Good News

Good News


The Good News is

.....the shopper found Chobani yogurt to put in the Instacart
even though they were out of Noosa

.....the sun is finally shining after a long few days of rain

.....we have another take-out meal from the Thai restaurant
we did curbside pickup yesterday

.....I threw out some more old papers and old cards this morning

....the  grass seed I planted some weeks ago is finally growing
.
....there is almost enough rhubarb for a rhubarb torte

....I finally found a new book that looks interesting to read digitally

......there is still one frozen pizza in the freezer and some gelato

.....my grandson texted his thank you for the Thai food I delivered to them

.....more and more buds appeared on the trees

.....the meals at our house are always good

.....zoom continues to make connection possible

.....I am alive.

Wild Writing
Day 27

Thoughts That Keep Me Awake at Night

Thoughts That Keep Me Awake at Night

I wonder when this will come to an end.  How?
When will the rain stop?  Is the sump pump working?
will water flood the basement? Why can't I sleep?

Will it be safe to go to the dentist in July?  Will I ever go to Costco
or Trader Joe's again?  I wonder if the stock market will crash further.
Will there be issues with the condo association?

Why aren't some people friendly at all?  What did I do to them?
Should I buy a new car?  Even if the old one works well?  It almost
smells new sometime.  My hair is getting too long.

What if I need a plumber or or need some other repair?  Would I let
someone in my house?  What other unused stuff can I throw out?
Will I miss it if I do?  I haven't used the things anyway, but still.

I am so hungry for pizza.  I miss family dinners even though sometime
they were a lot of work.  I wonder if the grandchildren miss me.
They don't text or call unless I contact them.

What can I read? What can I watch?  What can I do?  All this time
being wasted.  Will I ever wear anything besides sweatshirts
and jeans?  I am glad to have enough shoes and socks.

I want to plant herbs, so somewhere, anywhere.  Where can I go?
Who cares about me?  Who misses me?  Who do I miss?
I wonder when this will come to an end.  How?

Wild Writing
Day 26

The Year of the Rough Draft

The Year of the Rough Draft

Let this be the year of the rough draft
start something and then drop it
throw things out and then regret
sort through piles of nothing
realize how rarely they matter
how little things mean anyway

let this be the year of the rough draft
open one's mouth and then revise the thoughts
start a book only to realize it is boring
forget a birthday you should have remembered
not stay in touch until the call is hard to make
let things go and let them go longer

let this be the year of the rough draft
waste time thinking time is infinite
there is always next week or next month
until there is no time at all
life comes to a screeching halt
the bookshelves are not in order

let this be the year of the rough draft
the angry thoughts spilled on the table
vegetables cooked a little too long
cheese has begun to mold
life isn't anymore what it was
the tomatoes rot on their stems

let this be the year of the rough draft
poems begun but left unfinished
ideas surface but not followed through
internet doesn't connect with anything
telephone rings but is never answered
life goes on but does not progress

let this be the year of the rough draft.

Wild Writing
Day 25

Bear With Me

Bear With Me

I want to tell you something about the anger
that wells up inside me when I think of this

country and the way it has been handling
the COVID 19 health situation and how

angry I am with our state supreme court
and all of the politicians who wanted to

open up the state without any kind of plan
and the people whose first thought was

to go to a bar and drink drink drink
with people without masks or social distance

the anger I feel when I think that our numbers were
going down and now they will rise like wildfire again

just when I was thinking it was becoming a bit
safer and I could possibly think about going

into a store for a brief moment but now I
can forget that for some more weeks I guess

I want to tell you something about the anger
I feel with all of this time we could be enjoying

being wasted by being quarantined in the house
to protect ourselves from the maskless lunatics

who don't care about others and want to send
their employees back into harm's way only

to prove that they wield the power to coerce
I want to tell you something about the anger

that wells up inside me when I think of
those who choose to deny science

I want to tell you something about the anger
that becomes worse by the day.

I want to tell you something about the anger.

