Reunion of friends
Family, a crowd
Her fiftieth trends
Of her, we're proud
A model, she struts
Resplendent in blue
With signature, guts
Astride husband, true
Past, present, apart
To feast and dance
Next chapter to start
A risk, another chance
Ensues a warm glow
Asking, when next?
Meetings may flow
Pray not a mere text
After two weeks of riding the winds across the world,
I return to the nest where my heart had perched all along.
Meeting old souls and young flames was a melody of warmth,
Their greetings, like golden threads, wove memories into my soul.
Living alone in my quiet cocoon, I had forgotten the dance of life,
But among many hearts under one roof, I felt the fire rekindle.
The walls may have worn the years like ancient scrolls,
Yet the laughter within them lit the halls like chandeliers of joy.
Some lands felt like overflowing treasure chests,
Where a simple coin made me a king, if only for a day.
Others stood like castles on high cliffs, unreachable,
Yet the kindness of strangers built bridges across our differences.
I longed to stand before the great wonders,
But the stormy whims of weather and health held me back.
Perhaps, through the looking glass of a screen,
I shall still taste the marvels of my fleeting odyssey.
He was obnoxious almost to the point of repulsive
Constant banter escaped his always yapping jowls
He gave you no space or peace, monopolizing all conversation
Many stopped attending family reunions due to this brazen boor
2025.1.28.
Chinese New Year Eve.
Tonight, all Chinese and Asian,
Busy to celebrate the lunar new year.
The entire house has been thoroughly clean,
From floors to ceilings,
In the cupboards, and on the benches,
New or freshly pressed blankets, linens, clothes and shoes have been chosen.
All these were performed,
To serve as their wishes have been granted,
To receive good luck for the whole year.
Tonight, all the family members,
Come home from all the globe's corner,
Gathering around to share their reunion dinner,
Happy and luckily to meet each other.
Share the nicest meal ever,
The abalone, fish, and a soupy desert,
Made of flour, round in shape...
Writing up to here,
All of a sudden, I feel unease and lonely.
I have had a lovely family.
Which I have already lost for many years.
Happy new year to all Chinese.
Eat the fruit
Remembering the farmer
Eating sweet potatoes
Remembering the one
Who give me the rope to grow
Eating the sweets
Remembering my Aunt
Who bake with so much sweat
Eating Filipino food cuisine
Remembering my family kins
Who with unity and cooperation
Makes our New Year celebration
Successful our sweet family reunion
So much to cherish and thankful for
The one who make this event possible
To God most of all and for the lovely host
The Elders of our family who initiate most of all.
the oldsters were the ones who were predictable
Aunt Marjorie would bring something to sell
If you said “no thank you” she would try to guilt you into it
“I will give them to you if you cannot afford them.”
She is gone now.
Uncle Ronald and Aunt Donna had no reason to come to the reunion.
They sat by themselves, and talked to no one, not even each other.
We tried to park Neal in their corner, but he did not stay there long.
Neal is the most boring family member of any family to ever be born.
Cousin Neal rattles off stories about himself in a weird monotone voice.
Following one person or another from table to table.
Desperate for attention, a bachelor who remained single until he was sixty.
The marriage did not last two weeks.
Uncle Bill was one of the highlights of the family reunion.
He told wildly outrageous stories that had all of us laughing.
Even if we had heard them before, they were still funny.
He is gone now too.
There is no sense in going back to the reunion.
The only ones left are people I do not recognize, Neal, Ronald and Donna.
A waste of my time, and no one appreciates my chocolate chip cookies anyway.
It’s that time again
Time for all of us to gather
Come from all parts, new starts
Bring lot of pics and stories
Hugs and kisses, brand new shirt
It’s family reunion
It came in mail our time to meet
Down in Mississippi, or on the street
New Orleans, in the Chi
Bring everyone all need to try
It’s family reunion
Aunt Katie couldn’t make it
She died last spring
Uncle Tommy’s looking rough
But brought his smile
It’s family reunion
We can’t do this every time
Every three years is what we’re down
Mays’s brought the chicken
Mimi’s got her slaw
It’s family reunion
No matter how long it’s been
Or where we go
Where we come from
IS all we have to show
It’s family reunion
So try and pull it together
Travel together in kind
Come meet us all again
For the ones that started it all
It’s family reunion.
