SYLLABIC POETRY

To know Kurt is to love him
though to Kim, his heart belongs
every day replete with awe
help them pick a wedding song

Now that Kurt has wedded Kim
without him, I feel all wrong 
the third wheel between those two
I have none to tag along 

Need to get me a hobby
Need it be exciting too
Perhaps travel where I could
Without them, what should I do

Help me find a distraction
one that shan't include those two
make way, new sun arising
for me and surprise in tow

Got to find me a Don Juan
choose the one that makes me laugh
love me true with all his might
he will be my…

Past generations have been exposed to the atrocities of war, famine, destruction, plagues, segregation, and more. And despite, and in spite of all that, they rose like phoenixes from the ashes.

Our present generation has been crippled before — Ebola and Y2K; oil spills, market crashes, and September 11th; earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods, and more — and more!

There’s a lot more that has happened in some geographical location or other on our beloved planet. And look at that, the world has survived somehow.

But today, not until this year has something of this magnitude as the coronavirus ever happened…

Change. Everywhere you turn. Change.

I used to cringe at the mention of middle age, thinking of it as a synonym for the turning point ushering in death. In that frame of mind, I tried hard to hold on to the part of me that venerated the younger me.

Did you do some cringing too?

For me, my eyes were set on my parents.

I used to cringe thinking about how my parents behaved too old. There they were, full-grown adults and they spent too much time staying indoors.

I’d see them mulling over what events to go to and I’d think — go to…

REFLECTION | LIFE

For sure, now that we’ve experienced a couple of sunrises in the New Year, we get to reflect. Good riddance, we say to that old year, and we reach up and pull down a prayer that we never see the likes of it ever again. Amiright?

We don’t want a repeat of that old thing, but we are grateful for the many lessons. And I know you know what I mean — hindsight is a valuable resource.

If you’re here reading these words, that’s because you and I are right where we’re meant to be. …

Five days in — so glad you’re here, friends.
Presently, planet earth is spinning at a rate of roughly 930 miles an hour. Simultaneously, it’s orbiting the sun at 66,486 miles an hour. And, as it orbits, it’s also rotating — once in 24 hours at unprecedented speed. The only thing though, you cannot get off. So buckle up and enjoy the year-long ride.

Make sure your attitude is in tip-top shape and discard all self-destructive devices like negativity and discouragement. We will not need those this year.
Should worry sneak in, reach for a prayer, activate your faith in your higher power, and please don’t forget to smile with the other passengers. It’s bound to be a fantastic year. Find a way to believe this.

Coffee is about to be served. Drink without fear of spillage. Happy New Year.

A TANKA|SPIRITUALITY

if they’d known ’twas you

would they’ve treated you better

would they have made room

for a traveler ’n his wife —

oh, li’l boy in a manger

Similar stories that celebrate the season.

May there be peace, love, thankfulness, and hope in your silent celebrations.

• Happy Hanukkah, my Jewish friends;
• Super Solstice, my Pagan friends;
• Hurray, friends, HumanLight Humanists;
• Joyous Kwanzaa, my African Diaspora friends;
• Merry Christmas, my fellow Christians.
• I wish you Miracles. And Confetti.

“God bless us every one!
said Tiny Tim, the last of all.”
~ Charles Dickens

Selma is an enthusiast — of life, friendship…

Distracted, I walked the city streets
to bask in its hustle and bustle
when a butterfly flew by to alert me
of dandy jazz dancers lined on the concrete wall

Their yellow heads fluttered rhythmically
with every step of the passersby
I gazed with glee at their dance moves —
sunned, primed, yet still undiscovered

Aware that I had found the jewels
amongst crowds of weekend shoppers,
I tucked the image into my mind’s pocket
and promptly brought home my precious find

Now when I lie upon my day couch
to think of things that make me happy
I unwrap the…

ONE-LINE POETRY|CHALKBOARD PROMPT

Where there lingers hate, disharmony, suffering, and distress
may there ensue — hope, peace, love, and thankfulness
for light arrives into your pursuits
when you invite these to dwell there too.

THEME: Advent

Kids definition of advent:
the arrival or coming of something

Synonyms:
appearance, arrival, coming, incoming

Source: “Advent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Advent. Accessed 10 Dec. 2020.

Thanks to Kathy Jacobs, Harper Thorpe, and the Chalkboard team for their stellar work.

2020 — Year of extremes. Worst of the worst; the best of the worst. But it’s coming to an end. Let’s celebrate by putting a bow of hope…