we hear rustling
the sound only a bag can make
that belongs to chips
or cheesy goodness
he rolls over
head on my lap
and strains his face and nose
towards the sound
another rustle
eyes wide
I can see his bear face thinking
is this a snack worth leaving
the warmth of bed
and then a few minutes pass
and I see his eyes droop
apparently there are other snacks
better than a nap
to this gray nose
poem
friendship
first step:
get a friend
who prioritizes
your friendship
you can’t be the only one
making plans
the dog star
one night
a star catches his eye
it looks like one of those tiny flashing things
that are loud and fly over the house
and must be caught and destroyed
he barks and shakes his brown head, ball hanging on for dear life
you get that plane, Koda bear
the humans laugh
it’s the dog star, babe
he’s barking at the dog star
maybe he makes a wish:
oh, your great wolfyness
(bark, growl)
make it so
every night is ball night
with four meals a day
instead of just two
and make the bunnies easy to chase
and the neighbors love on us everytime we see them
and make it so every day is a snow day
but also with mud
and water to splash in
and the bed is never off limits ever
and the humans never have to leave us
and the humans think:
don’t leave me
let them run under your skies forever
skier
I hate that critics
will chip away
at her story
like she’s an old stone
dripping alone
on the side of that hill
they’ll belittle
the dos and don’ts
of a woman’s choice
at forty one
a professional in her field
she shouldn’t have done it
she wanted the impossible
what did she expect
they’ll sigh
it wasn’t meant to be
trying to fly
maybe someday
they’ll see
the hope
the bravery
the dream
that it wasn’t just about a busted knee
so much courage and the will to be
that inspired others on that mountain
The last two weeks been recovering from covid. 😭 Finally on the mend and enjoying watching the winter Olympics. 🥇
This one was inspired by Lindsay Vonn’s recent try at a come back. Her crash brought me to tears. I love the stories we get from the games. The glimpses we get of the journey. How hard it is. How rewarding. Even heart breaking. It’s so human and I feel so awed and inspired by the athletes who have such incredible courage and heart and the will to try the impossible.
AJM
night walk
the chill air laps at noses
and it slobbers on paws
and there, a silver sliver moon
during our evening walk
icy puddles shine like diamonds
the ‘don’t-walk-here’ mirror
an owl hoots nearby
come here, come here
the shush-shush of snow on boots
and the sound of passing cars
me: you’re barking at nothing!
no–we’re barking at the stars!
hah. I’m proud of my little sketch. I’m trying to get better. Bought some watercolor supplies the other day.
January almost done! I hope you all have a great week!
AJM
rock star
is there nothing sadder
than a star
that used to shine
she was a rock star, baby
she sang about being
fine, fine, fine
now she’s in her fifties
her fans have all moved on
she dances alone up the street now
and no one knows her song
shine on, baby girl
she sings
know the stars
that don’t know you
reach for that inky dark
that unfathomable,
impossible blue
shine on, baby, girl
she croons
know the stars
that don’t know you
shine on
she whispers to the dark
her bare feet are turning blue
Have you ever been instantly proud of something you’ve written? That’s how I feel with this one. It started off much different. I wrote it last week. Then I found it again tonight and it all came together. It’s something like magic when words piece themselves together in your mind. It is a bit euphoric. I can’t quite describe it…maybe like how an artist must feel when the right brushstroke hits the canvas, or like a when a composer discovers the right note for a song? (Big, happy, sigh). I could go on, but it is feeling a bit long-winded already, hah.
This one was inspired by a show that I watched, or maybe it was a song. Not sure.
I hope you have a great week,
AJM
how to trap a chocolate lab
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!
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
A. J. Morse 