touched briefly between the aisles

of the public library.  Book end to book end,

what stories we could tell?

I only sketched the barest outline. 

You kept well within the lines,

characters not fleshed out, plots threadbare.

Today, I carelessly call off our meeting.

Tired with a headache, excuses made

for five years into a marriage, not five years

into this, whatever this is.

Every polite, we arrange to meet on Tuesday,

when our schedules will allow.

Allow me.

No, you go first.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

February 28, 2015

prompt:  careless poem

Weekly Poem: "New and Used"

New and Used

We're held together

with duck tape and baling wire,

scotch tape and bobby pins.

Our broken hearts patched with denim

and stitching not shown

to the outside world.

The screws are loose, joints coming undone,

tied together with shoelaces, joined

with rubber cement and sealing wax.

It's a wonder we function at all.

February 11, 2015

prompt:  patchwork poem

Weekly Poem: "carved in granite"

carved in granite

I'm sure you have

your regrets, things you would

have done differently, if you could.

You had losing tickets

in the Kid Lottery.

It's the same for everyone.

Don't let anyone tell you different.

I never won the Husband Lottery

either, though I've only played

a couple of times.

Beneath the smiling family pictures,

that perfect veneer, we're all nursing

disappointments, grievances, injuries

wrapped oh so tightly.

I let my wounds show, braver

or stupider than most.

Dumber than a box of rocks.

February 4, 2015

prompt:  disappointment poem

Weekly Poem: "Wanted: freedom"

Wanted:  freedom

I used to have free time

that was years ago

when I was 11

Since then

there's always something

pulling my elbow

like an angry dog

Pay attention

pay attention to me

the world demands

Truth is

I don't want to do anything

ever again

Think I'll just sprawl

across my bed

and read a novel

Think I'll do that

prompt:  free poem

January 28, 2015