A Primer in Starting Fires

(alternate title: Champagne and Judging bad poetry created this)

Did I tell you about the time
In fifth grade
When I had “Uptown Girl” stuck in my head for three days?

There is no getting rid of Billy Joel
He’s good for about five minutes
But the better part of a school week
When you’re ten?

And that is what happened to the school, officer.

(xposted at mah blooooog)

hibernation's end

How do you know

How do you know when you’re home

When you’ve been gone for so long

But you’ve made it finally

With presents wrapped tightly

Mom, Dad, 3 sisters, 2.5 brothers

The .5 is an in-law

But he’s alright

We’ll round up.

But how do you know

That college, grad school, and 2 stints of expat life--

That that time, that non-linear time

That stretches, compresses, and skips beats at will

Did it have time to remember you.

Door opens and cradles you with light and sound

Sensory overload--

Split wood piled near a woodstove, fire’s going

Persian rug, wood floors, and people

Oh so many people

Smiling.

Welcome back

Welcome home.

Bad haiku is my contribution

Winter is here, yes
How warm is too warm this year?
Concrete jungle rules.

Untitled Winter Poem #2

Precious eyes so wide
Lips like event horizon
Flypaper window
Patient, enough
Mom!
Hurry!
Jacket unbuttoned
Tiny hands fumbling with gloves
Head first into the fresh snow

Great Blizzard of ‘91
Me and Joel
Marauding snow banks
Just to get out the front door
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Candy collection plates
Building forts
Forming future projectiles
Wrestling in the soft powder
Laughter, frozen mid-air

In tenth grade I had a girlfriend
Her name was Sarah
February brought chocolates
But not nearly as numerous as the snow
Classes canceled on account of the weather
Teenage love blossoming on account of the same
It was an icy Eden
Where we spent the day
Blank canvas countryside screaming for art
Chasing, through the trails
Teasing, tracing our dreams
Trying to decide on our wedding date
I can still see the snowflakes
Clinging to her eyelashes
Daring me to kiss them away


Today I wait for the bus
Hiding in my coat, yet no longer a Turtle at heart
Part of me waiting for summer to return
Secretly wishing I smoked
Like if the whole world became addicted
We could all put out our cigarettes at the same time
And the snow would just disappear

The past ten years I have not been attentive
The winter went from
Exciting guest
Here for the new season
To plain nuisance
I guess
This is how everything goes wrong
Growing up
Without the realization

It's a Winter Wonderland out there...

...and it's too cold to ski, so might as well get to writing about your fabulous winter plans and all the beauty that the season brings with it.