JAVELINA

A javelina stood in the road today.
He didn't budge, as if to say,
"I hear that you are moving away.
I think I'd like for you to stay."

It was a while before he moved on,
he ambled off, and then was gone.
I didn't move, or even try.
I was sad when the javelina said,
"Good bye."

     Lately, it seems like the animals are coming out in force to give me wonderful memories of Arizona.  Do you really think they are giving me a special treat because I'm moving away?  Several times this week the phainopepla has perched at the top of the ocotillo to sing a symphony just for me.  I feel a little like that man who was trying to grow tulips for his spring garden party.  All winter long he'd go out to where the bulbs were planted.  He'd talk to the plants; he'd croon and whistle to them; he'd tell them how beautiful they would be.  When Spring came the bulbs didn't stick their pretty little heads up.   The man stepped up his efforts.  He gave them extra fertilizer.  The day before the garden party, still nothing.  By now the man was angry that all his time and efforts were for nothing.  He went out to the garden.  He stomped his feet.  He yelled and cursed.  He told the bulbs, "If you don't come up by tomorrow, I'm going to rip you out of the ground."
    The next day the man went back out to his garden ready to go to work digging the bulbs up, but to his amazement there were beautiful, richly colored tulips, all abloom just in time for the garden party.
   Now that I'm ready to move, all those animals I waited patiently to see are showing themselves to me.

   Can you write a poem today about something you have learned from observing?  Have fun.

I am thankful.  What do you give thanks for?

Javalina Paul

It was just June

when a jocular javelina

by the name of Paul

took a jumbo leap

and jumped over my wall.

He rooted all the jicama,

jogged round the jacaranda,

and did the jitter bug

in my wandering jew.

And then when he was though,

He ate everything

with joyful grace

before I could

chase him

from my place.

     Writing with "j"s is tough, especially finding "j"s in the middle of words.  And you would think with a name like JOY, I'd be an expert of "j" words.  I thought about writing about jugglers, court jesters and jousting, but here is where I ended up.  Would you like to try writing your own poem about medieval times?  Or how about a time period not current.  Maybe the future?  Can you make a list poem from all the "J" words you know.  Have fun.

Javelinas

The moon was round,

 shining bright

as two javelinas

ran fast last night.

They were caught

in my headlights,

racing on the road

to get out of sight.

I'm glad they didn't 

turn to fight,

their sprinting bodies

gave me a fright.

We went on our ways

into the night.

The javelinas and me

we'll both be all right.

     If you don't know what a javelina is, it is a peccary, a pig-like creature.  Very sturdy, very compact.  They travel in groups and knock over trash cans looking for food.  They root up plants in gardens.  At Halloween time people are advised to keep their pumpkins indoors so the javelinas can't get to them.  Evidently pumpkin is like candy to a javelina.
    What is something you see at night?  Can you write a poem about it?  Have a great weekend.  Enjoy.