S-Salmon patties were daddy’s special dish;
A-as kids, we would beg him to make fish knish.
L-Last week, my brother arrived on appeal
M-midst my adventure to fix this same meal.
O-Oddly enough the croquettes turned out grand;
N-not to brag, for bro had given a hand.
P-Plainly peeved, my youngest turned up his nose
A-and so, my brother a wager proposed.
T-Try one, eat it all, I’ll give you a prize -
T-those new earphones on which you've got your eyes.
I- It worked though a trick accomplished with guile,
E-easing one down with ketchup brought a smile.
S-Seconds, his choice, made the meal/deal worthwhile.
The first time I saw you, I couldn’t help but stare
Would someone like you notice my dramatic flair?
Each of my dreams I see you within my vision
Could it perhaps be a sign? Should I make a decision?
Around the room, you have my attention.
I notice you in the background, it’s my intention
I have an urge to approach, but I don’t know what to do
But sometimes, you have to let fate decide for you.
Your soft smile, my heart starts to beat
I’d smile back, and keep the moment on repeat.
I imagine gentle music through those white earphones
Something mystical, steady and something unknown
I can picture you with flowers surrounding
Sitting down on the ground, looking astounding.
From roots to sprouts my love starts to grow
It blooms from beneath, waiting to show
A garden that’s sacred, I hope you’ll know
I could watch and I can learn
I really can’t wait.. to see you perform.
The world in black and blue,
no visible outline, the colors
blur. Headlights bright red,
and the people covered
in smoke as I stand in the back-
alley surrounded by old graffiti
stains and a half eaten tuna fish
sandwich. The alley cats
devour the carcass leaving
the bones and eyes behind.
I look at the eyes and I see
my mother pan frying
batches of leftover
salmon, a once in awhile
treat, then back to smelly
tuna daily. I give my mom
credit, her cooking skills
mask the awful aroma just
enough for me to eat with
ease. I still wonder what
mystery meat I ate back
in high school, looked like
tuna, smelled like beef but
tasted like chicken. I get up
and leave to a corner
bodega shop where they sell
beer and passable pepperoni
pizza for a late night snack.
Then I chill at the coin laundry
shop next door, I should’ve
brought earphones with me.
Night is pending.
Not even the most anxious
can avoid time.
Day after day I dread the
the death of nothing
that the night spawns.
The TV becomes my
best friend~
a window of light
in the abyss.
Old TV shows
are brighter than
the new.
Tonight I choose
The Andy Griffith Show.
I put my earphones in,
and turn the volume down
(on the off chance
sleep embraces me)
and I embrace my fate.
I watch.
It's strange.
I feel a peculiar force
tugging at the corners
of my mouth.
The opposite of gravity.
A sensation that pulls
upward.
I had forgotten the feeling.
I laugh inside,
but for a different reason
than my body is currently
reacting to.
It seems even the most
sleep-deprived,
fear stricken
low in life
sickos
can't keep themselves
from smiling at
the infamous
Don Knotts
Thus, shall I ponder the convolutions
Of our present state of devolution
While consuming a new solution
To the contradictions of evolution
Surrounded by the walking dead
Earphones screaming in their head
Blue light failure their sole dread
While others fight for green edged bread
Perhaps we’re in a downward spiral
With our destruction going viral
Condemned it seems by judgeless trial
Because our thoughts are now on file
Thus, do the mad men mock each other
Enslave their cousin’s sisters brother
Santa’s elves do love a Christmas sing-a-long,
you can bet Santa’s will never go wrong.
There’s cookies, cakes, pies, punch and hot cocoa
with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger spice, you know.
When playing the organ Mrs. Claus is a whizz;
really, she should be in show biz.
Billy Bob passes out the music sheets,
while Mitzy and Millie bring out the eats.
Lil’Jim sits propped on his old oak cane,
the poor fella has some sciatic pain.
He shares his music book with Jake and Phil,
though young Jake’s voice is a tad bit shrill.
Skippy-Sam is a great baritone,
Grampy Gabbs needs to wear earphones.
The tinier elves sing in funny voices,
everyone laughs and rejoices.
Tiger Tooney the cat’s voice is a bit flat;
probably because he’s half bobcat.
As usual McNafferty wields his hand-carved baton,
for he truly loves directing a sing-a-long.
Now this can go on for hours and hours,
days or nights, that’s Santa’s power.
Through the winter should you hear faint singing,
it’s the Claus’s and their elves voices ringing.
I love listening to songs,
From Taylor Swift's pop,
To Olivia Rodrigo's rock,
I listen to them prolong.
It feels so amazing to listen to it all day,
With earphones on,
Singing and dancing, and I could go on.
And all I can say
Is that I can go listening to music till I am old and gray.
2/7/22
*Image of Tap Water Drops by Pixabay.
Taps 10PM Lights Out
Drip, drip, drip goes my faucet
a wrench is all that I need
no tools to stop that racket
earphones are more like my speed.
