Author Archives: Debbie

Forgiveness

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He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass. ~Proverb

My mama snaps a photo
As I sit and do my pose
She says that these are peonies
She might be right. Who knows?

Yes, they’re pretty, Mama,
You’re right about that, indeed.
But aren’t you forgetting something
Upon which we earlier agreed?

I said I’d pose for your camera
If you’d reward me in turn;
One special treat is all I ask,
Your forgetting that is a concern.

But I won’t hold it against you —
I’m forgiving just that way.
Next time, bring the good treats,
And maybe I’ll look your way!

Note: Poetry form is some kind of rhyming quatrains, I think.

 

 

Missing Out

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He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. ~Proverb

I Monkey here.

Did you know National Dog Day occurred on Aug. 26 (as it does every year)?

Bet not, right?

Did you celebrate with a furry friend or two?

No? I Monkey thought as much.

You all are as bad as Mama.

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Flowers on a Monday

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Arose early, went out to flirt with the flowers. ~Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman, diary, 1885

My blogging friend Eliza regularly participates in something called In A Vase On Monday, sponsored by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

I love those posts — the creativity and the beauty — but I’m reluctant to cut the posies from my yard (or somebody else’s!) for fear the mother plant would die.

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Caregiving

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it may be dreadful to be old but it’s worse not to be young  ~E.E. Cummings (American poet, author, playwright), “Jottings,” in Wake, 1951

Lately, I’m seeing more and more mostly middle-aged people taking care of their aging parents.

In church. At restaurants. In grocery stores, medical facilities, parking lots.

I used to be one of those caregivers before Mom passed, but when you’re waist-deep in the weeds, it’s hard to notice how many others are in there with you.

Now it all comes rushing back.

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Growing A Zinnia

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I did nothing but comfort my plants, till now their small green cheeks are covered with smiles. ~Emily Dickinson, American poet

I confess you were an afterthought,
A spur-of-the-moment something I bought.
I found you nestled in a dahlia patch,
Your color stood out from the rest of the batch.

I asked the clerk which one she’d choose.
With no hesitation, she pointed to you.
“I think you’ll be pleased” is what she said,
So I put you in my cart without any dread.

I planted you where you’d get sun and shade;
Watered you, guarded you, and often prayed
That you’d be happy living here with me
And wouldn’t long for what wouldn’t be.

Just look at you now, healthy and lush!
Your colors are radiant, making me blush.
For my part in helping you thrive and grow,
I couldn’t be happier; my heart is aglow.

Note: Poetry form is rhyming couplets.

Instrument Repair

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Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die. ~ Paul Simon, American singer-songwriter, guitarist (originally teamed up with Art Garfunkel)

Once again, I’m between bands.

Summer band has concluded its season, and symphonic band (the one that follows the university class schedule) has yet to begin.

While part of me misses the camaraderie of these two musical groups, another part relishes a much-needed break.

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Walking With Joy

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What a significance wild flowers have, more than the tamed productions of the garden! They seem Heaven’s own messengers sent straight to man to bear glad tidings of universal and undying love. ~Henry James Slack, English journalist, activist, and science writer

A

Fence line

Adorned by

Dancing flowers —

Pink, yellow, and blue —

Can’t help but make me smile

As I take my daily walk.

So much color! So much beauty!

I wonder if the homeowner knew

His patch of posies would bring so much joy?

Note: Poetry form is Etheree.

Some Vacation … Huh

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Ah! there is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort. ~Jane Austen, English novelist

I Monkey here.

Since Mama’s tied up with “work,” I’m commandeering her computer to let you know what’s going on in my world.

Because after all, that’s what you really want to read about, isn’t it? Me, I mean?

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Blogging Break Time

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The more side roads you stop to explore, the less likely that life will pass you by. ~Robert Brault, American writer

It’s time for a break

Things to do, people to see

I will return soon

Note: Poetry form is Haiku. I’ll be hunkering low with the Monk as Scary Boom-Boom Day (July Fourth) approaches. My daylilies are finally blooming — and aren’t they cheerful? Everybody have a safe and happy Fourth — see you soon!

RIP, My Tiny Friend

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All stories end in death, and he is no true storyteller who would keep that from you. ~Ernest Hemingway, American journalist, novelist, and short story writer

You

Were so

Tiny that

I didn’t think

You’d ever get big.

Yet a Pandemic tree

Had nothing to do but grow.

And over these past five years you

Did exactly that! Each year saw you

Get taller and fuller and healthier.

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While I hated to do it, I had to

Have you cut down so others could live.

Sacrifice is never easy

And I thank you, Tiny Tree,

For your superb service.

I’ll miss you, you know,

But you’ll live on

In photos

And my

Heart

Note: Poetry form is Double Etheree.