We’ve made it one more time
Lots of places lots of faces
Look closely remember
Some it may be last,
For its family reunion.
Our family reunion
Picnic tables,
dishes labeled,
all red, white and blue.
Grass in the shade,
blankets are laid,
keeping babies cool.
Cold beer on ice,
lemonade's nice,
or some sweet tea too.
The chicken's fried,
the apple's pied,
which dessert to choose.
Children happy,
old folks napping,
teens are at the pool.
Bats are swinging,
horseshoes ringing,
maybe just a few.
Babies crying,
old men lying,
how they always do.
I'll catch up on,
things going on,
gossiping with you.
It's time to leave,
but I won't grieve,
I know it is true.
No need to fear,
cause come next year,
we'll be back in June.
On this day, hummingbird's and cardinal's are signing aloud, flying all around me setting sail with a fall breeze filling my lungs full of fresh air. The cat's and dog's are all out relaxing and running all around the city with the children playing in the backyards with dad grilling, mom's in the kitchen preparing dessert and many great dishes for the wonderful day ahead with thoughts and feelings each step through. Now setting table with family and friends, enjoying and dining singing songs of praise like the bird's and bee's, flowers and tree's calling it in all prepared for the next day too come family reunion.
The rook is sneaking up on us
But we don’t give a fig or a fraction
Because who is he anyway?
A one-directional bore snore really.
He slithers up and down the highway of life
Staying to corners, like a scared mouse.
The bishop refuses to let go of the knight.
No big surprise here. The knight can never shake him.
They are in some kind of parasitic relationship.
Not understood.
But also not bone-chilling
or even worth a second thought.
Where are the pawns? They are usually giggling all around.
This is a family reunion after all.
I ask, but no one knows.
They are growing older now, bringing boyfriends and girlfriends.
I roll my eyes, remembering those days of looking in the mirror.
Never thinking I was ever ready.
The king is sitting in a recliner clicking through TV stations.
Other semi-kings are giving him advice.
“Not that one!” “That one!” “Dad!” “Granddad!”
Nothing new here.
I know the queen will be in the kitchen with fresh-baked rolls.
Cookies, brownies, and six kinds of pies.
So that is where I head of course.
Let’s stay at Oinkington Inn the easily pleased relative said.
Her husband looked at brochure and said I’d rather be dead.
The pigs are lovely, she replied. There is nothing to dread.
He told her to go to her family reunion with her cousin Ned.
The sows and hogs were truly placated and fine.
We visited them near an old abandoned crystal mine.
You should come next time to the reunion, she said.
Best part is, a sow ran off with my mean cousin Ned.
She walked into the family reunion with pink and purple hair.
And enough green eye liner to challenge the fur on a boar.
Who is that with fake eyelashes? Someone asked me.
I turned and recognized her under the spider façade.
She is my granddaughter, I told them. Wondering who they were.
The cousins' fiddle duet plays Danny Boy
and summons the memory of a Danny dead 40 years.
Aunt looks to see if Uncle will share her memory
of their momentary boy,
But he is busy sharing photos of other memories
and does not hear.
Note: My cousin Danny died when he was just a toddler and I never knew him.
Anyone not in a pick-up truck at least better have a hound.
If you don’t have a hound, you’d better be carrying a shotgun.
It is ho-down hills days, and we are meeting for our annual barbeque.
Most of the trucks have been out mudding; they are caked.
We award the Mudding King his corndog sandwich with baked beans.
Corn queen comes along with her machete, showing detasseling skills.
Scavenger hunt to look for Great Uncle Jim's dentures begins at nine.
Nothing like an Iowa family reunion.
His eyes were green but no one noticed
Even though he was the only green-eye in the room.
His hair was red, but so were all of ours
We are McCormicks so it makes sense right?
The thing we were all noticing was his beard
The base appeared to be popsicle sticks and globs of glue.
Is it hard? Someone asked. He nodded furiously.
Is it a contest? Another relative interjected.
His brother came in wearing a similar beard
But with Barbie and Ken dolls glued on it
Their heads going in different directions.
Weird and weirder I thought.
Until their mother came in.
She had the ultimate beard.
She had interwoven a skull
And put in blinking eyes.
Since it was not my family reunion
I kept my mouth shut
Especially as my girlfriend
Was irritated now
She thought she was going
to win with orange witch
beard with the hissing black cat.
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