And Today There Might Be Snow?

Bud

Bloom

My kinda

Bling Bling

A Kid at Heart

At what point

Do we 

Stop enjoying

Eying with wonder

A seed split open

A shoot rising

Out of the earth

Or fungus

Springing out of

Recycled coffee grounds?

At what point

Do we become

So sophisticated

That nothing amazes

Makes us blink in surprise

At what point

Are we no longer allowed

To be silly?

I hope I never reach that point.

The mushrooms come from Back to the Roots and are a fun and worthwhile project for all ages. Yummy too!

Music Escape Hatch

Piano

My fingers

Are they really mine?

Disembodied

Not as strong 

Or limber

As they were

Well-worn sheet music

As familiar 

As my daily route

And yet

The surroundings 

Have changed

I start and stop

Play

Waiting for neurons

To remember

To click

For muscle memory

To kick ass

The fingers reach 

And stroke keys

Like bones

Familiar

Searching for the feel 

To slip back

I am the emotion

Behind the touch

The crescendo

The fortissimo

The accent

The slow 

Descent

To pianissimo

Make them wait

Holding breath

For the next

Note

The written tempo

Means nothing

Heart and flow

Released

Until liquid

Knowing

Returns

I am

The soul

Of the music

And I will play it

To the end

Notch by Notch

Release

Deep breath in

Exhale

Open the door

Home

Greeted by

A box of chirps

Beaks upturned

And two adoring

Tail waggers

Fur under hand

I see a better me

In their eyes

Whimpering

Energetic love

Shoulders drop

A notch

Dogs perform

Backyard dash and dump

While I pirouette

Into a costume change

Jeans?

Sneakers?

Harnesses?

Leashes?

Poop bags?

Treats?

Check!

Check!

Check!

Off we go

Sidewalks

Dog to dog lunging

Tied to beasts

Running in opposites

The wrack turns...

Ducks and geese squawking

River bugs swarming

Sudden sniff stoppings

Jerking

Ouch!

"Ooooh! 

Look at that bud!"

"Sit! Stay!"

Camera! Action! Fire!

Hope

For a moment

Perfect

In memory

Shoulders drop

A notch

Charging children

"Can I pet your dog?"

Hands already slicing

Through the air

This was supposed to be

Relaxing!

Looking for the key

To meltdown control

To unbunching muscles

Readied for a fight

To finding escape

From rat racing

Deep breath in

Exhale

Open the door

Home

Shoulders drop

A notch

Back (sort of)

Time in a Mug

So far this morning

I have poured boiling water

Into my mug's gaping mouth

Rather than the French Press

Where freshly ground coffee

Awaited

I have set the timer

On the microwave

Rather than actually

Running the thing

I have placed

Honey into the frig

Rather than back

On it's shelf

I have poured

A mug of coffee

I somehow

Finally 

Made

But I forgot to pour

What remained 

Into thermal holdings

Which were 

Out of sight

Out of mind

Valuable

Badly needed

Dark liquid 

Cooled 

And bittered

While I sat 

Staring... 

Computer screen

Glowing

Filled to the brim

Wondering

What I am doing?

There is a point

Of tired

Where 

Brain ceases 

Its clicks and grinds 

And musings

But it does try

Floating obscure messages

Protest signs

In a bottle

Through a foggy sea

And when

Just the thought

Of writing

Makes my stomach turn

As I feel fear 

And inadequacy

I know 

I have gone too far

Pause

Taking a break

A pause

From life as usual

Because sometimes

Life doesn't go on

As if nothing has happened

I know it is not enough
But I will be with you

And wish I could do more

Working Girl Anthem

My little stress relieving ditty, which should be sung to the melody of "I've Been Working on the Railroad".

Working Girl Anthem

I've been banging on the keyboard

All the live long day

I've been banging on the keyboard

Just so for shelter and food I can pay

Can't you hear the horns a honking

Rush hour crazies zip on by

Don't you hear the morons swearing

Stick it where the sun don't shine

Chick Flick 1

This post contains my first attempt at doing an "educational" video. Perhaps someone powerful will see this, marvel at my talent, and hire me as a broadcaster or public speaker. I might even get my own TV show.

It can only get better than this

No where to go but up

Which way to look

Where to put fluttering hands

Do I look fat?

Perhaps this isn't a good color on me

With a twist of hope

For another feather in my cap

Watch me pull a rabbit

Out of my hat

For a chance to show

Myself

I can do this too

And even if it is only this

And not a rainbow to a star

It's writing

It's chickens

It's talking

It's not shy

It's no fear

It's editing

With a twist

It's a story

I'm telling

Okay, so I need to work on my flow. Whatever. And just in case you think one of the chicks is named "Erotica", that's not a bad idea but I actually said Arabica. Just wanted to clarify that.

And no movie is complete without showing a blooper...

Seriously Silly

(My beautiful sister and I)

I Gotta Be Me

I put one foot out 

As if to step forward

Holding out 

One treasured 

Piece of self

In cupped hands

I pray for

Sweet welcome

Another feather

In my boa

The other foot

Lifts

Stands in transition

One more

Gift pulled

From my basket

Another day 

Oh yes

A good one

I am the sum 

Of many moons and stars

With my own light to shine

Let it be a rainbow

Cross posted on Vision and Verb, where a collaborative group of like-minded women from all over the world share their passion for photography and the written word.

