I remember her wrinkles
the way her mouth drew up
just before a smile
the way she sang off tune
and loved a red convertible
and how one time she trapped a skunk
that was getting into her bird seed
and let him go
without getting sprayed
how we listened with amazement
and laughed
at the stubborn eighty-year-old woman
battling woodland creatures
and winning
how I always cry when we
sing her favorite song in church
God, I miss her
How Great Thou Art
how great was the woman who loved us
who was so amazing
that even a skunk knew not to spray her
Love
Dogs
I bought a poetry book
about dogs
and all it did
was remind me
how short their lives are
we’ll have several dogs
in our lifetimes
they’ll have several years
if we’re lucky
and it reminded me
we don’t have dogs
do we
they have you
maybe
maybe it’s because i pay taxes now
maybe it’s because i understand more about politics
or maybe it’s because i know more about myself
than i ever did before
monday feels
Monday feels
like a dying sun
like hope that fades
when the day is done
Monday feels
like an icy breeze
you’ve lost your gloves
and you’re gonna freeze
Monday feels
like drowning tears
your face is wet
you’ve aged a million years
Monday feels
like a melting crayon
you drag your feet
you say, “i think i can”
Agh, these were the Monday vibes I was totes feeling yesterday.
–AJM
valentine
maybe it feels silly
to call you valentine
but i feel warm
while the snow blows outside
I hope everyone had a really nice Valentine’s day last week. Honestly, we all need the love on these cold February days.
AJM
Moving to Tuesday/Wednesday posts
Hi all,
I hope you had a fan-tabulous holiday season and Happy New Year!
Just dropping a quick note to say that I’ll be moving over to Tuesday and/or Wednesday AM posts from now on. Posts will range from poetry, fiction, blogging, and miscellaneous content.
I am looking forward to a productive writing year! All the best,
-AJM
Under the Sea
I had a dream I lived under water
in a station on the sea floor
We studied sharks and sea creatures
hoping we could learn more
The station walked on four legs
like a squat robot made of stone
we traveled deep and traveler far
a few of us called it home
I remember the color of the canyon
an orange-brown of cracked dirt
Yellow-green Marine life with extra frills
like maybe we weren’t on earth
Nothing else happened in the dream
we just lumbered on some more
searching for what we couldn’t find
we were made to learn and explore
eventually
the hardest thing
about growing up
or growing old
is the relationships you grow out of
love may be infinite
but time doesn’t mean
you’ll be in the same place
or the same time
always
eventually
you have to admit
that how you once meant to somebody
is now different
she’s not a baby anymore
she’s on her own path now
you blinked
and missed the old one
but
how you wish
like you could grasp it in your hand
a wish like squiggly worms
you wish
you could zip along, too
Once again (sigh), it’s not Monday. I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to Tuesday and Wednesday posts.
Wrote this one last night. It’s difficult for me to watch my nieces and nephews get older. For some reason, it’s like I always thought they’d be little. Maybe in my eyes they still are. Even though they’re not. 😭
–AJM
work week
we plug in
and as joy drains away
so does our hope
to do something for ourselves
and then the week ends
and it’s monday again
aliens
I had a dream I visited aliens
they left their spaceship on the moon
yet in the time they left it
I stepped on it like a balloon
and it didn’t pop or float away
it shattered and made a mess
for the rest of the dream they chased me
trying to get me to confess
the space ship was red and white
like a plastic bobber on the lake
it hovered over my parents house
so close it made the windows shake
and each time they looked for me
I ran away to some place new
getting more and more exhausted
as my paranoia grew
I was so afraid and full of fear
but I never saw their faces
I just ran away from the truth I knew
that I was lacking in social graces
Once again, it’s not Monday. I didn’t want to be away for the next few days and not post anything. This one is actually written from a dream I had a month or so ago. I have strange dreams a lot and might consider writing more on them.
I hope everyone has a nice week and to those of us in the US – a very Happy Thanksgiving!! ❤️
~AJM
A. J. Morse 