Analgesic

The air is a hot
still blanket.
It fills my lungs
with the opium
of summer.
I drift.
Bird song is a
clamor
I can’t ignore.
I breathe it in
with the warm air
and drift.
Closing my eyes
I inhale verdant
and exhale pain.
Liquid bones
don’t groan
as they greet
one another.
They float
in that same
felted heat
where
I drift.

This is a one shot Wednesday poem. Go here to check out other poets.

Monday Miscellany

I posted my memorial for the day yesterday. Just a note: Although I’m not sure I understand the purpose of war, I very much appreciate and am in awe of the sacrifice of our armed forces, whether they’re in combat or here at home.

So here’s some of my usual Monday drivel:

·         Dr. M rousted me out of the house at the crazy hour of 10:00 (yes, I know that’s not really early. Yes, I know an hour earlier would have been cooler. Your point?) to go to the Siebenthaler Fen for our May visit. Since it’s the last week of May. It was pretty warm, but there was a nice breeze and I enjoyed our ramble very much. I plan on making Dr. M do a whole post on our visit with all the pictures, so I’ll just share a couple few okay several here by way of teaser. I’ll post the link to his blog once his post is complete.

·         In a related note I wore shorts in public for the first time this season & was afraid that I’d frighten small children, but in fact the one small child we saw on our journey just said, “hey,” & didn’t seem afraid at all. So that’s good.

·         My tomato seedlings don’t look all that strong so we bought some plants at the Kroger yesterday. We’ll try to work with the seedlings too, but we wanted some healthier looking ones just in case.

·         I keep falling asleep on the futon in the evenings. That’s usually Dr. M’s job. I reckon I’m still fighting off this cough. The good news is that Mucinex totally takes away my appetite. In fact, unless someone points out an obvious flaw in the plan, I might just keep taking it until I get to my goal weight. Heh.

·         I struggled mightily this past weekend since the Braves were playing the Reds. Dr. M has no divided loyalties, so he was happy that the Braves took 2 out of 3. But Bronson’s so cute! Don’t worry if you don’t understand any of this – I know I’m strange.

OK, that’s enough of that. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday (if it is one for you). 

Ode to Doug

It's time to jam again! Marie & I (that muse I talked about on Friday) finally came to an understanding & managed to write something new. The task this week, put to us by NanU is this: Forgetting. What did you forget? What did somebody else forget? What do you wish they would only forget!

Now, I've probably created an entire fictional story here, but this is what I remember. I met my aunt's boyfriend when I was very small. And here's what happened.

Ode to Doug

I hid behind her legs,

afraid of this tall stranger.

Did I look you in the eye?

Did I say, “hey?”

Or did I press my face

against her knee?

I don’t remember.

I don’t remember

you leaving

or how you died

in that foreign land.

I don’t remember

her grief

or how she held you

to her heart.

But I remember you now

and echo the song

“War, what is it good for?

Absolutely nothing.”

Tomorrow we honor those fallen in war. Doug's was Vietnam. I'll be thinking about him and all those other young men and women who made that sacrifice.

Please remember to go here to check out the other poems written by jammers this week! 

2011 Project 365 – Week Twenty-Two

I lost track and there are two States of the Bug this week – and a blurry Tax Time Pig sighting. Woo hoo!

Sunday, May 22^nd

On Sunday we drove back from NC. I had an allergic reaction to something and sneezed the whole way back, so Dr. M had to do all the driving. I did manage to take a couple of pictures. Here is the Ohio River as we’re heading back into Ohio from West Virginia.

And here I am. This is a recreation – note the absence of drool. I didn’t actually sleep all that much, but it wasn’t for lack of trying! Stupid nose.

Monday, May 23^rd

Glad to be home, Dr. M took a number of pictures today. If you click on the one with the cardinal to make it larger you can see all the seed they’re flinging everywhere. These birds are a hoot!

Tuesday, May 24^th  

Guess who drove by one of his favorite places today?

Wednesday, May 25^th

Wednesday started out pretty good. We put out the new flag that Amy gave us (thanks Amy – I love it!).

But then that evening the hail storm hit. Go check out Dr. M’s blog to read more about it.

Thursday, May 26^th       

Dr. M salvaged some of the flowers that were broken in the storm – aren’t they pretty? We’ve figured out (we’re pretty sure) that they’re a form of dianthus called Sweet William.

This poor birdie seems to still be shaken up from all of yesterday’s racket.

I did a drive by shoot of the Tax Time Pig but it’s not very good because another car was coming. I think you get the idea though.

Friday, May 27^th   

Yesterday I had my annual gyno visit. This is what I saw outside the building. I thought that was pretty suspicious – they don’t still use rabbits for pregnancy tests do they? I promise that no rabbits were harmed during the production of this Project 365.

Second State of the Bug. You didn’t think I’d take a picture of my feet up in stirrups did you? Well, actually I did think about it, but I hadn’t polished my toenails.

