SUNSET

The sun sets
like a child
forced to bed,
screaming
and yelling
and turning
the sky red.
He wants 
to stay
for another day
so we can
have more time 
to play.

   It has been another busy day for me.  I found the box with my computer, monitor and printer in it, but I don't have them hooked up yet.  My desk is still upside down in the middle of the floor.  It needed to be glued and then I couldn't take the weight of it to turn it over because my broken wrist is still causing some problems with weighty things.  Plus, my empty file cabinet was locked to move it.  Now, I can't find the keys to unlock it.  I put the shelf brackets taped inside and now I can't open the files to get them out.  All little problems.  Anybody have suggestions for where I should look for the keys, or how to get the locked file cabinet open?  Anyway, I figure in about another 20 days, I'll have all the boxes emptied.  One of my bookcases did not last the journey, so I guess the answer is to get rid of some of my books. Anyway, after working all day on getting boxes emptied and the house more settled, I'm tired and expect to sleep well tonight.
   I hope your day was a good one and that you wrote an interesting poem.

  Tomorrow is another day.

December

Sunsets come earlier
and the sunrise
waits for a later time
making more of the night
leaving me in darkness
except for the bright
of a too white 
December moon.

   I don't know why, but over the last couple of years I've been learning more about the moon, Indian legends and other folklore about luna. Maybe it is my midnight writing.  I used to write in my closet at night, now I'm in my studio with windows.  So, of course I look out into the desert at night. I find it interesting that half of our lives is spent in darkness.  Most people sleep through it.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a night time poem.  Have fun writing.

  The moons of our lives are a blessing.

Home on the Beach

On the beach waves break.
A sunset picture it makes.
Cool sand for a seat.
Foam rushes to seagull feet.
Salt sprays the air.
I want to rest there.
Palm trees on the cliff
sway to their own riff.
I do not want to roam.
The beach is my home.

ONE HOT SUMMER 5

Will the monsoons ever come?
Will water rise in the wash?
Will we be able to fish 
like Dad and I did last year?
Once more?

Yes, the monsoons will bring
the river back and water 
will rush through the wash.
But now it is summer
and the bats fly at night
swoop in circles catching bugs
and sunsets come 
in reds, purple, orange.
How pretty.

  This poem is inspired by NOW IT IS WINTER, written by Eileen Spinelli,  Her picture book was illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, copyright 2004.  And, as you can see this is the fifth day I've been adding verses to this poem.  Our monsoons haven't started yet, but they should be arriving soon, in the meantime we fight the heat.  It does explain why our kids get out of school in May.  One wonders what people did before air conditioning.  Oh, I do remember--swamp coolers.And I remember driving over desert roads with a canvas bag hanging from the radiator for extra water to keep the radiator cool.
    What things do you do to stay cool in the summer?  This is your challenge for today, write a poem about things to do to stay cool.  When I was young I'd go to the matinee at the movie theater, or to the library to stay cool on hot summer days.  Have fun writing your poem.

A children's poem presents unlimited possibilities.

FIRE III

Fire works
bursting in air
are a spark of inspiration.

Fire grows
day lilies, aloe, roses
fire pokers, and burning bush.

Fire blows
flame throwers sculpt
a transparent glass lamp.

Fire streaks
across the sunset--
sailors delight.

Fire flies
in the blink
of a lightning bug.

   And to think I thought I'd have a problem coming up with enough fire poems.  I have some more for tomorrow too.  Can you imagine the illustrations for these short poems?  I can.  Can you write a poem today about the sun rise?  Have fun writing.

haiku

As the sun dips red
with orange and pink, I stop
to breathe a thank you

     I have a friend who has the practice of stopping every evening just as the sun is setting to meditate on the blessings the day has provided.  This is something I want to try.  To say thank you for each day and for the people who have helped me along the way.  To say thank you for all the discoveries I have made each day.
     So this haiku is for you.  THANK YOU.  Thanks for stopping by, thanks for reading my poems and thank you for all the ideas and suggestions you have shared with me.  You are a blessing in my life.
    Have you noticed I don't really give titles to my haiku?  Haiku don't have titles, so I just label mine with the form.  Can you try writing a haiku about your sunrise or sun set?

haiku

ancient Coopers hawk

rests atop the chain-link fence--

a rosy sunset

     The number of hawks in my neighborhood has been increasing.  There is one that comes often to visit and I do enjoy watching him pivot his head to scan the skyline.  Your challenge for today is to try writing your own haiku.  Have fun observing nature.

haiku

tarantula hawk
circles the Palo Verde
fiery red sunset


     This haiku probably needs some translation.  The picture shows  a tarantula hawk wasp.  Lately, in the evening they have been gathering around my Palo Verde tree.  This is a tree with green bark and very tiny little leaves.  The leaves are small so the tree doesn't lose a lot of water.  The trunk and stems of the tree are green so the tree can use them for photosynthesis.  I think this is the only tree that uses it stems to photosynthesize.  So the wasps sit in the trees and the red sun sets in the sky. Can you imagine that picture?
    Can you write your own haiku today?  I used the traditional American 5-7-5 for my haiku, but you don't have to do that.  Experiment.  Have fun.

SUN

(original art by Joy Acey, 2013 all rights reserved)

This is another of the spine poems.  I played with the idea of having you read the poem right to left, so the poem would end in the traditional west side of the paper, but it was really hard to read that way.

If you have trouble reading this, here it is in a traditional vertical mode.

Sun
rises
in the
east
starts 
a new 
day
UP
Rise Up
come 
out
play
when
it's
time
to rest
sun
sets
in the
west


     Now it is your turn, can you write your own poem about the sun, or play?  I hope you have as much fun writing poems as I do.  Enjoy.

Walk Along the Beach

Walk along the beach,
feel sand between your toes,
watch a fiery sunset,
see the world turn to rose.

Smell plumeria scent
from a Hawaiian lei.
Learn to live aloha,
take the time to play.


    I'm obviously still thinking about leis.  I talked to some people in Minnesota that had snow this morning.  So I thought I'd send you some sunshine and flowers.  Enjoy today.