Wild Writing
Day 24

When Adulthood Fails

When Adulthood Fails

When adulthood fails you, you can still summon
the memories of childhood to refresh your weary mind
and sooth your sorrowful soul

mother's mixture of M&M's and peanuts, a treat for
those weekend nights of watching wolfman or frankenstein
on the couch with a blanket to shelter from fear

roller skating in the basement on winter nights
or on the sidewalks during summer days
metal skates strapped to shoes, sized with a key

playing starlight moonlight or statue maker
in the yard with neighbor kids during warm evenings
peaceful days stretching endlessly ahead

biking across city to the swimming pool
jacks on the porch or hopscotch on the walk
playing softball in the street watching for cars

you can forget for a minute that Covid 19 is raging
that the stay at home order that helped keep people safe
has been lifted and the fears for the future that brings

when adulthood fails you, you can still summon
the memories of childhood to refresh your weary mind
and soothe your sorrowful soul.


Wild Writing 
Day 23

Peeling Potatoes is a Form of Prayer

Peeling Potatoes is a Form of Prayer
(thoughts while peeling potatoes)

Let's get away from platitudes
there are evil people
call it for what it is
evil is evil
racism is racism

packing plant workers are hispanic
their lives don't matter
they are expendable
meat packing is an essential business
so the plants cannot close
if people get sick so what
if people die so what
there must be meat

open up the state
go sit in the bar
with your maga hat
forget social distance or masks
they are for sissies
have another beer
if people get sick so what
there must be beer.

Day 22
Wild Writing

I Remember

I REMEMBER

I remember when my parents got their first washing machine, and my parents and aunt and uncle sat in front of it and marvelled as it went through its wash cycle.  I remember when my dad asked me if I didn't think I was a little bit too old to be hugging him goodnight.  I remember when my mother wanted to talk at a church council meeting and was told that only men could speak.  I remember when an aunt ran her fingers through my hair and asked me if THAT was the way people were wearing their hair these days.

I remember when my mother went ice skating with me on New Year's Eve.  I remember when my dad pitched baseballs to me in the back yard.  I remember when I went horseback riding with my dad on the streets of Lake Geneva, and his horse stopped and wouldn't move and he said later he would never go horseback riding again.  I remember playing kick the can with the neighborhood kids on our front sidewalk.  I remember window shopping downtown with my parents on Sunday afternoons when the stores were not open on Sundays.

I remember riding my two-wheeler across a large bridge on the way to the school I went to then, with my dad driving behind just in case.  I remember the smell of freshly made rhubarb torte or chocolate chip cookies greeting me when I got home from school.  I remember sitting up late on a Saturday night watching an old and scary black and white horror movie such as 'Wolfman' and having a blanket on my lap to cover my face.  I remember my first dog Corky who once got caught behind the refrigerator and a minister had to move the refrigerator to rescue him.  I remember the last time Corky ran away and hearing later he had been killed by another dog.

I remember getting sick and wanting to skip school on the days I had to give speeches for speech class.  I remember my mother and I going to the library together in summer and each of us coming home with several books.  I remember lying in the grass in our backyard reading.  I remember playing softball in the street and jacks on the front porch and hospital with a variety of dolls.  I remember going to the woods with other kids to play Robin Hood.  I remember when the Catholic kids told me they wouldn't play with me because I wasn't Catholic and how my mother took matters into her own hands and telephoned the priest.

I remember our first black and white television and how neighborhood kids used to stand outside our house watching it through the window.  I remember sitting on the front porch with my parents after dark in summer before there was air conditioning.  I remember watching the 4th of July fireworks sitting on chairs in our backyard.  I remember building snowmen and snow forts and not minding shoveling snow.  I remember.

Wild Writing
Day 21

In Captivity

In Captivity

I pay attention to the weather

(even though I have nowhere to go)

watch the greening of the grass

listen to the sounds of the birds

read a digital book for mental escape

plan a first visit to a grocery store

(whenever that will be)

take a road trip

walk the dog

enjoy tasty meals

make a pile for Goodwill

throw out things I will never use

use zoom as a social outlet

try to stay optimistic

practice being quiet

attempt to avoid boredom

stay away from too much news

try to create but don't succeed

I pay attention to the weather.

Wild Writing

Day 20

Nine Surprising Things

Nine Surprising Things

I did a curbside pick-up at Panera and on the directions I asked that the person who delivered to my car wear a mask.  They didn't.

I thought I did a good job of protecting and sanitizing the kitchen counter after I divided the bagels into three different bags.  I didn't.

My daughter is bringing us Thai food using curbside pickup this noon, and I will give her a few bagels from my earlier curbside bagel order.

Whenever I am settled down doing something and don't want to be disturbed, one of the dogs indicates they need to go outside.

There were two sandhill cranes on the lawn behind the house this morning and a hawk flying overhead.  It was a beautiful sight.

