Did Hannah See Bees? Hannah Did,
eating blue cheese with the big kid.
Noel, Let's Egg Estelle On,
about her friend little John.
They ran fast down the hill and slid.
My dearest Hannah
Her name a palindrome.
Her pure heart so loving and smart.
Being with her is so comforting like coming home.
She makes me laugh we have such fun.
Her face her eyes her smile
Sometimes are all I have.
And like a palindrome
Her love for me is always the same.
And the consistency
That I know I’ll never be alone.
She was once my daughter
But is now my mother.
I’m ok with that.
As I feel the certainty
She’ll always be here happily willingly
To take care of me.
Hiking Hannah wondered about hundreds of hikes in her wonder journals.
She's been to Kansas to see sunflowers and Iowa to see corn kernels.
Her cousin asked. Are you going to Europe- namely Italy any time soon?
Hannah's laborious notes said Saturn, Pluto,and maybe the moon.
She had the boots, the canned foods, the can opener, and the walking stick.
The heels of her boots were heavy, because they were incredibly thick.
She had seen so many marvelous things and tasted cookies, Chips Ahoy.
Next, she might concentrate on the Midwest, Maybe Omaha or Illinois.
I thought you were going to outer space, her sister Sally said to Hannah.
Hannah was fixing herself a sandwich of peanut butter, lettuce and banana.
Possibly, or maybe Canada or Mexico, she said with a little bit of sass.
First she had to get a waitress job, down at the Derby Bass.
For money is important if you want to be a hiker.
Or an astronaut or doctor or even a kerchief-wearing biker.
A make-up artist? Um … no thanks.
That’s not my kind of courtship caper.
I want the girl who wrote a paper
on Massachusetts’ failing banks.
You can keep your belly-dancer.
The nimbleness that I would seek
is cerebral: I need the geek
who’ll find a cure for prostate cancer.
A chick who’s slick in silk and satin
is just what I’m inclined to spurn:
the only beauty I discern
likes reading Ovid – but in Latin.
The field is very small, because
I’m fussy, biased, preferential:
to me, it’s utterly essential
she knows who Dosso Dossi was.
I need you to be erudite:
call if you can tell apart
bead-and-reel from egg-and-dart:
the stamen from the Stagyrite.
One thing that’s truly terrific’s
knowing the plot of Lavransdatter:
write to me about grey matter
in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Sharon Tate? Scarlett Johansson?
My type is more Diane from “Cheers”.
She had stuff between her ears:
so save the blondes for Charlie Manson.
My ‘ask’ should now be quite transparent:
I’d love a lassie with a brain,
who writes reviews of Citizen Kane.
Where are you hiding, Hannah Arendt?
A voice called so Hannah went.
She went for a higher call
It ended badly, but it was meant
She had to go, lest honor fall.
At the cross of the last road back
She nerved herself to go, attack
She blocked both ears with cold white frost
And cried for the life that she had lost.
Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame
Blessed is the flame that burns in the fastness of the heart
Blessed is the spirit, awakened by a spark
Blessed is the ember, glowing in the dark.
Blessed is the flame that illuminates the secrets of the heart
A beacon that makes reluctant heroes do their part.
Blessed is the soul that makes its mission to protect,
Bless the heart that can stop its beating for self-respect.
'Hannah' thought she was a baby blue 'tit',
would 'toot' at dawn searching for a titbit.
Sounded more like a 'tut tut,'
so her 'mama' smacked her but.
Now she goes baa baa, like a 'ewe' misfit.
'Hannah' bought a small 'racecar' for her 'mum,'
but her 'mama' had a very big tum.
At first it was 'wow' and 'yay,'
but then' tut tut' and no way!
Trapped her 'boob', when seat got stuck to her bum.
HANNAH
A palindromatic young "Hannah"
Bought a curry for just one "anna".
She consumed it at "noon"
And turned "redder" quite soon
So her "mom" and "dad" had to fan her
Hippo Hannah was as giddy as a wild horse that was loose
Today she was going to become the bride of her favorite goose.
I love him up and down and around and through she said.
His brother stepped in when the groom turned up dead.
Luckily the bride, Hippo Hannah never learned the truth.
She was never told this, even by her gossipy neighbor, Ruth.
Hannah Rayburn*
shared virtues she did learn
blest in her growing-up endeavor
inspired by Dad, a Holocaust survivor.
Emma 'Grace' McKee
showed values of spirited glee
along joyously functional friendship**
midst socialite Mom’s absentee-partnership.
*Hannah and Grace are the main characters in “State of Grace” which is an American comedy-drama series that ran for two seasons on the Fox Family Channel later ABC Family during 2001 and 2002.
** Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times…
October 28, 2021
1st place, "A STRAND (1066)" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 2/5/2022.
It was Saturday night at Community Hall.
There was popcorn and pretzels and birch beer for all.
She sat off in the corner, her hands on her knees,
A fly on the windowsill nobody sees.
She’s Hannah, sad Hannah.
She’ll never be rodeo queen.
‘cause you can’t steal the show
If you don’t do-si-do.
Sad Hannah just turned seventeen.
All those cowboys and cowgirls were twirling around.
As Hannah just sat there, her heart on the ground.
Neither banjo nor fiddle could lighten her mood.
She pulled out her hip flask and got herself stewed.
She’s Hannah, sad Hannah.
Left out of the fun once again.
So, she’ll just roll away
With a bashful sashay
And drown her misfortune in gin.
You are telling your story in the lunchroom, people are listening.
Then Loud Mouth WS Hannah comes breezing in, loudly.
That is nothing! She says, her big brown eyes glistening.
My story is so much worse! Wait until you hear it, she says proudly.
If a car ran over my foot, one chased her down and broke every bone in her body.
Your house has hail damage? Hers is under hot molten lava, an unexpected landslide.
That’s nothing she says to the new employee, named Mr. William P. Anthony Toddy.
She begins telling a tale of woe I can barely stand to listen to and nowhere to hide!
Many have given up talking, for she does her best to let no one else comment or talk.
She is on another crazed mission to let herself be the center, so I truly must walk.
What does WS mean? My daughter says as I complain about the queen of complaint.
“Worst Scenario,” I tell her, and this blow hard woman has no filter or restraint.
A singer in search of a song
Discovered that they were all wrong
Whatever she sang
Was like a bell rang
And everyone flashed her their dong
So yesterday I was at speech, and Cassidy says to me,
"Hey Keri, it's me Cassie.
Don't let that boy walk past me!
Go get his number or his
@ so we can get to snapping."
"'Why not yourself,' you ask me?
Talking to boys is ghastly.
But don't wait up 'cause I look great,
and Hannah's looking classy."
So I say, "Fine, if you say so," so I go down there and I start talking, and I say,
"Hey guys, my name is Keri.
Cass says strangers are scary,
But you should call her now so
Both of you can soon be married."
"And Hannah is a true friend.
You both should know just 2 things:
She's the cutest blonde in town, and
she wants you to move in."
And they're like,
"I'm Will, and this is Ben.
We think they're both a ten,
And doing this for them
Just shows that you're a real good friend."
And I say, "I know, I am such a great friend to them, aren't I?"
It was Hannah’s young dream to win golds,
At Paralympics because she was born blind,
So she races in the visually impaired class,
S12 along with many other blind swimmers.
Both Hannah’s parents are sporty and athletic,
So they wanted Hannah to participate in sport,
So they all chose swimming having no focus,
No balls, no team mates, others to focus on.
Hannah loved it, and after seeing Simmonds,
Swimming at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008,
She asked her parents if she could swap clubs,
‘Cos she wanted to take the risk, do more hours.
At the 2012 London Games Hannah won thrice,
A silver for the 400m freestyle, bronze for back,
And another bronze for the 100m S12 butterfly.
In the 2013 Worlds she took 3 silvers, 1 bronze.
In 2015 at the Worlds again, this time in Glasgow,
Hannah sealed 1 gold medal in the 50m freestyle,
And another silver 100m freestyle, so in Portugal,
At the Euros 2016, she won one of each medal.
In Rio she took the gold for the 100m backstroke,
In a time of 1:06.06, 6 seconds faster than Matio;
She trains, exercises in Woking Swimming Club,
And studies sports science at Salford University.
Hannah suffered from being bullied at school,
So turned to the Royal Yachting Association;
Born with no lower right arm in 1985 cool,
She originally sailed a mirror, neat motion.
Initially she didn't like disability sailing events,
But Andy Cassell, a British Paralympic sailor,
Directed her to them, so she put her cents,
Into sonars, larger boats with a team factor.
She joined with John Robertson and Thomas,
And gave her all in the mixed sonar contests,
Where she won 2 silvers and 2 bronze bases,
And also 3 golds at the Disabled World jests.
This was between 2003 and 2015 Melborne,
Starting in Athens, going on to Sonderborg,
In Denmark, then to Perth, Australia born,
And then to Medemblik in Holland, a gorge.
Then came Weymouth which took them onto,
Melbourne, and from there Rio they made,
Where the trio created a ninth place portfolio,
Which thrilled them nonetheless with blade.
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