When popping a letter in the post
before you lick it and stick it
consider all the trees which would go
to grow a bigger and better thicket
if we don't wait it's not too late
what with black rain and red tides
while fossils fuel our vehicles
petroleum product-propelled rides
turn a new leaf is my belief
as going green keeps this planet blue
Shank's pony makes all the sense in the world
it's quite the right thing to do
Sweet Annabelle, be my valentine.
My heart tingles every time you're near.
You mean everything to me.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
ultra-white heaven
trees pop beneath winter weight ~
quiet falls heavy
(December Full Moon – Oglala)
I love when we sit in the hot bright sun,
add some butter or we will get well done.
Sky and water of ice blue,
better than the dull store view.
Oh! look I am popping so I will run.
Poppy’s popping pizza
Is packed with pickled peppers
Peppers that are pickled
Make Poppy’s pizza pop!
Sick to death of popping his cork
~ Ralph plugged it up with paregoric
winter freeze
and yet the daffodils
popping up
He plucks a pear from the tree and tosses it my way. Hands fumble, but nails sink into flesh to maintain a solid grip. He doesn't see me slip. Examine the freshness of the fruit before sinking teeth through skin. Open the lid. A woven picnic basket with delights inside. Turkey and tomato sandwiches, crusts removed. Freshly baked blueberry scones and sour apple jam. Camembert and olives stuffed with pimento. Put the pear aside. Less interesting now than it used to be. He plucks another. Not for me. And joins me on the maroon checkered blanket. Popping olive after olive down his gullet. The unthinkable. Guzzling brine like some sort of animal. A subtle frown, equal parts disdain, and disgust. Nothing more can be discussed, as he continues to chug. Slip into a smile. Unthinkable, but thought of. Stuffed with poison and pimento. Chugs, then chokes. Trying to spit out the pit, begging. I bid him goodbye.
Popping-glad roses,
lipstick red,
watered in crystal vase,
small as the ledge
of a pond.
pondering
those blossoms, yet to be lit,
with their potential flames.
ruffled scent of glory
in their short-lived story.
three will croon, late-bloomers -
still cocooned.
bronze deer nods his head
in amen-annunciation -
the hourglass upends the pond
in existential happiness.
Nov 2022
Taking pain pills but my body is not what is hurting
I'm already numb and I don't want to feel any more of this nothingness
Funny how being numb allowed me to feel the truth like never before
The truth is the breeze you feel as you are running away from your problems
The truth is the answer that is right, but you wish was wrong
The truth is that feeling deep down, deeper than hell, that is in the back of your head
But you always take the long way to the correct path
And short cuts to back roads that only take you away from the destination
I hope you find what you want before the wrong end finds you
p.s. no pill is stronger than your mind...
Popping out of pictures, pulling swords from stone,
Hunting with your coon dogs, shipwrecked all alone,
Rafting down the river, whitewashing a fence,
Balloons on Krakatoa, leagues under suspense,
Milo and his watchdog, Charlie’s ticket’s gold,
Meg and Charles go tessering, Lost Boys, never old,
Wizards, dwarves, and hobbits, James’ giant fruit,
Wilbur, Fern, and Charlotte, Belle’s enchanted brute,
Heartbreak with a yearling, a big old yellow dog,
Friends Mole and Rat and Toad, islands, treasure, grog,
Gardens full of secrets, the clever family Swiss:
Glorious great stories, just too good to miss.
Books promote imagination, candy for the mind,
Afternoons spent on the page leave the world behind.
Reading with my grandkids, adventure tales galore,
And when they finish all of these, I know of plenty more.
A pufferfish is soft, roundish, and sluggish.
Some even say slightly clownish.
Seemingly an easy target...
But when provoked, it puffs up and flashes a set of sharp spines.
If engulfed, it'll stick in the throat of its aggressor.
It's also highly toxic.
When predators attempt to cancel it,
they'll most likely die in the process.
If you haven't noticed, pufferfish are popping up everywhere.
Sometimes I see a hint of a pufferfish in the mirror.
The bride and groom, about to pop the cork
But the label read -- Pig Juice, Pure Lean Pork
The newleyweds were concerned
Their embarrassment unearned
Then ~ a small bundle dropped off by a stork
I take too many pills.
Some make me feel ill
I don't know
Which pills should go
I guess I never will.
Take this pill for blood pressure
take that one for nerves
This one'll help you fall asleep
that one, weight management serves
Doc, can I lower my blood pressure
through a pill-free diet
You may be skeptical, but
this pill-popping patient
would sure like to try it
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