I finished one book yesterday and was amazed to immediately find another good book to read today, which usually doesn't happen.  This makes me happy.

We finished one series on Netflix yesterday and already have located another series to watch.

The sun is shining. It is warm enough to take a walk today, and I will.  Life is good.

Wild Writing
Day 19

Hold On

Hold On

You must hold on to your quiet center
seek only the berries of wisdom
reject the cacophony in the world
with its hateful whines and tweets

you must retreat to your inner island
close the doors to disturbing intrusions
seeking the path of light rather than dark
walk with purpose into the forest of the sun

you must eat the apple of self belief
tidy up the clutter of the frantic mind
fill it instead with pleasant ponderings
leave the vacuity and tumult behind

you must hold on to your quiet center
calm the nerves with blissful tones
seek that healing inner silence
shelter the heart with a prayer.

Wild Writing 
Day 18

Thank You

Thank You

Listen to the silence all around and say thank you
when the sky is filled with rain and clouds
when a text comes to wish a happy Mother's Day
for this time of reflection, contemplation, prayer
say thank you.

When a good meal is prepared and savored
or a good dream replaces a nightmare
when a poem that is liked is finally written
or the curbside pickup is ready and there
is finally somewhere to go, say thank you.

When the number of positive test results go down
and the number of deaths decrease, say thank you
when the rain stops and the grass is greener
after a vigorous outdoor walk in the park
where more than a mile was walked, say thank you.

Listen to the silence all around and say thank you
when you see the wild turkeys on the hill
or the rabbits and the deer come to call
when there is the scent of freshly baked bread
or the smell of savory curry say thank you.

When the sunrise greets yet another new day
when trees bud and flowers grow
when hungry birds can dig for worms
when evening brings yet another day to rest
say thank you.

Listen to the silence all around and say thank you.

Wild Writing
Day 17

How I am Not Alone

How I Am Not Alone

Because when I took the blankets out of the dryer
both dogs were ecstatic waiting to cuddle in them instead

Because we had a meal together, one that she had made

Because the geese outside are noisy and draw attention
to themselves

Because when we took a walk we saw a man cutting his lawn

Because the man walked with his dog down the hill and then up again

Because we watched The Crown together

Because I read a book my sister had liked

Because my daughter sent a text

Because we talked about ordering groceries and decided on a list

Because we planned to order Thai curbside delivery someday next week

Because we had a Zoom movie discussion, and it really seemed like the
others were in the room

Because poetry keeps me a bit connected with poetry

Because I sometimes see what others are doing via social media

Because we share our days together

Because she ordered a Mary Oliver book for me

Because I have memories of how it was before

Because the grass grows and the bright sun gives hope

I am not alone.


Wild Writing
Day 16

25 Things About Me

25 Things About Me


1.  I don't like to write things that are self-revealing.

2.  I would rather remain mostly a mystery.

3.  I am more introvert than extrovert.

4. I like vegetarian meals.  Fish is good too.

5.  I like to eat a variety of ethnic foods.

6.  I have qualities of  both my mother and father.

7.  My mother was shy but would talk or write letters to anyone.
     No one thought she was shy.

8.  My father was shy and preferred not to talk, but when he
     talked it was often important.

9.  As a child I liked to read and write.  I still do.

10.  I used to like to write poetry.   Now it is basically work.

11.  I don't read as much as I used to.  I have trouble finding
       an interesting book.

12. I often crave pizza.

13.  I like white wine.

14.  This list is hard for me.

15.  I used to walk half marathons and still like to walk.

16.  I used to enjoy biking but don't do that anymore.

17.  I have three dogs, each with a different personality.

18.  I get antsy if there is nothing to do.

19.  I like to discuss things.

20.  I am fearful of the political situation.

21.  I like to wear blue jeans and sweatshirts and Blundsones.

22.  I get up early and love breakfast with coffee.

23.  I try not to dwell on my fears.

24.  I have traveled to many countries.

25.  I pray daily.

Wild Writing
Day 15

Dark Times

Dark Times

It's not always comfortable
the chair is a little too soft
and the news a little too bleak
for my liking.

And my back hurts when I rise.

I try not to wrap myself around
the discomforts of the day
my stomach turns and back hurts
when will I feel good again?

The food is not always delicious
but it is all I have and I don't
want to go hungry or starve
for lack of news or pears.

