Impecunity

My heart’s velociraptor

is vicious when provoked

beyond its elastic limit

Proportional to threat

especially in protection

of its nested Young

Rage of hearts resorting

to scavenging behavior

wound-licks beg deference

Let me predate in peace

relish my relative poverty

& leave my Babies alone

Possibilities

You asked me

to bring

two cardboard boxes home from work

to make a castle

& that’s exactly what you did,

stacked them one

on top of the other, mama can you

cut doors & windows?

perfect

you continued

stoically

even when mama got a little bitchy

about cutting skinny strips

from cardboard

(it’s not easy you know)

I know

thank you

attaching strips to flat pieces

until

look here’s my castle

with beds & thrones & windows

a balcony with railings, impressive

but just as you imagined

there it is

exactly

right,

you

are exactly right (good mama)

as mama never could have imagined

right here

you

you

Linking this up with Kenia’s prompt to the Real Toads, very late.

Package Store

Sign your name for a bottle of wine.

"Your pen doesn’t work." You gotta be gentle.

Scribble. Scribble. Quizzical look.

"You can read that?" I got your money.

A Toad's Challenge

My muse has been mysterious lately, and sometimes altogether on vacation. Writing and posting here’s been slow coming as the result. But also because I was working on this:

 Marian's Personal Challenge

I received a very particular and interesting challenge from Grace, and have worked hard to meet her challenge. So please pop over to the Imaginary Garden and give it a read.

Happy Birthday, Mark

Unsleeping, or Freezing, or Treading Water

Funny, your stitch

in my side now aches

under my breast

as your leprechaun voice

chills to eskimo breath

& washes out like sand

on Popponesset Beach.

Death comes so early

this time of year--

 

Reposting this on Mark Kelliher's birthday. Also, International Pat Benatar Day. Miss you, Mark.

Be My Valentine

On a day

when romance is obligatory

My love for you

still’s far from ordinary

You’re my rock

in bad times & even worse times

We’ll make it

because we ignore all the signs

Kids these days

could learn from old-farts like us

Talk it through

then get down for a happy (censored)

Babe, you know it’s true

I’d be unloved & unhappy without you

My old man, be my valentine, today & every day.

Stuck

Rescue

came short

for this to happen:

quicker tongue,

and your

hand is sweaty,

too.

 
Izy has the Real Toads writing erasure poems from local news stories. I couldn’t resist using this story of life imitating art (triple-dog dare ya!): Easthampton middle school student touches tongue to cold pole, gets stuck; freed by firefighters

Juniper

January’s bleak grey

jogs blanket memories

journeyed between lovers

just in time to stifle

joyful recollection,

jammed in journal pages,

jaundiced now, a trifle.

Yes, This Is a Good Time, Thank You Very Much

Now that you’re ordinary,

cozy up

next to someone whose indifference

makes your heart go thunk thunk.

Remember your extraordinary

superstar days
for review when atrophied hope

drains

most aspirations.

Don’t bother with dreams anyway,

as no one gives a flying fuck

what happens to you.

Can I get an amen?

Guess this would be a great time

for knee-falling & begging for blessings.

The Blessing Bringer by Lisa Graham

I’m grateful that Grace has introduced we Real Toads to the hopeful, beautiful art of Lisa Graham.

Space

It’s dark in the closet with the door closed.

If I open it a crack,

words will spill out,

enough to gather & tuck into a nest

from which I might take flight,

soaring

because I know return is not only expected,

but desired.

Kerry asked the Real Toads to think about our creative spaces.

Groundhog Day

What's the time again?
Woke up to find, sure enough,
everything's the same.