Elongated Day

 

Frank asked us to write some couplets for d’Verse today. Since this is the first day of summer in our hemisphere, he suggested that we write about the Solstice. This is my summer couplet.

Summer came by with elongated day
Sweating and steaming I came out to play

Sunrays unrelenting, I went inside
In air-conditioned comfort I’ll reside

Exaggerated day will come and go
I’m looking forward to next winter’s snow

Until then it’s iced tea and shady trees
On these long hot days let me feel the breeze

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

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Back Door Entry

Today President trump signed and Executive Order to keep children with their parents, when being detained for coming across the boarder illegally.  With thousands attempting to cross the into the United States at risk of jail, or peril, the welcoming arms of Lady Liberty and the words of Emma Lazarus become blurred. Everyone has an opinion, but few have a workable solution. What would you do?

“Give me your tired // your poor

Your huddled masses yearning to be free…”

Emma Lazarus wrote of a nation of immigrants

Coming by the boat load to America…

Seeking freedom and a chance for a new life

Leaving all behind // never looking back.

Lady Liberty still stands in New York Harbor

The flow has never stopped

The welcoming words // still the same

What has changed?

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Stamp Art: Dwight L. Roth

Horse Pills

“Horse pills” // that’s what I call them

Giant oval shaped tablets marked across the middle

Antibiotics to be taken twice a day for ten days

Oh, and don’t forget to take them with food

Medicine can tear up your stomach

Before it makes you well

By all means drink a whole glass of water

Send them dissolving into the quicksand

Don’t want those horses galloping in your system

Through a dry smoggy bog maze

They just might gallop right on out the door

Without doing their job!!

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Photo: Horse Pills – queerty.com

Paul at d’Verse asked us to write a poem eluding to some form of medicine. Having recently finished a round of antibiotics. I chose those big horse pills as my inspiration.

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Perpetual Motion

Cycles of life // ever changing

Water // seasons // life and death

Try as we may //no changes are made

Earth’s genetics determine its fate

A hiccup here // a burp there

New islands form // others wash away

The cycle goes on

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Kim from d’Verse asked us to write a Quadrille (exactly 44 words) using the word cycle. There are many ways one could go with this, but I decided to write about cycles that seem to never change.  There are so many cycles that we and the earth go through it seems like perpetual motion to me.

Summer

 

Summer Solstice here

Sleep less // enjoy more daylight

Long hot days await

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This week we once again reach the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikia poem eluding to the solstice for the hemisphere we live in. I chose a haiku !

#Haikai Challenge #38 (6/17/18): Solstice (Geshi) #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga

 

Still Missing Him

My father died at the young age of seventy. It doesn’t seem that old, now that I am seventy-one! Although he has been gone 36 years his memory is still fresh in my mind. His outgoing personality helped him create a wide network of lasting friends. When I was growing up, we always called him Pop. As I think back on this Father’s Day, I still miss him.

Still Missing Him

I still miss my pop
Now, thirty-six years later
Outliving him by a year
I still miss his warm smile
Encouraging me to do my best

I still miss my pop
Seems like yesterday he was here
Enjoying life and love
Reaching out to everyone he met
Welcoming them into his life

I still miss my pop
Sensitive and caring
Loving husband to my mom
Proud grandpa to my boys
He loved watching them grow

I still miss my pop
Wish he could see all that I’ve done
Knowing he would love it
Hearing him exclaim in affirmation
Knowing that he still lives in me

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

Fresh Starts

Each New Beginning
Each new beginning is like a hand in poker
In our new situation
We don’t want the joker!
Sometimes we are happy with the hand we receive
A hand full of Aces and Kings
or a winning full house
Filled with joy, happiness, and wealth.
But most times our new beginnings
are in need of some tweaking…
Some things need to be thrown out
While others we’ll be keeping.
New beginnings require shrewd wisdom
as much as luck.
Wise choices and good company
Keep us from getting stuck
While some new beginnings have been handed to us
Others take plenty of work and lots of effort.
Knowing when to hold
and when to fold is always a real plus.
So // accept the hand your dealt
Don’t keep looking for one better.
It’s not luck…
It’s your choices // that make you a winner
Few new beginnings //come up all Aces

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Symphony

Nature’s Music

The Woodland Symphony
Music pours out from shadow and tree
Calling us all to enjoy a reprieve

A melodious symphony straight from the heart
Each tiny instrument playing its part
Miniature voices in perfect pitch
Unwritten scores of notes that are rich
Filled with a beauty beyond man or pen
A symphony of music that will never end

Mocking birds solo sopranos and basses
Finding their notes in so many spaces
Piccolo warblers and wren solos start
Antiphonal melodies straight from the heart

The bassoon bull frog comes in now and then
Cicadas’ strings play background blends
Crickets and blue jays fill the air
The snare of the trees adds depth to the pair
Woodpeckers drumming on old hollow trees
A staccato rhythm that floats on the breeze

Suddenly // right out of the blue
The feline conductor brings all in on cue
With a growing crescendo from blue jay and friends
Celloed instruments calling, “This is the end!”
The squirrel plays percussion with his raspy scolding
As the woods fills with music // the finale’s unfolding

A thunderous applause from the balcony on high
Brings all to their feet // flashes crossing the sky
The concert is over the conductor’s gone home
Performers take bows // the music is gone

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today I am sharing one of my favorite poems that I wrote while sitting in the chair in the photo above. It is open link night at d’Verse Poets tonight. We are free to post a poem of our choosing. Hope you enjoy my Woodland Symphony.

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Fun on the Water

While at Cain Creek this past weekend we were surprised to see this Amphibious Car come cruising down the lake. As we watched it circled and headed back across to the other side. Poetry in motion.

Sunday road trip

Became a dip in the lake

Great fun in the sunshine

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Attitude

Mish at d’Verse asked to share a Life Lesson that we have learned that might be helpful to someone else. I chose the urge to bail out and quit my job.

Back in the 90s, when I was still teaching school, I was feeling burned out and disillusioned with my job. I did an assessment and looked at what it would take to get another job that would pay me what I was earning as a teacher. With my boys starting college, it was not the time to bail out on my job. The only other option was to work on me! I finally came to this conclusion:

It is easier to change my attitude

Than to change my job

I found this also applied to my marriage as well…

It is easier to change my attitude

Than to change my spouse

I am sure there are other situations in life where this is applicable as well

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Photo from family album!