July 3, 2012 Image

I’ve been building a mountain
in shades of gray
with a dab of brown too
numerous pieces of paper
held together with glue
these are the scraps
in pieces and bits
they aren’t recycled yet
I may still need them
mountain building takes time
and more patience
than I knew I had
I can see the finished artwork clearly
in my mind
until then
it’s considered
a work in progress
sorta like the woman
using scissors, paper and glue
to build the mountain

July 2, 2012

July 2, 2012 Image

NOTE TO SELF: When the nine month old puppy is out of sight and quiet for too long DO NOT assume he is napping. Because when you ask your children, “Where’s Blue?” he may come trotting from around the corner, carrying a piece of couch upholstery in his mouth, grinning his wolf-like grin. So, I doused the couch in green apple spray and pushed it up against the bay window, shutting down his favorite hangout/barking spot in the center of the window. This is when I’m thankful the couch is from 1999. I think my usually sweet and charming pup has officially entered The Teenage Years. Lord help me!!!! Now he’s sprawled out ready for a morning nap. Grrrrrr That’s me growlin’, not the dog…maybe I need a morning nap too. ~ Janean

June 27, 2012 Image

Outside again. Fourth time since 4:30am. Love the sunshine on my face and birdsong. Crazy woofing dog didn’t need to go, he found a stick and plopped in the shade to chew. “Stress?! What stress?!”, says Blue as he grins at me with his tongue lollying out one side of his mouth, looking crooked and quite hilarious. Sometimes I give in, and lie in the shade next to him in the grass and look up at the sky through a canopy of leaves. A Dog’s Eye View. He’s a smart pup, my Blue.

June 20, 2012

too damn much

sometimes when the phone rings
the news you hear next
is like a punch to the gut
with a simultaneous slide tackle
so that your legs crumble
and you can’t catch your breath
your vision is blurry
due to tears from the news
not physical pain
sometimes it’s just too damn much
and then a little more
just to see how much it takes
before you double over
crying
in racking sobs
and can’t stop
all because the phone rang
with news you didn’t expect
and you have to make an appointment
the breaks your heart
and depending on the results
it may break even more
no
not this too
it’s just too damn much

June 20, 2012

June 18, 2012

zig zag

looking back
because that’s what we do
there are times
we could have zagged
instead of zigged
visa versa too
we can’t go back
there are no do overs
I’m just glad
I’ve spent these years
with you

looking forward
we have more questions
than answers
and when we get them
we may wish
we didn’t know
so let’s zig more
and zag less
and remember
to laugh and love and live
for as long as we have left
together
could be you’re stuck with me
for many years yet
so I can baffle and perplex you
with more poems
about zigging and zagging

June 18, 2012

June 12, 2012 Image

I awoke to a “WOOF” at 4:20 a.m.
just as well since I was dreaming of pot roast
that’s a new one
diet induced dreaming
out we went
the sweet pup and I
in again for his breakfast
and mine
pot roast dreams long gone
filled instead with healthy cereal
sorta sated anyway
another “WOOF”
well, bowls are portable
out we go once more
this is my first birdsong breakfast
eaten in the open air
perched on the edge of the deck
by the stairs
the sky is moonlight blue
with a not quite half
not quite crescent moon
still hanging in the sky
the horizon begins to glow
in warm shades of gold
as the dog and I go in
once more
it’s time for coffee

June 12, 2012
it’s now 5:00 a.m.