Anaphora for TOP

I bought a book of poetry
because I was in a bookstore.

I bought a book of poetry
because it jumped off the shelf
and into my arms.

I bought a book of poetry
because poetry is the moon
to my sun.

I bought a book of poetry
because I needed shelter
from the winds of life.

I bought a book of poetry
because I was on vacation
and it was an inexpensive treat.

I bought a book of poetry
because, when I opened it,
I smelled a whiff of prayer.

Twilight in Berlin, NH for One Single Impression

All day you scowled
grumbling about this and that
Finally, at five

we sat to relax
opened a bottle of wine
and you smiled at me

The gray clouds of life
turned to lavender and slipped
behind the mountains.

Poetry Train: Anger is an undressing

Nick is one of my students. He was abused horribly as a kid and now has anger management issues. Unfortunately, no one told me about this and I used the wrong tone of voice with him and he blew! He called me every name in the book, threw his Othello book across the room into the back wall, and kicked my garbage can and every locker on his way to the office.

I've been teaching for almost thirty years and nothing like this has ever happened in my classroom before. I was majorly upset but, the next day, when I'd had time to absorb it and after learning about his background, I wrote the following poem.
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Anger is an undressing
and you disrobed
in front of my eyes,
not slowly
but all at once~
buttons flying
cotton ripping
zippers screeching.

Today
I wish I had
soft yarn
and could knit
a sweater
for you.

Trust for Sunday Scribblings

The sun was busy
making sharp shadows
on the early evening
mountains

when Gary suggested
we fly to Martha’s Vineyard
for a couple nights
of R&R.

I packed quickly
and we were airborne
in an hour, he piloting,
me awed

by the Monoply houses,
Hot Wheels vehicles,
and ant people
below.

Suddenly, with about
a half hour to go,
the land disappeared
into gauze

and we were alone,
hanging like a falling leaf
in the middle
of the foggy sky.

I suggested we turn around
but Gary said not to worry;
he knew what to do.
I freaked, anyway.

To calm me down,
he gave me the job
of looking out
for the lights

of the airport.
There was just the sound
of the engine,
and the thick gray

swirling around us.
I imagined us crashing
into the ocean or
the land.

Gray, gray, gray
then…ghostly glows.
Lights! We were right
on course.

We landed. They closed
the airport. Since then
I’ve flown miles
of skies

with him, through storms
through blue, through night.
Trust looks like a leaf
landing gently

and safely
onto the soft
floor
of the earth.

Naisaiku: Under Quilts

Impulses, yearnings,
managed risks, and candid love~
pieces of romance
UNDER QUILTS
pieces of romance,
managed risks, and candid love~
impulses, yearnings.

Coin a New Word for TOP

Paligal

When snowflakes
of girl friend issues
settle cold
and icy
on his neck

and stress
builds up
in a suffocating
down jacket,

he can’t wait
to get home
and IM
his paligal.

Those winter
problems
melt away
drip by drip
as they
type sunshine.

Poetry Train: The End of the Day

I wrote this during block 4's journal writing a week and a half ago. The topic was: the end of the day

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The End of the Day

Settles like a deflated balloon
around the ankles
of the night

and I kick it
out of the way
into the corner

of used time.
Then I get into
my waterbed

and read for a bit
until I feel
the weight

of my eyes
sagging into
sleep.