 Saturday, May 28^th

I’ve been knocked for a loop with all my coughing lately so I slept really late – and then took another snooze after breakfast. But Dr. M has been on the job for us. Here is a finch being confused – aren’t you on the wrong feeder?

And I love this picture of mama cardinal surveying the other birds. At least the finch has figured out which feeder to use in this picture.

Go to Sara’s blog here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.

Going to the Dogs...

Hack hack cough cough. That’s pretty much all I have to say today. I was sick at the end of last week & all that remains is this fabulous door busting racket. It could also be allergies. In any case, my mucinex & my delsym have let me down & so all you’re getting is hack hack cough cough.

On the other hand, Dr. M has been paying attention to his surroundings & is actually lucid. You should check out his blog post here. There might be sheep, for those who care about such things.

Meanwhile, Marie (my sullen capricious teenage muse) and I will just sit over here barking at the screen for a while.

Thankful Thursday

As Thursday draws near I'm very thankful for our sturdy house and garage. We had quite a storm blow through here about 8:00. It was loud with sideways rain & hail. We lost power for about 2 hours & otherwise are mostly undamaged, unlike our neighbors whose houses & cars were blasted by the hail.


I've never been in such a storm before - our house sounded like it was being hit by gunfire. I'm amazed that no windows were broken. But when I consider how many families in other parts of the country who are without homes tonight I am extra thankful and humbled.

Dr. M's mother has been moved back to the nursing home. Her liver is failing, but they think that they can manage it with medication, for now. We appreciate your prayers & good thoughts for Dr. M's family.

We're getting ready to go through another storm in a few hours.So distract me - what are you thankful for today?

Welcome

Banquet Scene with a Lute Player by Nicolas Tournier, 1625

Welcome

Beggar blind man rich man fool
Teacher’s pet & satan’s tool
The watchful waiting wary too
All are welcome at the table

The first the last the meek & mild
Weakened hearts and Thursday’s child
Wicked warped and undefiled
All are welcome at the table

Ancient crones and newborn souls
Ishmael Isaac Vishnu Joe
The undecided and in the know
All are welcome at the table

Come in come in it’s almost time
I’ll wash your feet and you wash mine
Eat the bread and drink the wine
Just join me at the table!

This is a Magpie Tale and a One Shot Wednesday. Please check those links to read poetry & other excellent interpretations of the prompt.

2011 Project 365 – Week Twenty-One

Lots of pictures this week – most of them flowers. Hope you don’t mind! 

Please be in prayer for Dr. M’s mother, who was taken to the hospital from the nursing home last Thursday with jaundice & an upper respiratory condition of unknown origin. When we saw her yesterday she seemed perkier, but we don’t know what’s causing the jaundice yet.

In lighter news, in case you missed it, I posted pics of Daddy & Amy in their skit outfits here.

Sunday, May 15^th

On Sunday I took a couple of pictures of our neighbors’ irises (irisi?). Aren’t they lovely?

Monday, May 16^th

It’s the weekly squirrel!

Tuesday, May 17^th  

Dr. M took a picture of these lovely beauties that are all over our roadsides up here – I was so glad. It was another case of him anticipating the picture I wanted before I could even talk about it.

Wednesday, May 18^th

Travel day to NC. Before we left I saw a red wing blackbird in our back yard again. Doesn’t he know that we’re not the side of a road or a swamp? Oh, maybe we are a swamp. Hmmm.

On our way down I had to take a picture of this billboard. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Thursday, May 19^th       

I was sick this day – fever, croupy cough. So I sat around like a lump all day (hey, that is different than how I sit around all the other days thank you very much). I did get out & take some pictures of Daddy & Amy’s flowers & garden.

Friday, May 20^th   

Daddy became convinced that I had not fulfilled the obligations of the card in this post & “made” me help him pick strawberries.

This is the State of the Bug – Pressed Into Service. For, um, about 15 minutes.

While I was slaving away, Dr. M was doing what he does best – capturing his home county on digital media. We just like the play of light & shadow on this one.

And guess what he found?

Saturday, May 21^st

Saturday morning I took another couple of pictures of flowers. And I was trying to capture the oasis that is my father’s place, but I don’t think it’s translatable into a picture. It’s green grass and mature trees & flowers at every turn. Shade & sun and barking dogs. The smell of baking bread and something simmering for dinner. It’s my other home. Where I eat the leftovers for breakfast.

In the afternoon I went up to my aunt V’s house and spent a nice time visiting with three of my dad’s sisters (where the heck were you Lila? You were supposed to know by osmosis that I was there you know). I don’t know why, but I enjoy shocking these ladies (except maybe Mimi, I don’t think she’s shockable). Even so, these are the faces of some folks I love and admire a lot. It’s not their fault that I revert to adolescence around them :)

While I was there I took some pics of V’s flowers. Love the volunteer petunia that grew at her garage door. And the calla just makes me sigh – so pretty!

Go to Sara’s blog here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.