get a bag
place bag on floor
tail wagging
his head will disappear into the bottom of the bag
you know
in case there are food items
and things to lick
mlem
lab caught!
how to trap a chocolate lab
poem
once again cold and tired
I feel old
like creaky leather
an ancient crone
in freezing weather
tomorrow’s Monday
another battle
snow in the forecast
hear my bones a’ rattle
I feel all dried up
earth turned to dust
like a beat-up car
that’s begun to rust
the world has tipped
and warmth is lost
winter bites with hunger
and drools with frost
I was not made for a world of snow and ice. My feet freeze and I need sunshine. If it weren’t for family, I’d live near a beach somewhere. I hope you are all well.
AJM
flying south
the geese are flying
i watch them pass overhead
they’re heading south for winter
to be somewhere warm instead
i hear them before i see them
honking in the cloud-filled sky
the snap of the air tells them
its that time of the year to fly
my dog Koda woos and barks
when he hears them flying low
they’re heading someplace new now
i look up and watch them go
I accidentally went MIA again…just been busy at work. Everything is just exhausting lately.
AJM
Chocolate and Butterscotch
To be read as if narrated by David Attenborough
two large
pound cakes
a chocolate
and a butterscotch
wait for more
cakes of their own
disappointed
and convinced that
the next five minutes
are essential to their rate of survival
the cakes keel over
and in a weakened state
they slip into oblivious sleep
and start to snore
Poetry book “Remnants” to be published, but not in December 2025
So…have you ever started a project, and then you lose steam just when you think you’re sailing smoothly along? Yeaah, so that happened. I am still working on this project, but it will not be published at the end of this year.
Unfortunately, work and health and life have gotten in the way, but to be honest, though, I do feel somewhat excited to have a project to focus on in the winter months…if we all happen to survive by then, of course.
To reiterate…
This is a collection of new material from the last few years exploring the ‘what’s been left behind’ from my college years, who I am now, and the joys and struggles of being an adult. There are themes of feminism, mental health, self-doubt… and some silly poems about the weather, of course.
Look for it soon…publish date, TBD. I might also post less poetry content as I get my ideas together, but that’s a maybe. I feel like there is still a lot to say.
In case you missed it, my other poetry book, Walking in Cemeteries, can be found on Amazon here.
so tired
it’s the time of year
just about
where hope and joy
fizzles out
i’m draining onto
a dirty ground
like a lost set of keys
never found
there’s no end here
i’ll walk forever
awake no longer
and sleeping never
the slipper
he woos, a muffled woo
my slipper stuffed far in his mouth
I pat his brown fur and laugh out loud
and tug it loose
naughty bear
he wags his tail
someday
my slippers will be dry
and right where I left them
and I can’t tell you how much
that breaks my heart
Hi friends,
I accidentally went MIA these past few weeks. We went on vacation about mid-August, and well, pretty much hit the ground running once we got back. I can’t believe summer is about over 😫
AJM
security blanket
the neighbor’s dogs
didn’t want it
our golden retriever
didn’t either
but every night
our chocolate lab
carries it off the deck
brown and half-deflated
faded from the sun
it enjoys the ride
out into the yard
Koda’s ears perk up
his stance, square and at the ready
something snaps in the woods
he shakes his head
and growls with enthusiasm
the basketball shakes to and fro
it’s a good feeling
to be needed
as an adult
when i was little
i had someone tell me
“don’t be so eager to grow up”
i’ve had others judge me
like growing up was a competition
that i would fail at
and while i feel old and young
than i ever did before
it doesn’t change
the sadness that overwhelms me
growing up is over with
being an adult
happens now
and i
don’t
want
it
gloom and doom
even my favorite parts
of Summer
can’t will away the feeling
we’re all barreling
towards a cliff
with an obvious end
A. J. Morse 