This Time It Will Be Different

Another Fresh Start

The floors are rid of dog hair and dirt

Walking barefoot is disgust-free

An oily, aromatic glow rises up

From my dining room table

Dishes washed and put away

Crumb-less counters

Paperwork completed and stacked

Filing could happen

Miracles are in the air

I turn as if ritualizing the room

Facing the four directions

Smiling at the order and empty plains

It’s like some part of my interior

Has been decluttered

Calm settles over the kingdom

I vow to “Keep it this way”

I will wipe the counters and floor

Every morning

I will sweep up dog hair and sand

As it appears

I will not hide dishes in the dishwasher

Until I run out of forks

I will not let the unopened mail

Get lost amongst newspapers and magazines

No, I am a changed woman

Without dog nose smudge

There is nothing to restrain the sun 

As it pours through glass

Dropping unhindered onto

The sides and backs of sunbathing critters

Who litter my otherwise clean floor

I shade my eyes with my right hand

Gazing over calm seas

While I sip a cup of mango green tea

A domestic scene

Of peace and simplicity

Unhindered by distracting chaos

If only it could always be this good

But then it happens

It's inevitable

The morning I oversleep

Or the cat throws up

And routine falls away

In ruins

I rush out the door

Dishes and crumbs everywhere

I arrive home

Too tired

To do more than walk the dogs

And collapse

It begins innocently enough

A bread board left out

Like a tongue saying "Aaaagh"

A pair of work pants

Draped bodyless over the side of the tub 

Muddy paw prints

Leaving a map of a dog's journey

Once again

Chaos reigns

With an evil laugh

Until the circle of housecleaning

To real life and better things to do

Begins once more

Have You Done Your Taxes?

Occasion for Cussing

Numbers gather before me

Like enemy troops

They raise their rifles

I pull out my secret weapon

Turbo Tax

Certainly it will save me

If I can just find

My account websites

And remember the passwords

To print the forms

That hold the encrypted messages

Almighty Turbo Tax

Has the decoder ring

I place it on my finger

And raise my hand up high

And once more

I vow resolutely,

"I, Maery Rose,

will be better prepared

for next year’s attack!"

Always Interesting

Rejoice

Whatever remembrance

These days bring

Resurrection

Freedom

Rebirth

New life

I have found

Peace and smiles

In giving thanks

For blessings

And struggles

That come

in waves

gentle

and wild

Neither labeling

good

or bad

Simply

Interesting

Chicks Happen

My chicks are a bit stressed from the long, bumpy ride home. Why is it we never notice how terrible a road is until every bump creates a frantic, harried, shrill chirping? One of the Buff Orpingtons is ESPECIALLY LOUD!

I think they wore themselves out and thus, the photos are a bit drab but you get the chick idea. I'm trying to quit checking on them every fifteen minutes and simply let them sleep.

But now I arrive at the important stuff -- chick names. What's in a name? Quite a bit I'd say. Changing my name to Maery Rose opened up other possibilities. I was able to see myself differently and create a new story. Old habits die hard but I can always ask myself now, "What would Maery Rose do?"

Chick names are a bit different. I don't suppose the chicks care, but the choice is still important, at least to the chick owner.

This isn't exactly a poem, but then few of my so called poems are. In no rules Maery Rose land, that's okay by me.

Chicken names
An important part of 
Every backyard chicken operation

I laughed when I ran across
The name Ann Coulter*
For an especially noisy hen

There are literary chickens
Adorning backyards
You may well find
Sylvia Plath
Virginia Wolfe and
Emily Bronte 

I'm sticking with
My coffee theme
And testing out
Kona
Arabica
Sumatra
and
Robusta

Poor Robusta
Sounds like
GASP...
A meat bird name

Do not worry
Your cute, fuzzy, little head
Well...
Unless...
You're a rooster

*Saw the chicken name Ann Coulter in Jenna Woginrich's book "Made from Scratch" 

Another Reason Not to Show Weakness

Fungi

Taking advantage

Of a weak spot

Breaking it down

And destroying

The very thing it needs

Background Noise

Squared

The cube

The cube

Not a science fiction entity

But an office reality

Desk after desk

In tick tack toe pattern

And the experts say,

“Open office design

increases teamwork

and sharing”

Now that is science fiction...

A body leans

On my half wall

Peering at my screen

I twitch

"Can I help you?"

Labels ooze

With a whistle and click

Off to my left

Phone conferences

Four loud voices

On the other side 

Of the half wall

A scanner beeps

A catchy rhythm

While keys slap tap

Fast

Slow

Pause

Accompanied by
A bit of

Rapid fire
Backspacing

Office chatter
Questions lobbed
Back and forth
Over cube 
Non-walls

Teeth clenched

I reread the same sentence

For the third time

Glancing out the window

Must focus...

iPOD and earphones

Rescue me

Sheryl Crow sings

“Good is Good”

And I do what I do

On auto-pilot

Toes tapping 

(Enjoy the music and cool graphics!)

Spring Just Keeps on Delivering

Bloodroot

White satin

With a dash of orange

And a green wrap

Perfectly set off

Against a backdrop

Of brittle brown

Oh, welcome 

Ye spring

Drum Roll Please

Building Suspense

Rolled snail-lishly

Or perhaps protectively

Taking the fetal position

Waiting for just

The right moment

To pop

p.s. For those who have asked about Luke, I rode him today and he was awesome! Lazy yes. But awesome. Not a cough or even a snort. And one of the boarders told me Luke raced with two other horses from out in the pasture to the barn the other day, and Luke won. He is so busted on milking this Heaves thing. Which made me very happy! He is such a wonderful horse.