“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

“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

“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       

“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

"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