April Poetry Month-- Another Day in Denver- Day 1/30

 

Kind of like last year, I really have not been writing much. Not sure I have much to say. But I have done April Poetry Month for lots of years and tradition runs strong. What I am thinking about most right now is my city, where it seems like it's one crazy sad thing after another. For example, two shootings in the last month at East High School, which is the school where my boys attended. Tonight's poem is a tricube- three stanzas, three lines in each stanza, three syllables in each line. Not much, but all I got...

“Just Another Day in Denver”

Drive by kills

soccer star.

High school grieves.

Two weeks pass.

Two teachers

shot, neither

dies, this one

barely makes

front page news.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2023

National Poetry Month 2022- Poem the Last!- An Abecedarian of Wonderments

Finally, the last poem!!! This has been one of the hardest April Poetry Months I think I have ever done.I just didn't have anything to say. Every night I struggled and procrastinated and tried to decide whether I should just quit. I kept going, but I wrote lots of embarrassingly bad poetry. Oh well, I tried. 

Poem the last is an Abecedarian.

"An Abecedarian of Wonderments"

Always keep you heart open

Because you are bound to be blessed by baseball sunsets,

Coffee and companionship,

Dogs, always dogs, and deliciously yellow daffodils.

Entendiendo en español,

Fellowship and friends, flair pens too,

Grandbabies, even if they aren’t exactly blood,

Hamburgers with crispy french fries, and calories removed,

Ice cream, preferably soft serve chocolate and vanilla twist,

Just a few extra minutes of sleep,

Kindnesses from kindergartners,

Laughter that lasts long,

Memories of moments,

Nice neighbors and new friends,

Ocean, all things ocean,

Pools, puppy kisses, and peaceful days,

Quietness of early mornings with time in the Word,

Read aloud and the rhythm of rain,

Sunshine dancing across shiny wood floors,

Tulips, turning the world red and yellow and pink,

Until they are replaced by purple and white iris,

Vast Colorado blue skies,

Walks in spring, just before sunset, 

Xtra minutes of light, or extra guacamole, 

You only need to watch carefully,

Zoom in, wonders will be waiting.

© Carol Wilcox, 2022

 

National Poetry Month 2022- Foundlings and wonderments- Poem #29- Friday night

Friday night. 

Friday night teacher tired. 

Friday night end of year teacher tired.

At 9:30 I still do not have a poem. Sigh.

A haiku will have to do. 

friday night tired

chinese takeout, walk, couch, book

half chapter read, zzzzzzz

 

National Poetry Month 2022- Poem #28- "Lesson"

 Tonight a golden shovel. 

"Lesson"

This has been a year of so much, everything

has spun, and turned sideways and upside down, has

dimmed and faded and lost its

color and it has been hard to find wonders,

or seeds of wonders, or to even

find a flashlight or candle to light the darkness

mostly there has been black and black and black and

silence and silence and empty silence,

and I have searched this frozen wasteland for small wonders and

I have scratched fingers raw in seedless gardens, I 

am trying to lean in and to learn,

to yield, to accept, maybe even to love whatever

might come from his strange and lonely state.

I suspect there are lessons to be learned in this emptiness, and I

know that even though they feel much larger then I may 

think I am prepared to handle, it will be

well, if I only yield and lean in,

perhaps therein

lies life’s biggest truth, simply to

trust that all will eventually be

well, if we seek nothing but to be content. 

© Carol Wilcox, 2022

National Poetry Month 2022- Poem #27- so much goodness

 

“so much goodness”

I watch her persevere 

arduously spelling word 

after word after word.

long after five-year-old peers

have left the floor and moved on.

she pauses at the scissor box

digs for a minute,

then turns to show me her treasure

“I choose red,” she says,

“because that’s my sister’s favorite color

and I love my sister.”

later I watch again.

most children are at centers.

some manipulate magnetic letters.

others build puzzles. some color.  

she does not go to centers.

instead she cuts inch-sized

squares for a phonics activity.

she trims edges precisely.

her scissors move slowly.

finally, teacher announces recess. 

“will you please cut the last three 

while I glue?” she begs.

“I just want to play outside

 for a little while.” 

Today I am bent over

yet another endless phonics worksheet

helping one of my little guys

copy sixteen three syllable words.

I feel a head resting on my back

and I peek out of the corner of my eye.

"I just love you," she says.

"I just love you."

and I wonder what I ever did to deserve

so much goodness....

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2022

National Poetry Month 2022- Poem #26- Recipe for a happy dog

 "Recipe for a happy dog"

Cuddles with Mama,

Kisses from brother,

Romps with a friend.

Hard brushing,

Hole to dig,

Car rides,

A short walk,

A long walk,

The possibility of a walk.

A tennis ball,

A tug of war,

A peanut butter bone.

Takes so little to make him happy.

(C) Carol Wilcox, 2022

National Poetry Month 2022- Poem #25- Colorado Skies

 A tricube.

Colorado Sky

blue on blue 

on blue on

bluest blue

white on white

grayish gray

touch of pink

vast on vast

on vast on 

vastest vast.

(c) Carol Wilcox 2022