Ode to Mango Smoothies

Standing, pacing in line,
I don’t even need to decide
Or even think
Which of these nourishing wonders
I will drink.
I say you all lose, had no chance
Because I with certainty
Will choose a large frothy
Mango smoothie!
Juicy and tangy in perfect proportion,
Frosty, succulent, and invigorating as could be
Bright tangerine and ripe,
Oh precious mango you’re my type.
My love, my heart’s utter delight
Because in spite of being a little rough around the edges
If you look closely you’re absolutely beautiful.

There’s something enchanting about your taste
Something no one should ever waste.
So chilly in my trembling, thrilled hand
I try to understand
How something simple like a mango
Can make my tongue do a euphoric tango.
Instantly I’m overflowing
With joy of that mind-numbing beverage.
Completely transcends average
Oh, the taste of you makes me faint
I cannot hold any restraint.

When it comes to sweetly sipping
You’re heaven sent drink.
A drink Jesus should replace instead of wine
And fish and loaves of bread
Have an extravagant fountain of magnificent mango flowing over head
Then feed our entire starving world with your
Delicious, sinful pleasure one sip at a time
Save the leftover potion
In an overwhelming motion
To help fight hunger around this planet!
With each gulp, impossible to measure
The amount I treasure this exotic fruit.

Until the next time
I’m back again in line
Humble and meek
My mango smoothie I seek
Irresistible as a lover’s touch
How I adore mango smoothies so profoundly
Ordering the drink, the money I pay is nothing
In comparison to the drink I receive, like I’m ripping them off by paying so little
It should be measured by karats instead of pounds
Its net worth resound in millions of sun kissed smiles
Of each person lucky enough to drink its electrifying taste
A beverage that the Gods would even enjoy
Its flavor and consumption contagious, oh boy
Perfection at its peak
At my wedding one day orange and white will be the the theme
Simple yet stunning color scheme
And a mango smoothie in hand
With the finest, most wonderful breathtaking lad in the land
My love and his wife (me)
Toast to forever grasping each other tight, toasting
With mango smoothies that starry night.

Eyes to Eyes

Sitting in the kitchen

The table not quite white

I’ve stared at that floor many times before

The kitchen wow when was the last time

We used it? I miss baking especially.

I looked in the cabinets

I pick out a skinny pop and a strawberry granola bar

My diet got me thinking

And I’m not annoyed by that anymore

In fact, I adore my new life

I implore you to find things that bring you joy

The room is pretty empty of people

The food is plenty

The company is the best part

I knew that from the start

Announcements and Soft music

Julie popping in, we are still wearing masks

I suppose safety first

Vivid Memories of cooking there

I grab them tightly

Photos don’t do those memories justice

The cabinets

A metal mass

The food standard snacks

Chairs that over time hurt your back

That familiar room

The familiar smell

Like between Heaven and Hell

I dwell here

Peering around

No longer staring at the ground

Instead to my delight and surprise

Eyes to Eyes

Reckless in my Writing, I’ll Never Get Enough of the Rush of Putting Words Together…

I am obsessed with writing. And it didn’t even make my list. I type notes on my phone. It comes naturally to me. A book review, a movie review, social justice, woman’s rights, philosophy, mental health, dreams, dangers of vaping, dedication to my family. My mind forms the ideas and before I know it, I have written pages and pages. I don’t know what compels me to write. It’s this climb. It’s this rush. There is a jolt, a shift and I’m off. A song lyric, a clue on Jeopardy! a story on the news. A balloon blowing in the wind. A woman losing her cellphone in the park. I experience it, and I want to capture it all. Every feeling, word, detail must make it on the page. I remember to drink water. The writing pours out of me. Like I said I don’t know where this energy comes from. It can disrupt things when I think of something to write. That’s okay with me now. The empty page is my canvas and I want to paint a clear, vivid picture. It makes me me! Everything inspires me. I will risk it all and be reckless in my writing. Naked and vulnerable, the choice is mine how much or how little to share. Maybe I’m just a fool but I still belong to the writing. And my writing first and foremost belongs to me. When the writing is done for the moment, I read it back. If it is for the newsletter I begin to furiously edit, trying to articulate it exactly right. I’ll never get enough of the rush of putting words together. Weaving words pondering when I can pause. It’s a gift I have. It’s a gift I want to share. I hope it’s talent. It might be gibberish. Whatever it is, it is mine. Magnificently Me.

