June 8

"Taste me," said the Earth.
"Drink me in.
I smell like a newly mowed
alfalfa field
on a summer's eve.
And if you patiently stand
quietly still
you will see the strobe
of fireflies
with nothing better to do
than flash their lights
looking for a mate
on a warm summer's eve."

Today is International Ocean Day.  It's a day to think about sustainability and what we can do to be better citizens of our Mother Earth and the oceans.  What can you do to make the world a better place?  Try writing a poem from the persona of the Earth or the oceans.  What do you think they would tell us?  Have fun writing.

  The earth belongs to everyone.

SQUIRREL

A squirrel drinks
from my swimming pool.
I guess it's how
the squirrel stays cool.

Watch him lapping
with a little pink tongue.
Then he scoots, and
runs, runs, runs.

     I fly off tomorrow, into the hurricane, so my posts might become a little irregular for the next six days.  What is something in your life that stops and starts?  (Think about that one.)  Now, can you write a poem about it?  Have fun writing and have a great weekend. 

NIGHT DREAMS

Drink with me
a mug of moonlight,
gumdrop stars
across the sky.
We can eat 
the constellations
baked into
a dream pie.


      Can you write your own dream poem today?  Have fun writing.

It Rained

On my way home
from my cancelled
swim meet,
hundreds of lizards
were in the street.

They came out
in a blink
to the road
to get a drink.


     Living in the desert, it is always interesting to see what the monsoon rains bring.  Last evening there were hordes of lizards and birds gathering on the pavement.  I remember as a child that this kind of weather would drive thousands of crickets into the streets.  The crickets would gather in the light in front of stores.  The store owners would put out sulphur to kill the crickets.   It smelled like rotten eggs.  You could hear the crunching sound of crickets being crushed by cars in the street.
    Have you had any rain lately?  What changes do you notice?  Can you write a poem about the changes rain brings?  Have fun writing.

One little packrat
wanting to be cool,
thought he'd go swimming
in my swimming pool.

The sun was shining brightly.
The weather it was hot.
He thought he'd take a little drink
but it isn't what he got.

He leaned over
to get himself a drink,
and oops, the packrat
fell into the brink.

     It is definitely hot here.  It is supposed to be 102 again today.  I guess we won't see weather under 100 until the monsoons come to cool us off.  Can you write a poem today about being hot?  Or how about one that answers the question, how hot is it?  Have fun.