I am aware of what I'm seeing
but refuse to embrace it
I try to keep my courage
wish the fear to be gone

It's not always comfortable
the chair is a little too soft
a bit too easy to sink into
for my liking.

And my back hurts when I rise.

Wild Writing 
Day 14

This is the Everyday We Spoke Of

This is the Everyday We Spoke Of

I wake up in the morning, turn on the coffee,
dress, take out the dogs one by one,
feed them, then eat my breakfast

half a bagel and an orange and coffee
breakfast doesn't change much these days
prayer group next, then check the news

this is the everyday we spoke of

now it's time to vacuum, wash clothes,
sort through things, throw stuff away
take a morning walk since it's sunny

I take a trip to the gas station for
the first time in eight weeks, wear
a mask and gloves to be safe

this is the everyday we spoke of

now is time to write a poem
hope to receive divine inspiration
then curried vegetables and rice for lunch

time for a Netflix movie, Mansfield
Park it is for today.  I hope I will
stay awake with all the business of the day.

This is the everyday we spoke of.

Wild Writing
Day 13

This Poem Cannot.....

This Poem Cannot...

This poem cannot take away fear
bring back normalcy, make masks,
or cut one's hair.

This poem cannot grocery shop,
fill up the gas tank, travel up north
for the weekend getaway.

This poem cannot buy pizza, take
the dog for a walk, picnic in the park,
celebrate a family birthday.

This poem cannot visit a friend,
go to church, eat in a restaurant
go to a concert or play

This poem cannot dispel sadness,
take a temperature, attach a ventilator,
develop a vaccine to prevent a disease

This poem cannot predict an election,
dispel misinformation, stop fake news,
restore sanity.

This poem cannot take away fear.

Wild Writing
Day 12

Why You Should Pick Me

Why You Should Pick Me

1.  I am organized
2.  I can do two things at once
3.  I am kind and thoughtful
4.  I love dogs
5.  I am good at organizing dishes in the dishwasher
6.  I like to do grocery shopping
7.  I like good discussions
8.  I like to listen to what others say
9.  I am creative
10. I listen
11. I am willing to throw out things
12.  I am open minded
13.  I can peel a lot of vegetables.
14.  I like to attend prayer services
15.  I am practical
16.  I like blue jeans and sweatshirts
17.  I like series on Netflix
18.  I am a good person

Wild Writing
Day  11

What If You Knew...?

What If You Knew?

What if you knew that this would never end
that social distancing would last forever
that we could never meet in groups again

that a vaccine would never be found
that no more concerts would be held
that hospital visits would never be possible

that schools would never open
that planes would never fly
and cruise ships would languish forever

that the elderly would be abandoned
that blacks and Latinos would die as meatpackers
that undocumented and poor would simply die

that elections would not be held
that armed protests would multiply
that democracy would come to an end

that this was only the beginning of the nightmare
that weaponized Covid 19 had its way
in bringing us closer to fascism each day.

What if you knew?

Wild Writing
Day 10

Everything is Precious

Everything is Precious

Everything is precious

every plastic bag has a second use

perhaps for an extra roll

or carrot peels or dog waste

throw very little away, 

repurpose what you can

in these pandemic days

Everything is precious

hand sanitizer is gold

dish detergent is silver

hope they won't run out

shampoo, hand soap, toothpaste

how long will they last

in these pandemic days

Everything is precious 

how much chicken in the freezer

how many potatoes, carrots,

zucchini until we run out

what happens IF we do run out

when we DO run out

in these pandemic days

Everything is precious

the last shriveled orange

crust of bread, piece of cheese,

cookie, vitamin, dab of hand cream

and time is very precious 

in these pandemic days

Everything is precious!

Wild Writing

Day 9

To Live In This World

To Live in This World

To live in this world you must
embrace all of it, even what is
foist upon you against your will
even when you feel like a caged animal
trapped and unable to be free
stuck there with dreams of freedom
the desire to run, the desire to scream
into the wind with heart pounding

To survive in this world you must
embrace all of it, the good and
the bad, darkness and light,
the smile of joy, pain of loss,
loud laughter and flowing tears
the endless minutes of nothingness
the endless hours of nothingness
the endless days of nothingness

To live in this world you must
embrace all of it, as days drag on
when nerves are on edge
and dreams come to a halt and
it's harder to find joy and to be
philosophical with no end in sight
as we try to make sense
of life as it is in this world.

Wild Writing-
Day 8