Ignite

Ignite 

Unite 

Take flight 

Hold tight

One thing

I know

You won’t 

Let go

Our love 

So pure

Our love 

To cure

The cure 

For everything 

Is how

You make

My heart sing

I’ve never met

Another like you

After everything 

We’ve gone through 

I can say confidently

With no doubt

I will never be without 

My one true love

And it is you 

Because whispered sweet nothing

Are simply what lovers do

Until my final breath

Together we’ll be

And once both in heaven

For eternity 

In an ominous sea of black…

In an ominous sea of black, I a magenta tulip, float to the surface and defy everything. There amongst the conformists and those who fear different, I stand erect and I prove that color is lacking in this world using the brightest one in my arsenal. I will bridge that gap. I walk through the sea and I part it with my magenta being. I grin because I flood the world with color. And the world could definitely use some color… 

Ode to Piano

Ode to the Most Beautiful and Pure Sound my ears have ever heard

Ode to the most touching, spell bounding music ever created

Ode to the maker of the piano of course

You have bestowed a gift that is eternal to the world

And to those who dared to write the music

To those who compose it

It is their life’s work for some

They have not fought through a war or cured a disease

They have done something far greater

Because despite how insignificant we all are

Their music is a gift that lives on forever

Every note blends together to create a masterpiece

Every touch of the keys an intoxicating song erupts

Ode to what is the most happy and most sad sounds that can be omitted

Ode to how the piano evokes feelings that can consume your soul

In an equally marvelous or wretched way

The way Chris Martin Plays the Piano

The way Ryan Met plays the piano

The way Ludovico Einaudi plays the piano

The way my twin plays the piano

Mere morals with a heavenly gift

Have you ever heard the phrase

“Hauntingly Beautiful”

That phrase was created probably after someone

Heard a piano nearby

And it made them sob and cry

And as life passed them on by

They grasped that they

Were gassed and appreciated that beauty

And yet the piano played on

What a lovely chaos

What a tornado of emotions

Ode to feeling things

Ode to really feeling things

I feel them deep in my chest

Ode to the piano for

Uniting us with the power of music

To the greatest pleasure

Whether you Compose

Play or Listen

The music glistens

Like an ice-cold glass of water on a steamy hot day

Or a chilled wine taking the edge off a Monday

Ode to the most wonderous sound ever created

Ode to making me smile

Ode to making me cry

Ode to opening my heart to love

To helping me remember

To helping me forgive

To helping me forget

To being my therapy

That won’t judge

Won’t hold a grudge

And Ode to your timeless, effervescent beauty

That is not seen but acutely felt

Ode to breaking boundaries with sound

Ode to endless loops of my favorite song

It would pleasure me deeply for you to listen along

Enjoy it, soak it in, recognize its power

Admire its remarkable, astounding grace

Ode to the piano for transporting me to my happy place

And giving me the space I need

To persevere and succeed

Ode to your unique tone

I hone it in my mind and I am home

Ode to coffee

Ode to coffee

At first try I disliked your taste

What a fool I was then

Was I out of my mind?

Then a large change on a normal day

One day, at 22 I remember thinking

I should make a huge cup of coffee

I don’t know if I was tired, bored, distracted, or inspired

Thinking back, I was inspired

Somehow, the biggest cup available was pulled out the lazy susan

And as I poured hot water into the coffee and sugar

There was some magic in the air

And when the coffee was made

And since I took a sip I’ve never quite had my fill

Ode to coffee

Your strong, remarkable, blessed aroma

Makes me smile every time I inhale, I feel calm

It’s my greatest love and the start to a great day

Coffee you are the epitome of, “it’s the little things in life”

And you drive me forward with joy and a jolt. A treat and I’m on my way.

Ode to Coffee

For making small talk

For making coffee dates with friends

Your impeccable flavor

It, I savor

Glory from heaven above

It’s a cup of coffee I’d love

Without Dad

I woke up early 

It was lousy sleep I had

Thinking about a Super Bowl 

Watching without my dad

For 20 years we enjoyed it with glee

I felt my father’s love surrounding me 

Now I feel chaos and misery

Because all I want is him you see

We would make all this food and work so well

In the home where we dwell

My father the best commentator 

My father the best initiator

The Super Bowl was my favorite day 

My father helped me keep my anxiety at bay

My father loved me more than anyone ever could

I smiled with him more than I ever usually would

My dad gave me such joy you see

His presence made every one so happy 

He lit up a room with his pizzazz 

Listening to the music of his heart

Is like smooth jazz

My father hit all the right notes 

When he was alive 

Gave us everything we needed to thrive 

Now the game won’t be the same 

Super Bowl Sunday without my dad

I feel so broken unbelievably sad

Thank God for the memory he gave to me

All the lessons all subjects especially history 

While I can’t hear his sweet voice anymore 

There’s a feeling I can’t ignore

The feeling that the memories are so great that I had

Because you were the world’s kindest most understanding most giving person 

You were everything and especially the best dad 

Two Flowers, One Pot

We are two flowers 

Growing in one pot

We are blooming 

We are blossoming 

We are blissfully booming

Growing in one pot

Are we too close

Are we needing space 

Are we unable to flourish

We grow together 

The beauty of our petals 

The glory of our colors

The gift of our existence 

Our roots intertwine 

Our space superb

Our pot is home

You would think that

We would stifle each other 

That we each need our own pot

Room to grow 

It’s the opposite 

We cling to each other’s roots 

For dear life 

And grow connected 

And grow tall

And grow healthy

As two flowers 

Stunning as the sun 

The Butterdish

Because I don’t use butter

But I like the color

But I love the shine

Because I broke it

But I didn’t buy it

It’s sitting in the Chicago cold

59 dollars and it’s mine

Coming home today 

I still think about 

That beautiful blue color

And seeing the stamp

Poland

Beauty 

Joy

Sublime 

So much more than a butter dish

Maybe I should start getting back

Back to my dish