Au Natural, our first birthday suits
soon obscured by zip-up rompers and baby boots
Baby’s not embarrassed by her appearance
insecure parents run interference
Next up, movement-control
baby must not dance to rock-‘n-roll
‘Grown-ups’ crush baby’s curiosity
‘No-ing’ all instincts exploratory...
Forever unchain inquisitive wonts
~ Viva la au natural renaissance
Entry in 'Our Natural State' contest
Sponsor: Unseeking Seeker
Date: Jan. 14, 2025
Gershon Wolf
Fall season with pumpkins and apple pie colored leaves
Falling in front of your eyes little girls wanting tractor rides and chilly wind breeze blowing in the air jackets that zip up loud and farmers that are pretty proud of the crops they grow sometimes it’s good to be just sitting on a bench watch the sky colors change from blue to Orange then to red than finally a midnight blue night sings now people are roasting marshmallows on a open fire while preachers sing from the quire heavens above I love fall don’t you
I watched her put her earrings in
zip-up her favorite dress
line her lips in crimson red
and do the lipstick press
She glanced at me and grabbed her bag
there was no time to waste
the Voting Polls had opened
we had to move with haste
She made it like a holiday
the day she cast her Vote
and spoke of it for days before
on calendar, made note
She said in other countries
kings and queens ruled over all
treating them like property
from high on gilded-wall
But this is a democracy
we Vote for who will lead
there are no kings or princes
in America, we’re free
Get up,
Now, shut up.
Strap up,
Zip up,
Lace-up,
Button up,
Now, go and level up.
Why are you looking down?
And why are you wearing that ugly frown?
Look at you, looking like a clown.
Stop playing; this is not a circus, so stop fooling around.
Get on up now,
And find out how.
Put down the 'Weary Willie' frown.
Now get up so you can get down.
Go get it,
Be invested in it.
So, shut up
And get up!
Up, up, up!
creamy chocolates
my favorite zip up coat
coffee but with cream
There’s a chill in the air,
Such a welcoming feel,
Just the first of the reasons
For autumn’s appeal.
Though the leaves haven’t changed,
Soon they’ll be rust and gold,
Making various trees
A delight to behold.
Halloween’s ‘round the bend;
Decorating’s begun,
As both children and grown-ups
Get in on the fun.
The orchards and fruit stands
Have apples galore
And pumpkins and cider
And donuts and more.
The summer’s been hot
And before it gets cold
There is autumn, in which
All these good things unfold.
So, zip up your jacket
And head out the door
To sample the joys
Autumn’s holding in store.
I
If your Bible has tough rules only for women then you lost your authority; zip it.
II
Politicians who lead lives contrary to the bible ought to zip up to stop staining Jesus's name
III
If Christians only talk abortion and female sins, I cannot be a Christian.
On the way home
With my kids in tow
To the all night
Supermarket we'd go
For a late night treat
that we bought each week
Our favorite pie ala mode
As an introvert
I'm not given to
talking to those I don't know
Except sometimes I
Just can't resist when the spirit bids
me so
As I stood in line
behind these three
little Asian guys ahead
Who were buying
round angle food cakes and
And cigarettes unfiltered instead
Before I could zip up
My pie hole
As the register started to sing
I asked what have you
guys got planned tonight
Gonna go home and blow smoke rings
They brought me to this spacy place.
I am dragged through spells of horror.
With intermittent drips of emotion.
In this chilling arena.
Where I am forced to watch the others on their rotting trail.
I hope to leave them all behind.
Sacrificing nothing but my guilt and tears.
I am sorry I refused to share my hope with everyone.
But you are all too ravenous.
And I must protect my normalcy.
Or else I am just like all of you.
So I zip up.
And walk back through the waiting room.
Hoping someone is waiting for me.
I looked down on myself and felt irritated.
I have looked better, less like a hag
This past week I have been wild looking.
My hair makes Einstein’s look tame.
Am I really this hunched over?
My great-grandmother had a humpback
She looked at the floor wherever she went.
I have always been sway-backed but this is worse.
I am flat on my back on a couch
Wearing my zip up zebra pajamas.
It is almost eleven a.m.
I see my eyes roll, making fun of my spirit feelings.
If I had known I was going to see this debauchery
I would have stayed in body, rather than travel to the ceiling
This is my most memorable out-of-body viewing.
I resolve to zip back in and get myself dressed, and viable.
WHAP! I hit my chest with a ridiculously loud smack.
My eyes flip open and I begin breathing double time.
I get up and wander into my bedroom looking for clothes
Five days in zebra pajamas is five days too long.
I zip up my sleeping bag snug below my chin.
Inside my sleeping bag I slip on my mittens.
This is not me retiring during an evening of over night camping,
this is my solution to help control my chronic sleepwalking.
I can not escape my sleeping bag half conscious wearing mittens,
which prevents situations that for me could prove to be quite life threatening.
Ok keep below the radar, stay out of sight,
Bury your head in the sand, do not incite,
Why get involved, it’s not your fight,
Zip up your mouth, should be alright.
Rise above them, turn the other cheek,
Play It real cool, no trouble you seek,
Come on dad, they’ll think I’m a geek,
I want to look strong, not appear weak.
Oh I see! so you want to act tough,
Look like your made, from real hard stuff,
Grind your teeth, Want to play rough,
What if they decide, to call your bluff.
Better be able, to swallow your pride,
Eat humble pie, then go take a ride,
Don’t want to be like, a little girl guide,
Run home to mummy, or go and hide.
I won’t be bullied, I’ll stand my ground,
I’m not going to get pushed around,
Face the music, go round for round,
Whoa there kid, it’s courage you found,
Got more balls than me, her dad frowned.
By
David Kavanagh
Sour Rita is a meter maid
she’s checking car drivers have paid
if you step out of line
she will issue a fine
of Rita drivers are afraid
Her beady eyes dart round the lot
she’s looking for folk who forgot
to pay and display
and it makes her day
to impose a fine like a shot
From fining she’ll never deter
don’t attempt to reason with her -
just zip up your gob
she’s doing her job
next journey arrange a chauffeur!
4/26/19
Let's go chow down.
Was he serious?
I could barely walk now.
Then I thought of the buffets.
All nine of them.
And the shrimp.
And the lobster.
I could go in my pajamas if I wanted.
So I rolled myself out of my teeny tiny not-so-great room
And I headed for Buffet number eight
So glad I had come on this cruise with my husband
Who was used to seeing me in my pajamas.
As we passed pajama-clad people in every corridor
I began to wish I had brought my zebra zip up suit.
It has no elastic around the waist whatsoever.
Cruises are all about eating.
If you know what you are doing.
And I do.
Large fuzzy pajamas with a hood
Used to be for toddlers.
Now I have them.
They are getting rather worn.
My zebra go-to-pajamas.
My husband ordered me another pair.
They are big enough to fit around me, thus
they are about eighteen inches too long.
If you do not know inches they are
The bottom of a man’s shoe plus
The bottom of a toddler’s shoe too long.
I am debating how to fix this.
I love the idea of having feet in them.
My zebra zip up suit does not actually have
The footie part. It is cut off at my ankles.
I think I will pretend I am a knee surgeon,
Cut them off, shorten them, and then
Reattach.
Which makes me wonder.
If I get my knees replaced,
Can we use a 3-D printer and make
me longer leg bones so I can be
Six foot tall instead of five foot two
and a fourth? If I was I would not have to add the fourth.
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