Best of Show

Petite paws
heel, trot, stop
Fur long,
like a mop.

Tail held high,
pedigree.
Ears perked up,
Show Doggy.

Negative 3.14

walk fast
exercise
burn off
pumpkin pies

Who is Coming for Dinner?

Gobble-gobble...

The farmer's acting quirky,

And a little bit jerky.

...gobble-gobble...

His wife is acting perky -

Her smile is very smirky.

...gobble-gobble...

I fear my future's murky...

I found out dinner's turkey!

...gobble-gobble...GULP!

Happy Thanksgiving?

Allergic to Wind

wind howls
blustery blows
dust flies
up my nose

*achoo!*

In the Night

I
listen
in the night.

Coyote
yip,
howl,
prowl.

Mom checks
on me
and my sister.

Wide Awake

coiled

on the mattress

insomnia

After the Rain

tip toe
gutter flow
after the rain

soggy soil
strolling toil
after the rain

worms creep
wrens cheep
after the rain

breathe clean
future's green
after the rain

November is for Adoption, Too!

When the air chills
on November days,
we busy ourselves
in thankful ways.

During this month
another option
is celebrating
the joys of adoption.

Photo Booth Senryu

Sisters squeeze tight in

garlic infused booth. Giggles

drift past blue curtain.

Box After Box

Emptying
boxes
drains me.

Seasonal Fallout

The autumn trees

explode 

with color -

orange, yellow, red.  

The fallout 

flutters 

and 

floats 

d

o

w

n 

to the ground.

 

I stomp,

fling

and crunch

my way

through

the season -

until all the leaves 

take their leave 

and the branches 

are bare.

Mellow Man

He makes a point
to slow down.
He breathes deep
and looks around.

He stays alert
and aware,
keeps his life
real and rare.

But pressures
make it hard.
Inner peace
he must guard.

When he sleeps
and eats good food,
he becomes
a Zen dude.

Too Busy

Rush, rush,
hurry, hurry -
day went by
blurry, blurry.

Settling In

new house
new sounds
possibilities
abound

Moving Day

Box after box
into the truck.
Last is the couch -
oh no, it's stuck!

Slide, stack, and wedge -
everything's in.
At the new house
unpacking begins.

Packing Day

Packing boxes.

Life condensed

into cardboard cubes.

Bed Bouncing

I bounce
real high
when I try
to touch the sky
instead I cry
and scream, "why?"
because I
smacked my thigh.
*sigh*

Windswept Hair

A gust whips,
zips, and flips
Mom's hair.

Her updo is
a tangled, mangled
nightmare.

Looking At Me Looking At You

I opened the blinds
and got a surprise,
a brown grasshopper's
staring me in the eyes.

Clinging to the screen
with all of his might,
not sure who had
the bigger fright.

Honor Our Veterans

Veterans 

are the ones 

who put country first 

despite their fears, 

the danger, 

the odds.  

Honor our Veterans 

today 

and 

everyday.

Mood Mending Rx: Coffee

grump
scowl
mood
foul

grind
brew
sip
phew!

Crazy Eights

Dealer deals
seven cards.
Getting eights
is really hard.

I pick and pick
then discard.
Mom and I
playing cards.

Wow That's Loud

Heard a roar
behind a door
realized it was
Daddy's snore.

An Unexpected Encounter

A curve in the path
opens into a
clearing.

A coyote and I
lock eyes
surprised
to be standing
two feet apart.

After our mutual
"oh my" moment
we look away
then depart
in opposite directions.

We check
over our shoulders
to see that
the other species
continues
to retreat
until we are too far
apart
to see each others eyes.

Nightmare

coyote howls
jolt her awake
the crib is
empty

RIP Jack O'Lantern

I have dark spots,
my mouth now droops.
My flesh and skin
has turned to goop.

I'm not a zombie,
my name is Jack.
I used to shine bright,
now my guts are black.

In the compost heap
I currently sit.
I'm decomposing
lickity-split.

Soon I will be
mixed into the ground
helping next year's crop
become plump and round.

Manic Monday

Make breakfast
and my lunch.
Running late,
time crunch.

Unexpected Weather

Trashcan banged,
a blustery gust.
Steady rain
smoothing dust.

Surprising
midnight storm.
In November,
not the norm.

Fun Size?

fun size headache
fun size stomach ache
fun size candy
hangover

Mortimer Minute for Poetry Friday

Huge thank you to Linda Baie at Teacher Dance for tagging me in The Mortimer Minute Children's Poetry Blog Hop!  She also happens to be the host of this week's Poetry Friday Roundup! Hop on over and nibble on some amazing poetry!


Started by children's poet and author Janet Wong several week's ago, I get to enjoy Mortimer's company this week, soothing his sore belly after a night of Trick-or-Treating.  Here's another carrot, Dear Mortimer...

I'm supposed to answer one question from the person who tagged me (Linda) then add two of my own.  Finally, I will tag another blogger and Mortimer will be on his way..

The question I chose to answer from Linda's Hop is: "What is one funny poem you can recite that you use for children?"

I love the following poem both for it's lay out on the page (screen) and its repeated use of "bit". Mortimer approved of my choice...

Rabbit
by  Mary Ann Hoberman

   A rabbit
            Bit
A little bit
An itty-bitty
   Little bit of beet
    Then bit
        By bit
        He bit
Because he liked the taste of it

My questions:
Why do you post a poem EVERYday?

In a word: practice.  I am trying to improve my skills and the best way to do this is by practicing my skills.  I am not always successful with my poetry, but once in a while I create a gem. By posting my poetry daily on a blog I am held accountable to my small, but loyal, group of readers. *waves and mouths thank you to each and everyone of you*


Are your poems autobiographical and/or about your family?

I am actually asked this question a lot. Sometimes they are about me and/or my family (though the names have been changed) and sometimes they are just random streams of my consciousness. Once I wrote a poem about a child getting a huge snarl in her hair and she has to get a haircut. After I posted that poem I had several family members asking if it was about one of my girls who have VERY long hair (down to their waist). It wasn't, it was just a funny thought I had one day.

That's it for my part of the HOP, now I pass Mortimer and his stash of carrots to...   

Little Willow!

Little Willow is a bookseller, writer, actress, and webdesigner, among other things.  At her blog, Bildungsroman, you'll find her book review, exclusive interviews with authors, and booklists galore.  Wondering where does her blog get its name?  Dictionary.com defines a bildungsroman as "a novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character." And though her blog has an emphasis on YA fiction, LW also reads and reviews books for younger audiences as well as adults.  Drop by sometime!

Bildungsroman:

http://slayground.livejournal.com

http://www.slayground.net/bildungsroman

Rock the Rock Webdesign:

http://www.rocktherock.com