Saturday, November 3, 2018

Dia de los Muertos


small specs of dust
illuminate the light

of voices unseen
Forging ahead

in the darkness
with memories of

our ancestors 
and stories of 

our ancestors’ ancestors
A candle keeps watch

amid the faded images
of their likenesses 

May I walk the earth 
to carry their vestiges

to make their memory
Whole



















Saturday, September 22, 2018

Poem for Mag


Make love happen

I don’t do poems

Do something Marvelous today

Getting a poem eludes me

Making merry

High school poetry bored me

Mansions of clouds on high

For me poems aren’t sensible

Listen to the tender Muse

I ask why poetry doesn’t follow the grammar rules

A penny in my pocket is all the Money needed

Misfits of society poets be, not me

Removing the Mask

The poems of Frost and Brooks make me wonder 

Make up a new face

I’m confused is a sonnet a poem?

Poetry and music don’t go together

Mostly I love music, not poems

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Stupid Song

A poem for Ms. Hayes

Sitting in the coffeeshop
Waiting for prince charming to show

Music channels in
That Song

I remembered how I loved it
and wished to be close to you

How I was jealous of you dancing
with Gladys to the kool tunes

Soothing the soul away
My soul wasn’t soothed

Every time I heard it I was
dismayed with the memory

of the loss I felt with you
holding another

I hoped for the day when the memory
would fade

The memory not have a hold on me
the hurt I wished to be released from

Time passed 
I felt free

But that Stupid Song made me 
cry today

It wasn’t prince charming’s song
But another lover’s

Prince Charming kept me waiting






Friday, May 4, 2018

Alexander's Poem

Little boy lost on the streets of Oakland
                     It is hard
                     Hard it is

Moving south to the gliding
smooth sailing of the easy life
                       No strife
                       No heartache
                       No fear
I am coming home to the place
Where arms are waiting for me

It once was
That part of me
Confusion
Anger
Resentment
                    Breeding strength
                    Breeding Greatfulness
                    For the strife
                    heartache 
                    fear

How can it be
Make sense
How out of the pit
I've come
                    To shine once more
                    No pain to return back to

Once was
Once gone
No more

                      Radiant
                      Eyes upon the sky
                      Not what was
                      Once before
The tables turn
The tide shifts
What once was 
Now breeds gratitude

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Unstoppable

Unstoppable
The truck runneth over me
Unstoppable
Yes
Like a phoenix
I shall return
Affirmative
I guess
I question
I know
What lies ahead is
Yet a hard climb
Baby steps
One by one
With each rock I conquer
With each blade of grass
I pass
The heart broken once
The heart broken twice
The heart broken thrice
Burnt bridges surmount
Extend the olive branch
The bird returns
To accept new challenges
Pretend I’m whole
To the day
I am whole

Unstoppable I am

Friday, April 6, 2018

Mother/Cat Love Poem

My mother thinks I'm a cat lady
That I love cats
Indiana Ashley Puck I have loved
Mijo is my current lover boy
Mother's love is best

Things That Make Me Happy

Yogurt from Kevin
Talking to my daughters
BSWC (B Street Writers Collective)
Having my own space
Having enough money to pay my bills
Going to church
Getting published
Publishing
Getting paid
Clean clothes
Flowers
Arnold Palmers
My cat
Quilts- anything
            making buying quilt shows
            gifts to me and from me
Buying fabric for quilts
My silly TV shows
Reading my poetry
Planning Readings

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

No Applause

It starts with 
Phantom X
no applause
All the kinsmen clad in tartan plaid
no applause
building a wall from here to nowhere
no applause
Climbing up the down staircase
no applause 
Copper hair or magenta instead of blonde
no applause
My heart bleeds beads of glistening salt water tears
no applause
The broken clock is right two times a day
no applause
not quite making the grade
no applause
Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten 
no applause
It always don't work out the way you want it to
no applause 
                               Am I worthy

Monday, April 2, 2018

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Went Looking For You

Went looking for you at the farmer’s market
amongst the vendors with fruits and 
vegetables, peddling every edible imaginable
Yearned for a slice from our favorite pizza place 
near the market. But now it is closed.

Drinking a glass of pinot noir
The mix of berry and combination 
of flavors infusing my brain but still no bite 
at the end Left a blah taste in my mouth

Traveling down a country lane
spotting for deer and wild pigs
under the mist of a full moon
Only to perceive the permeance 
of a wandering skunk

Searching in traffic for every Prius whizzing 
by or maybe a cyclist, remembering the day 
I saw your backend in the same turn lane
with us arriving home from work in tandem

In bed snuggling your pillow unwilling to 
change the sheets, trying to soak up the 
remnants of the DNA you left behind Sad
that our last sleepover was unremarkable

In the flames of the fire
Wondering what you were searching for
amid the embers Afraid you didn’t find me
My beating heart burning for you

Listening to NPR which you brought into my life 
filling a void I didn’t know needed to be filled 
News Words Music Interviews Podcasts
Relishing the jazz music we seldomly listened to

Taking a shower with the water beating down on
my body alone Don’t have to share the
water which turned cold too soon
Miss brushing against the 
cold tile with our pas de deux 

Opening the refrigerator I am at a loss
you left your eggs which are now expired 
the truffle cheese now hardened At least 
the can of Coke or bottle of beer don’t spoil
Not lucky enough to find a half bottle of Chardonnay

Scrolling through Facebook I find memes to share
Which you never acknowledged
I miss your existential postings because I unfriended you
Hoping your friends did not.

I went looking for you at eko Coffee.
Saw a gay couple so tenderly holding hands I was 
jealous of their young love and somber because 
ours grew old. Miss your hand holding mine 
which is how you stole my heart.

I went looking for you at The Bistro where we met
when you came up to me and said, “I like your poetry.”
On open mic night afraid you would be there. Didn’t 
know what I’d do if you were, not willing to read this poem.
I could expose my heart to the barflies, but not to you.

I’m trying to be brave

At the marina where we had so many dates
I went looking for you in the sunset

Found you in my tears
Went home comforted





Tuesday, March 27, 2018

LOVE


Love is simple
Love is kind
Love forgives every time
Love means being open to what
the world sets in front
of us
Knowing love will prevail in 
all circumstances
Stay alert
Eyes open
Capture the signs
Observe the lowly
Find the specs of love dust
prevailing to make our
hearts and minds 
whole







~ The collective words of the B Streeters

Friday, March 9, 2018

Emotion

Lonely face of anger
Beneath eyes of blue
Bluebird coasts on the setting sun
Round and fat
Majestic head
Held high

Chirping upon naked trees
Holding nothing but a smile,
Outside 
Hiding anger 
Hiding loneliness, 
Within

Bright sky
Luminous sky 
Looming sunset 
Foreboding sunset

Break free
 Heavy loads released
Like blossoms gently
Fluttering free from
Burdened trees
Flying away
Escaping 
Searching for cover in 
Grey cotton clouds