RhymeScheme: abab
2021 August 16
She walks by me
in miniskirt and boots
with earphones she listens
to a song I cannot hear
I see him walking
a beard so black and full
looking at his cell phone
at something I cannot see
together they are hurrying
quickly hand in hand
looking eagerly before them
and I know not where they go
I hear somebody calling
a name out loud and clear
a song begins within my head
but I know not who she is
and I stop and wonder
that I do not know
just who they may be
all the people that I see
each one of them a person
each one with hopes and dreams
each one with a story that
I simply do not know
and I know I do not see them
and do not know who they are
and that I never wonder
and I never try to learn
I really do not see them
I really do not see
I really do not wonder
I really do not care
they really are invisible
someone I really do not see
I really do not try to see them
and learn who they really are
Old? Oh, Goodness!
The old lady is jiggling the bed!
With her earphones on, bobbing her head,
Tipping her shoulders to front and back,
To up and down — her chest the same.
If the partial-paralysis hadn’t set in so
Eight months ago, she’d be in a quick go
Up jigging across the room to reel with
That Irish, God-praising banjo she listens to.
Old lady, her moves shaking the sheets off!
Quite a sight to see! And, too,
With the angels around her bed clapping in time
And tapping along to the beat of joy’s music.
Her physical therapist had said to keep moving,
“There’s no such word as ‘can’t’ and you
Aren’t old ’til you hit three digits,” which means,
The old lady tallies: she has three decades
Of swaying, twisting, bowing and turning to go!
———————————————————————-
(c) sally Young eslinger 1/18/221
Thanks be to God
That Summer Night
Just a summer night...with
...a pair of earphones..
some slow songs and a lot of thoughts...
Her window welcomed the winds beating the hotness and caressing her flicks coming out of her braids...
An afternoon nap blew her sleep away...and there she was
struggling to get out of that crowd of thoughts...
The insecurities....trust issues...that disturbed her...
The fears that scared her..
The perplexities that outraged her..
And the questions, she had no answers to..!!
wasn't that a lot for a little heart...desiring just to be at peace...
Meanwhile,
another blow of wind came...taking all her worries away....
Coming finally out of her thoughts..she says," Not today,not anymore...let me worry less and care for myself more."
Smiling, she wrote on her palm with her fingers,"I won."
The song continued to play.?
-Aakanksha Jha
She can hear Elvis Presley in her earphones,
A gramophone is playing on the table
There's a Chelsea poster on the wall,
And the forgotten black phone rings.
He wore flared trousers and grew a mustache
His cassette player sings: "Mr. Sandman",
The floor clock in the apartment is ticking,
And the movie goes with Audrey Hepburn.
It is always tuned to its own wave,
And he's an avid Castaneda fan,
They will meet in tobacco captivity,
And there will be love in the retro style.
Their meeting is like a distortion,
As if time has gone backwards,
Love turned on the imagination
And connected the unusual again.
He rode up to her in a Deville,
She dressed like Marilyn Monroe
They spent everything they had saved,
They got married quietly in the office.
Blonde with peroxide in her pocket,
And the dude with the cigar in his hand,
Found each other in a retro fog,
And together we went on the road to the dream.
There's the
Guy
In the corner
Strumming on his guitar
Singing of the
Good ol 2000's songs
Shaking his head
At the recent rap reps
The golden eyelet
Etched on
There's the emo girl
In all black
Tapping furiously
On her laptop
Emailing any
Cooperations
That would take her
Her sighs can
Be heard from the
Other side of the room
There's the dude
With the manbun
Tutting to the BGM
Muttering of
The Friday tiredness
Glasses hung low
On his eyes
The couple in the corner
Giggling ecstaticly
Sitting snugly
Sharing earphones
Gabbing
Of the dreams they seek for
Sweet high school
Innocence
Cigarettes burning out low
Feet out on the balcony
Overlooking
The sky full of stars
There's the salaryman
Sinking low into his
Wrinkled suit
Still in his twenties
Not wanting to go home
To sleep
And wake up to the
Same tedious routine
There's the girl
With the piercings
Smoking
Perfect rings
Lord of the rings
She smirks to herself
As she
Watches them
Slowly
Disappear
Into the air
Waiting to
See the
Soleil levant
Dripping of tequila
You sit as always-earphones in and eyes glued to a screen,
soon you will stand and leave, sometimes you say goodbye,
I watch you in your other world to which I do not belong.
I go to the freezer and select our tea, to await your return,
I make your bed and pick-up your laundry,
When it is dark I sit and eat alone.
Tomorrow we will repeat this process I think as you sit-
lost in a world where you fight aliens on a screen,
I go to bed and you do not hear my goodnight.
I lay in a bed and hear machines as they bleep-
you sit beside me and wait-
soon I may leave and you will be alone.
You speak to me as I fade in and out of sleep,
I hear those words-'nana, please don't leave me alone',
I will myself to stay and care for you.
I am home now and you look up from your screen and smile,
soon you will leave for college and you say goodbye,
I go to the freezer and select our tea, I do not feel so alone.
She sat on a park bench late Christmas night
a hallmark moment in my memory.
For relaxing there, she was quite the sight
her face shone as if buffed by emery.
The soft snow lay like a fluffy duvet
covering all in a blanket of white.
And sitting slouched in a casual way,
her silhouette stood out in the moonlight.
She blended right in with the Yuletide mood
earphones on, listening to Christmas songs.
And finding her there I didn't intrude
for in her mind, she was where she belongs.
There are many ways to gift a present
sometimes, simply by not being present.
Nov. 24, 2018
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