There you were always racing against time,
a willing mother, a conscientious worker, a wife sublime.
There you were with your wondrous wrinkles, your drooping eyelids and your starched crisp cuffs to waitress pinafore uniform you ironed so much.
There you were at the filthy hospital kitchen sink sloshing the dollops of patients’ left-over dinner bits and your magnificent pride with its iron core, smiling through all that .
There you were standing at the bus stop early purple morning or late black night the back stocking line straight and right and shoes polished waxy and bright.
There you were seemingly solid and confident, but really wobbly and light, smoking too many fags through too many disappointed nights.
I touched your cheeks when I caught you crying alone
The tears ran down leaving marks like dried milk
I touched your cheeks one soft like satin and the other like silk.
What are the clouds sitting on?
Carved castles
Powerful shapes and delicate dollops
But clouds are flat on the bottom.
The clouds are flat on the bottom.
They are like my great, great, great wrinkly old aunt Mildred.
They must be sitting
On an invisible something.
A divide in atmospheric pressure?
A mile-high, sky-top of our own human smog?
Or the wall that the dragons fly above
(But we cannot see them through this blinding shield)
The clouds are sitting on top of
Something invisible.
What a lucky something,
What a lucky us.
Thank you for holding up the clouds.
5 large egg whites
250g caster sugar
380ml double cream
5 tbsp lemon curd
300g blackberries
2 tbsp pistachios, toasted & roughly chopped
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 180 C/160 C fan. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Adding the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, continuing to whisk until you have a stiff, glossy meringue.
Divide into three, placing two big dollops nto one baking sheet and one on the other. Spread out until you have three circles approx 20cm in diameter.
Place the trays in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 140 C/120 C fan. Bake for one hour then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool completely.
When ready to serve, whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold in the lemon curd. Remove the meringues from the baking parchment and layer with whipped cream, blackberries and a sprinkle of pistachios. Serve in thick slices.
This meringue cake is best eaten on the day of making, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.Fagotto Amaretto chocalae and piscatoes
She was a rather bland woman
Dowdy, dressed in tans and browns
She did not share any history
I did not know any of her towns
She brought pumpernickel bread to work
And shared it with me, along with butter.
I did not care if she did not speak anymore.
It was fabulous with dollops of peanut butter.
ghoulish woman popped her head out of the lily pond
there were screams from those who had not sensed her
being part Dracula and part ghoul, I knew the macabre was about
another scream;
I noticed what she was holding
a fleshed-off skull, human,
my werewolf side could smell last dollops of blood
I wanted to taste it now
I wear colors in my clothing and in my purse
turquoise, red, yellow, green
purple, orange, silver, black and white
no idea why there is black or white
the designer must have thought this material needed them
there are dollops of white and streaks of black
they do add a bit of pizazz against the colors
two different designers surely could not be wrong
I have invented instant creative hairdo magic, the child told the mama
When you awake from sleep, your hair will change colors, with high drama
Mama woke up and her hair was blonde with curly ringlets down her back
Surprising her a bit, as her hair was usually short, and crow-feather black.
The next day mama’s hair was feathery, light, breezy, and hot pink.
Who did that? Asked her husband. She said “Who do you think?”
The child in the meantime had blue hair with a little touch of green.
But wait, after a nap, it came out orange with dollops of red sheen.
Can we opt out of instant creative hairdo magic? The daddy said.
You see, there was now a clown’s spongy rainbow mop on his bald head.
No, the child replied. Creative hairdo magic is here forever to stay.
Mommy said, “Please child, just don’t give me long hair that is ugly gray.”
Dangling hair, girls twirl, drum majors,
Baseball turned cap boys, screenagers,
Gum chew boys, girls curls, tweenagers,
Just teenagers, just teenagers.
Pixie sticks tootsie rolls swallows,
Gummy bears m & m's follows,
Reeses cups hershey bars hollows,
Tidbits mellows, tidbits mellows.
Marshmallow pillow stuffing jams,
Strawberries dribble squishing rams,
Peach clings and lemon rings swim crams,
Dollops mouth slams dollops mouth slams.
Dressed up, lollipop, a cutesome,
Suit, tie, flowers guy, a twosome,
Hoodies, both moody, don't getsome,
Great into some, great into some.
Grand Canyon had never seen such a cloud.
once-in-a-lifetime kind of whiteness
dollops of whipped cream
topping like no other
before or since
the rain was gentle, like a kiss
I marveled that I was there
To see this rain cloud in person
No photo could have captured it.
You come to me each morning
To awaken me from my refreshed sleep
I watch you as you bubble away in the kettle
Looking towards the excitement of a new day
Your color changing from golden to mahagony
I wait to see you turn just right for my taste
Two dollops of sugar and a jar of milk
My morning’s romantic escapade
like a chocolate crust pie
is the flat-topped ridge
of a nearby large mountain
Topping mountain pie
as far as the eye can see . . .
luscious raspberry pink sky
high white coalescing clouds
trim the twilight’s slice of sky . . .
dollops of whipped cream
Dec. 12,2022
For the Triple New Charlieku Poetry Contest of Charles Messina
7/5/7, 5/7/7, 7/7/5 (checked by Howmanysyllables.com)
I would like peanut butter macaroni and cheese please.
And some tasty mice on my hamburger if it is not too much trouble.
The pancakes should have dollops of garbage and limburger cheese.
He will have a bowl of oatmeal, his mother said, on the double.
The waitress had six children of her own, so she understood well.
With a side of cartwheel and unicorns? She asked the four-year-old.
He was immediately in love, thought she was totally swell.
She could do not wrong now, this mother with a heart of gold.
Floods of memories
The tumults, the peace
The pitter-patter on rooftops
The passion, in dollops
The continuous beat
Driving away the heat
The smell of rain
The overflowing drain
Emotions uncontrollable
The storms, the lull
Inside, her scent strong
Outside, Nature’s song
Past recreated
Once again, nothing hid
The gusty wind, the ferocious lashes
The crumpled sheets, all the messes
The thunder, the roar
The desire… ‘Want More’
The ebb, the flow,
As in each rendezvous so
The shiver, the quiver
From him to her
The sun pierces the fog
He rolls down, a log
The pleasure, the joy
Comes back the spirit of coy
The rains abate
And thus ends, the love date
Kittens in purple, pink, red, yellow and blue
Calicos, tabbies, Manx and Siamese too.
Sitting on brooms with witches in every hue,
I reach for my paints, creativity long overdue.
A serious artist who lives in her woo-woo,
New brushes are here, which is a huge coup.
I give my pirate queen a darling new hair up do.
Some may think my art is a bit of frou-frou.
Whimsy I seem to enthusiastically and often overdo,
It’s loved by my friend Amanda Mary Sue Lou.
I add generous dollops of silver and gold glitter glue.
Glad that I found this pastime, my darling, aren’t you?
Tears drop tornado, dollops jump above sides
Thin limb goblin sinking anchor bronze
Terrified in rising waves of violent river's rides
Envelope hapless magician in wail swirl static
Embellish emerald strangle collar wash
Emotions sharp peak - white caps leap erratic
Aspired as diamonds, climbed mountain poke
Arrange cloud malady stormy metal shon
Acrewed blue bellies bellow over goblin croak
Rascal salt ocean stab of silver dolphin spears
Roll nauseous sorcery balled crystal slosh
Regaled bedazzle boat slides triumphant tears
7th August 2021
Written for Contest: The Goblin's Jewel Box
Sponsor: Jack Webster
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