Saturday, March 24, 2012

"Guest Poet!"



 When my friend, Michelle Baksic-Hargett dangled a poetry challenge before me, I couldn't resist. I have a list of about thirty possible topics for future blog posts. Michelle randomly select six of the topics:  Trap, Mama Bear, Photography, Favoritism, Geeks-R-Us, Ironing. I've posted the poems I generated from these topics. For today, I'm welcoming Michelle Baksic-Hargett as my guest poet!      







“Geeks-R-Us”

Word games, puns, an oxymoron or Scrabble,   
Foreign phrases or lighthearted Pig Latin babble,   
Science Fiction, Satire, Non-Fiction Drama,   
They all appeal to the literary momma!   
Alice and Star Trek let us think higher,   
For a deeper look, they do require.   
To catch their meanings one must be 
Skilled in recognizing analogies.  
I love to write poetry in my free time;   
Contemplate thoughts and drop a rhyme,   
Or collaborate with colleagues colloquially.   
It really is not very difficult to see   
That I have quite a bit of geek in me.   


Copyrigth 2012 Michelle Baksic-Hargett     





“Trapped”  


Blind-sided from in front of my face   
Trust misplaced ended in disgrace   
Self-destruct or pick up the pace   
Become numb it is my saving grace   
Stay moving fast for when I cease   
I am given no chance for peace   
All time stood still    
As he moved in for the kill   
Late reaction told me to run   
This game was his idea of fun   
Bait and switch with Jekyll and Hyde   
Couldn’t breathe to react, no time to decide   
Between fight and flight—   
I’m only dead on the inside   


 Copyright 2012 Michelle Baksic-Hargett   

















“Photography”   


    The smile of a child, a soft flower as it bends 
Are captured innocently from behind the lens   
Peaches and pink candy comprise the sunrise   
Colorfully consuming the expansive new sky   
Forever the keeper of dawn’s early light   
One snap! I’ve caught the beauty of the sight   
In front of the lens, things are honest and real   
Aborigines believe your soul this can steal   
Lighting and subject form the perfect embrace   
Leaving the dance without mark or disgrace   
Just simple and perfect by God’s pure design   
Photography captures the moment in time   
   
  
Copyright 2012 Michelle Baksic-Hargett   



"Mother Daughter Relationships" 
We didn’t ever see eye to eye   
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t try   
My very best to make you proud   
But I was always too messy or to loud   
Too opinionated, uncensored and full of fire   
You saw it as rebellious—I saw it as desire   
So I studied harder and made the grade   
Got through college, and made my way   
Followed your life playbook to the tee  
But it didn’t seem to matter, you didn’t see   
I had my BA and my MRS under my belt   
But the pressure was there, like a vise, I felt   
Because our relationship was still not strong   
So I gave you grandchildren—the perfect pair   
And that won me favor for a while there     
I moved 2000 miles to be closer to you   
And things improved, as they sometimes do   
But when I failed to cook and dress   
For my husband you were not impressed   
“Maintain the 50’s housewife image my dear  
Your husband needs perfection. Is that clear?”   
Once again I failed and that’s how it goes,   
Now my divorce is just another woe   
Oh, what a disappointment I must be!   
Single parent stigma—a statistic always in need  
You’re always running to save me with great speed   
Well, I’d like to say I’m sorry, no doubt, it’s true   
But I’m sorry to me and not really to you   
Because the person I disappointed most   
Is me   

Copyright 2012 Michelle Baksic-Hargett

Friday, March 23, 2012

“Favoritism”

The Smothers Brothers: Mom Always Liked You Best!



“Mom always liked you best”       
a long ago line from a Smothers Brothers’ routine        
comedy-a joke       
a Band-Aid covering       
deep wounds       
One       
loved without effort       
gifted with endless attention       
a mama’s boy       
walking on water       
parting the Red Sea       
with his shallowness       
selfishness       
manipulations       
One       
overlooked and forgotten       
faceless in the familial crowd       
a lost son       
never perfect enough       
always longing       
humble       
a pure soul       
Adoration and Neglect       
doled out in equal dollops       
so much showered on one       
nothing remained for the other        


Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman



Thursday, March 22, 2012

“Geeks-R-Us”






Super Bowl or a Star Trek marathon?  
The choice is easy for me.  
I’ll take Jean-Luc Picard all day long.  
It’s my “geeky” destiny.  


I will avoid the drunken crowds at night  
to put on my Ren faire dress.  
I’ll opt to play with a red saber light  
and consider my life blessed. 










An awesome evening spent online in WOW  
will beat out any party.  
I know you will never understand how  
I embrace this “geeky” me.  




Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

“Mama Bear”





She cried with joy the first time she held you   
         felt your solid reality   
         inhaled your scent     
Every cell yearned to nurture, protect, defend   


She tried to create a perfect world   
         safe within the forest   
         with cuddles at night   
         sunbeams and moonshine   
         a life of Magic   


She fought with all her strength—   
         tooth and claw—   
         to secure your future of limitless possibilities   
         battled viciously against attacks   
         as you gathered your own power   


She taught you to survive   
         forged endurance and tenacity into your spirit   
         so you can dream   
         so you can do   
         so you can be   


 Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman       

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

“Photography”



Our Pentax K1000       
taught me patience—       
adjusting for aperture       
calculating speed       
focusing       
framing       
waiting       
click       
our life captured moment by moment       
the special tree       
a candid smile       
the puppy's delight       
our son’s joy       
a wide angle view from the hilltop       
preserved       
memories at my fingertips       
photo albums at attention       
filling closet shelves       
lovingly dated and captioned       
adding weight and substance       
to our existence   

 

Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

Monday, March 19, 2012

"Progress"


Framed in a window   
is the picture of progress.   
Cars planted where   
wild grasses once grew.   
Telephone poles marching   
where oak trees towered.   
And we claim to be   
a modern civilization.   

It’s so brutal, our progress.   



Copyright 1975 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman