GETTING READY IN NATURE
Lions shaking all off…
Elephants self showering…
Snakes changing their skins…
Human nature needs cleaning…
Time to wipe out injustice…
The trumpet sounded hearty and hale
What was that? Asked Daddy; he is all male.
I ignored this and leaned over a rail
A piece of shale! A piece of shale!
Our doggie Luther was wagging his tail
For down in the depths there was a whale
It looks so frail! Said my auntie Dale
She was writing her own holy grail
Along came captain carrying a pail
Watch out for the nail! He said to the quail
When will we sail? When will we sail?
Next, we saw a bride with white wedding veil
Cookies for sale! Cookies for sale!
Pushy girl scouts on board telling their tale
Solicitors on a cruise ship without fail
Someone is reading a book in Braille!
Take me to jail! Take me to jail!
A convict in orange who looks rather pale
Give me my mail! And then we can sail.
What about bail? Asks a lawyer named Dale
Wait for me yelled my annoying cousin Gale
She was holding a plastic colander with kale
The crackers are stale! The crackers are stale!
This was a wail from a toddler so pale
It was a few seconds longer before we could sail
Check my nose
for overnight eruptions,
feels like moon rock, could be worse.
I avoid the mirror,
wild men live in my face,
their campfires still smolder
in my eyes.
Columbian angels
pour coffee into my veins.
I should trim my fingernails.
I leisurely dig a worm out of my brain -
with a prayer.
If you live in my world
you will pick up your digital spade,
commence to shovel with me.
Side by side we will tunnel our way
into some kind of
perfection.
Gentle as you are, you come uninvited but oh so quietly
as your floral scents permeate you arrive bipinnately
Invigorating every tree and garden full of parsley
with evening's refresh breezing in succinctly
With futuristic birth that winter could not borrow
you draw us in then gift us with tomorrow
Sprigs of blooming life grow inside your yarrows
insuring us with every shade of rainbow
Calendar favored you are the in between season
ear marked for a very good reason
renewed and refreshed you are a beacon
without treason
Gentle as you are Spring, you arrive just in time
like a rose, getting ready to consign.
I shook out my earth body which smelled like garlic and grass.
Want one of these? I asked my husband. He said, “I’ll pass.”
Whenever we come to this planet, we have to look the part.
It’s difficult putting on this suit, and he does not have the heart.
If we could dress as any animal here, I would choose a cat.
My husband would b e a gorilla, huge, hairy and fat.
But the only talking animals here are humans sadly.
So, we have to squeeze into these suits. Mine smells quite badly.
Be sure and iron it, sweetie, my husband said with a laugh.
He is heading toward the Earth Zoo, dressed as a giraffe.
He does not mind not speaking most of the day.
But I have to speak to people, for it is the alien way.
Invitations have gone out to one and all,
On October 29 there'll be a ball.
It's Halloween inspired,
RSVP required,
To do so simply text, or tweet, or call.
Expectations for this year's event are high,
Preparations were begun in mid-July.
"Movie Monsters" is the theme,
And raw film footage will be seen.
At midnight "Dracula" suggests he may drop by.
The location is "The House on Haunted Hill",
"Frankenstein" said if he's free to come, he will.
"The Creature from the Black Lagoon"
Will join "The Mummy" for a tune,
And some hip-hop by "The Blob" is on the bill.
Other horror picture legends will be there,
And such appearances by some are very rare.
"The Fly", "The Thing", and "Nosferatu",
And if "The Phantom of the Opera" opts to,
This year's bash will be a smash beyond compare.
Disclaimer: Yes, dear readers, I realize Halloween is traditionally on Oct. 31, but that falls on a Monday this year, and Monday is not a good party night.
Silence swarming with noise
Sounds blasting, like a war
Penetrating proof of the clamorous
Blare, blaze, flaming craze
Hues of doubt pouring out on the calm
Darkness sinking into the heart
Hushing the sigh, the breath, rhythmic
Beating of a song, like the tear
Sliding helplessly along the cheekbone
This is the silence, the dread
Grief that complements the death
One who has gone on to the eternal
Without the hope that comes to those
Who know the love of a Savior…
Grace that brings peace in abundance
Promising of a hereafter who is perfect
Soaring with light, love, laughter… calm
That fills the spirit with joy – forever
Eternally silencing the doubt, the fear
The darkness that is so overpowering
For the heart who doesn’t feel His breath
Pouring out tenderness, warmth, hope
On the spirit who glows with His brilliance
Love that is pure, flawless, complete…
Breathe deeply the wonder of Jesus, the King!
"She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow
head, and whispered to her neighbor, Winter is dead. "
Quote _A.A. Milne
Waiting for the Aspens to put on their emerald gowns,
oh, I have been busy preparing my garden space;
so ready to say farewell to all the faded browns,
ready to plant seeds and to Spring totally embrace !
My sweet window boxes are full of earth just waiting,
hanging baskets are dangling in anticipation;
waiting to create my Spring garden is frustrating,
but, soon I will be the envy- for with my creation !
I will have herbs and Sunflowers and Nasturtium in one box,
and boxes with nectar wildflowers for butters' and bees;
I will have purple, yellow and pink blooms and Phlox
and baskets will be cascading jewels in the breeze !
______________________
April 26, 2022
Poetry/Rhyme/Getting Ready For Spring
Copyright Protected, ID 04-1451-105-26
All Rights Reserved, 2022, Constance La France
Written for the Standard contest, Spring Rhyme 8-12 Lines
sponsor, Tania Kitchin, Judged 05/14/2022
First Place
With three more weeks of holiday vacation,
Lisa and I’ve started studying 5 hours a day.
You can read a novel for atmosphere
but you have to puzzle over and wring-out academic books
- with their essays and worksheets after every chapter.
I feel a simultaneous focus and boredom
- but the pull of school is staggering
- like resisting it could break me apart.
you can’t wait - all around the country, thousands of Yalies are already back hard at it
Sawing logs, one after another
Into two feet lengths
Just for the specific purpose
Of standing them up on the ground
Awaiting the iron axe
That will create a comforting
Roaring fire in the hearth
Come this winter’s cold
Canning fruits and vegetables
To store on the shelves
Awaiting the moment in time
When they’ll be lifted out
And opened slowly, carefully
With appreciation for the color
The scent and deliciousness
Of a homegrown and canned food
Cutting down hay in the field
Tractor moving slowly, assuredly
Taking the blade to the grass
Green and pungent scented
Covering the field with what will
Be racked up into piles for
Baling and creating a treasure
For the barn to store for cattle
Getting ready to get ready,
To do a job,
Much thinking and planning and gathering,
Buying, trying,
To get what we need together,
To do,
The project were getting ready to get ready to do.
It seems more getting ready is done than the work getting done.
Get everything in place,
Not a trace,
Of anything missing, needed, to get the job done.
Finally all getting ready is done,
It’s been fun,
Getting ready to get the job done.
But no work is done,
Job not begun,
Too much time getting ready to get ready,
No time left,
To get the job done.
I wake up in the morning,
Feeling sleepy and so tired,
I have got to get up,
But I feel like staying in bed.
It is time to get dressed,
And get myself ready,
I go downstairs and,
Pack my bag for school.
I need to get ready,
Slowly or quickly,
I need to get ready,
Quickly or slowly.
Once I am ready,
I leave the house,
I walk down to the bus stop,
And wait for a bus.
The bus has arrived,
And on I get, there are,
Loads of people here,
Tired and falling asleep.
I need to get ready,
Slowly or quickly,
I need to get ready,
Quickly or slowly.
I get to my destination,
And then get on another bus,
Which takes me to the bus stop,
Where I press the bell and get off.
I need to get ready,
Slowly or quickly,
I need to get ready,
Quickly or slowly.
05/11/2012
End of November, the temperature's dropping,
the windows show first signs of frost,
gloves tied with string to the ends of coat sleeves
to stop them from both getting lost.
Name label sewn into Anorak collar,
the owner being easier to trace,
bobble hat pulled on and scarf wound round neck
she gives one last wipe to the face.
Make sure that the hanky in pocket is fresh
and the lid of the lunch box is tight,
she warns to be careful when crossing the road
and to get back home while it's still light.
She opens the door, gives a pat on the head
as the time for departure is here,
it's about time she gave up this tiresome routine-
I turn fifty-seven next year.
November 22nd 2015
A misconception is the tale
That we should dread October's spell
It's time to wear your scary faces
For cloudy nights, and creepy spaces!
Mummies stretch by light of day
Ghouls in shadows want to play
Ghosts, behind the pillars, peek
They practice wailing, tune their shrieks
Spiders weave around the room
A wart-nosed witch will mend her broom
The cauldron cleaned with spit and shine
Prepared to hold a drink of slime
With tasty toads and wormy molds
It boils steamy brew that's bold
Graveyards readied, dark with gloom
Bats in belfries wait for doom
No need to dread the harvest moon
All Hallow's Eve is coming soon
They've all worked hard to be prepared
Join the party, IF YOU DARE!!
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For Linda Marie's Contest: Creatures of the Night
By Carrie Richards
There's a treadmill in the corner of the room
Gathering dust, gathering dust.
I must get my fat ass on it very soon,
Yes I must, yes I must.
This time my New Year's resolution
I won't break, I won't break.
I'll get into the rhythm and the motion
Till I ache, till I ache.
I need to drop a couple more pounds ... like fifty,
Yes I do, yes I do.
To get back into shape and looking nifty,
But forty would do, forty would do.
There's a treadmill in the corner of the room
Gathering dust, gathering dust.
I need to fit into a swimsuit real soon,
Yes I must, it's Mexico or bust.
for Carolyn's "New Year's Resolutions" contest
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