NEW DAY

sun sneaks through the blinds
wrapped in my comforter
beep, Beep, BEEP

coffee stain
on my new cream suit

instant soup
     turning cold
          on my desk

the clock radio
covered by paperwork
counts down to five

kicking off her heels
scraping the meatloaf pan

light flickers
     across the bed
          another rerun

Family Pets

A warm golden cover
On cold winter nights
Lucky.

Dad is at war
And Duke’s on Prozac

Bright green eyes
In the dark night.
Horton.

Roscoe climbs on the roof
And Dad chases him.

Get the kitty, get the kitty!
Here comes
J.D.

My face is wet.
Jake woke me up.

Struggle

sitting in the restaurant
employees working hard
homework on the table

sipping a cola
waiting for the words to come

staring at the counter
for a thought to come
…nothing

old ladies playing cards
an evening out
the restaurant empties

all alone
with just thoughts & family

friends put heads together
the words finally here
Haiku done!

snow outside too cold to play
side by side
snowflakes drying on the table

warmth from the oven
shared secrets

scotch tape and ribbons everywhere
presents are wrapped
midnight

soldiers are marching
sugar plum ferries
the mouse king appears

muddy footprints on the porch
the scent of pine fills the room

angels watching from above
a child is born
Christmas is here

Temporary Insanity

Red with Envy
...kindness taken for granted
A lover scorned

From the exteriority
… Facial expression hard to read

Entering the home
Behind the door….
I hide

Holding
In my hand
The baseball bat

A thought of imprisonment
Lessens the hatred in my psyche

Pausing
We talk
Instead of me hurting you

Happily Ever After

Patiently listening
to his explanation
                  again

Eyes wide Open
another sleepless night

Smiling
I tell him
everything is okay

a dozen red roses
each sharp thorn
dignity lost

an uncomfortable SILENCE
a quick embrace

Patiently listening
to her crying
                  again

PACE Experience

a midlife adventure
return to education
to open up the world

reading books
other than for pleasure

restless nights
are worth the reward
graduation

matured
in the workforce

a circus act
juggling daily activities
failing miserably at life

relationships mixed with
a wealth of knowledge

Family’s Bond

Laughter in the kitchen
…Pleasant Aromas
Joyfully Mother and Daughter cook

Preparation of the chitterlings!
The Mother’s approach to clean them

Though happy times flourish
… Chopped onions
Make them cry.

Stuffing the turkey
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

The arrival of the family
… Awaiting dinner
Gathering in the home

Soft sentiments of life history repeating
To share with my loved ones

Life Lessons

words
her frozen expression
locked in memory

the sound of a slamming door
reverberating

sweet smell
a bouquet of fresh flowers
on the dining room table

a thawing heart
reflected in her face

cautious excitement
mundane tasks are
performed with extra care

enduring love
until next time

Second Chance

echoes in the chapel
the choir sways side to side
Louisiana Sunday

laced hands
close the hymnal

small patent leather shoes
dangle
off the wooden pew

weathered face
disappears
beneath the water

facing his family
he clears his throat

stiff kleenex
dabs
away the tears

Winter Dreams

November chill
dreaming of siestas
Mexico

two tickets
Cabo sounds nice

feet in the sand
Margarita in hand
Paradise

The Truck Driver

thinning gray hair
with glasses on his nose
growing old

good ole farm boy
typical old poop

working hard
driving down the road
life goes by

daughters grow up
missing many milestones
wiping many tears

strong hands
hard and soft

all grown up
beautiful, beautiful legacy
wonderful, energetic grandchildren

Life

sifting through life’s accumulation
an abandoned doll
I’m six again

pony tail
high on my head

skinned knees
and a dirty band-aid
the tea party goes on

bears and dolls
around the table
playing dress-up

cheerleader with big pom poms
homecoming queen with crown

standing alone
at the cemetery
new headstone in place

The River

flows through the land
winding softly
looking back

mice scurry through
the rustling leaves

windmills turning
energy producing
cities bright again

wheels rolling overhead
through the night

angry, submerged land
creating havoc

rain, sunshine, stillness
rainbow in the East

Aggravation

Chewed up shoes
Lying on the floor
Puppy love

Aggravated and stressed
Will this day ever end?

Women in fuzzy slippers
Pushing to get the bargains
Christmas shopping

DRIVE people DRIVE!
The road is full of rage

Mounds and mounds
Its never over
Laundry.

Talk, talk, talk
Can’t get any peace and quiet

Children’s activities
All over town
Empty gas tank.

HAIKU! HAIKU! HAIKU!

warm bed
soft covers
haiku

reading for pleasure
everything is a Haiku

cannot eat nor sleep
brain in overdrive
Haiku! Haiku! Haiku!

No one understands me
I only speak in Haiku

no one talking in sentences
conversations gone awry
haiku

I made a haiku
In my alphabet soup

Then and Now

Wild flowers
broken stain glass windows
abandoned house

the old red flag on the mailbox
stands tall

one last look around
the moving van
idles impatiently in the drive

empty, dark windows
reflect a harvest moon

starting over
high hopes
broken dishes

the weeping willow sways
wind chimes