Graveyard Warning

Malvern Graveyard by Doug Shaver

This week's readwritepoem prompt gave us this cool photo for inspiration!

You can crouch over graves
in the night—a moonless one
is best.
You can bring a Ouija board,
a divining rod, keep an amulet
in your vest.
Look for a disturbance
in an energy field,
Hope for a hand to reach
through the ground,
Summon the spirits
as you kneel,
Press your ear to the
tightly packed mound,
Squat down on the edge of
dread and thrill!
It’s not the specters
you should fear.
There never was a ghost
who could kill
Or whisper a deadly spell
in your ear.
Beware instead of
your own bones and skin
as you strive to connect
with the great unknown,
The spirits may be willing
but to your chagrin,
The flesh might just make
itself at home.

July Moose

We had not met
since January snow
and there we were
in the July sun—
she, in the water
stretching out all four legs,
rooting herself to the mud
and dipping her head
to take what she needed
from the river’s floor—
I, in my car
staring from the road above
admiring how she
shrugged off
the pointing paddlers,
assigning them no
importance,
as if to say, If a
girl can’t
spread her limbs
and stand her ground
in the stretched out days
of summer,
when?
How will she hold fast,
what will she do
as the light shrinks
back
and autumn leaves
tangle
round her ankles
again?

Misgiving Itch

This week's readwritepoem prompt asked us to take a trip through the dictionary, using two words as our guides. I selected the words "itch" and "misgiving," and then wrote a poem using those two words and words that occur alphabetically in the dictionary between them.





Resisting the itch
knowing that no new itinerary
could ever scratch it she

led with her jaw
knowing this journey was different
something was off no

even keel here, only
scraped knuckles and bruised
knees and eyes too red to

lament the drowned horizon
or give license to the guilt
tied down in her stomach she

would afford herself no mercy
give no merit to good opinion
honor every misgiving she

had about herself and
just
shove
off.

Kokopelli Moondance

I'm sharing this poem I posted on my husband's blog a while back. I'm feeling some kokopelli-ish mischief in the air today.

Fertility god

is also a great trickster

goes to show you that

new life, whether crops

or babies, requires a sense

of mischief, humor

Success

When I meet your emotional acuity,
with my communicative ambiguity
hijinks ensue.

Oh, what marital ingenuity
that our conversational incongruity
doesn’t divide us in two.

This week's readwritepoem prompt gave us a wordle to work with. I chose to use only one word, "acuity" and go from there.

The Walk

If what you are for me
were a scent
it would be
trees in the rain
near the Little Spokane

Ganesh update

Allow this proud wife

to brag about her artist/

husband. Indulge me!

http://davismetalsculpture.blogspot.com/2009/07/ganesh-update-coming-soon-to-spokane.html

Lawlor Names

This is for my family. Click on the wordle above to see an artistic rendering of the first and last names of 4 generations of Lawlors. The names that appear in the largest font are the names that have been used most often over 4 generations. My, what an Irish bunch of names! Enjoy!

It's good to be Queen!

Kathleen, who has one of the loveliest blogs out there, has been gracious enough to bestow upon me the Queen of ALLLL Things Awe-Summmm!!! award.

My royal duties now require me to share 7 awesome things about myself with you, and pass this award on to 7 of my favorite bloggers. Sound the royal trumpets! Here ye! Here ye!

7 Awesome Things about me

1. I kick some serious butt at air hockey. It's true. Just ask my sons.

2. I am also freakishly good at paddling a paddle ball. I have no natural athletic ability at all, but apparently I am an air hockey/paddle ball savant.

3. My students think I am cool. Well, at least some of them do. They told me so just earlier this week. I'm finally cool! Where were these people when I was in high school?

4. I have the most amazing sons in the world. That is no over-exaggeration. They are extraordinary.

5. I can balance marshmallows on my nose, but only when I am camping.

6. I love the Emily Dickinson poem "I started early, took my dog." It's not a textbook Dickinson standard, but it is a fantastic, sexy poem. Look it up!

7. I have more freckles than I can count.

And now, I bestow this award upon the following bloggers:

Annie at blissful bohemian. Check out her beautiful spirit and her beautiful pottery!

Anne at moremadder. Her musings about working motherhood are hallmarks of blunt eloquence.

Jessica GC at paperdreams. One of my favorite blogger/poets!

Angie at woman ask the question. I love the name of her new blog, and I love her poetic stylings.

Kelly at redsart. My cousin and fellow red-haired goddess who just happens to be an incredibly talented artist!

"Athena" at athenathoughts. She's a college English instructor, a doctoral student, and a mom. She doesn't blog often, but when she does, it is well worth the wait!

Thanks again for the coronation, Kathleen. We retire now to our royal bedchamber where we shall put up our feet and read a good book.

Vibrato

This is in response to this week's readwritepoem prompt #82.

I swat away the
staccato cravings you
bounce off my
carefully partitioned
brain

Once in a while I back
you into corners but
I’m too afraid of the
dark
to go in
and get you
Some nights I wake,
startled by your
pulsing between my
palms,
a hummingbird,
bloated with wanting and
worry
Seems I can
never hold you
for long, but oh, just
once
I’d like to put
my finger right
on you and
turn your
buzzing into
vibrato,
bravely drag
my bow against
your wings
and force your
notes out
into the air
and make you
sing.

Deluded

Your pain
doesn’t really

distinguish

you
I see you sitting there
meditating
on your

angst,
so sure
that your life’s
absurdity
sets you
apart
You are satisfied,
secure
in your

separateness
But allow me to
rupture
the skin of
your self-satisfaction:
I too feel the

break
between body
and brain
and the suspicion
that my umbrella
holds no
protection
from rain

This week's readwritepoem prompt was to use the above photo by nwolc.