National Kale Day

Today we celebrate the king
(Of vegetables, that is).
To see how smart you are, just try
To pass this little quiz.

How many calories does kale
Contain in just one cup?
The answer’s 33, so go on –
Gobble some right up.

Percentage that one cup provides
Of vitamins you need?
For C and A and K, more than
100*, guaranteed.

It lowers both cholesterol
And certain cancer risks.
It’s versatile, so add it
To your salads or your bisques.

I’m really not a health nut
But today I have to hail
What we all missed in our childhood days –
The miracle of kale!

*C=134%, K=684%, A=204%

A Different Neighborhood

Walk a different neighborhood
From where you do reside
And you’ll feel the deviation,
Like a widening divide.

For the stores are unfamiliar
As are all the passersby.
You’re a stranger in your city
Which your age does magnify.

For the downtown crowd is hipper
And they’re brandishing their youth,
Making everyone invisible
Who’s longer in the tooth.

Somehow when I’m on vacation
In a place I do not know,
There’s excitement being part of
All the dwellers’ ebb and flow.

But within my own environs,
In a neighboring frontier,
There are times it really feels like
I just seem to disappear.

Ode to My Stove

I light the oven with a match
But then it heats real well.
The burners function perfectly,
As far as I can tell.

There’s storage space for pots and pans
Behind a separate door
And extra room on top for things,
A plus that I adore.

My percolator sits there with
My iron and a crock
Filled with spatulas and ladles
And assorted kitchen stock.

It’s sixty years of age, so many
Never could embrace it.
I like its continuity;
There’s no need to replace it.

Like me, it’s almost an antique.
We’ve both watched seasons pass
But hopefully, together we’ll keep
Cooking with the gas!

Cozy (The Long Version)

When the air has a chill
We up north know the drill
And can remedy that in a snap;
For when chattering cold,
What’s more precious than gold
Is a blanket or quilt on your lap.

An alternative call
Is a sweater or shawl
Which can also accomplish the same.
Ditto flannel or fleece,
Though the fashion po-lice
May not care that mere warmth is your aim.

It’s exceedingly clear
When those chills disappear
You’ll feel cozy and sheltered and snug;
And it’s hard to improve
On that coziness groove –
It’s like giving your insides a hug.

Cozy

Life seems rosy
When you're feeling cozy.

Hurricane Names

A hurricane named for a man
Doesn't seem like a flash in the pan
     For where women once ruled
     We had nobody fooled;
From disasters, the masculine ran.

But today, as you might just suspect,
It would not be considered correct
     To exclude all the men
     So we're "equal" again
And some himicanes we should expect.

The Sides

They wave or say good morning
Or they greet you with a smile,
The ones you pass each day or else
See just once in a while.

The doormen, mailmen, crossing guards,
The grocers and the clerks;
Construction crews with hard hats
Where a building’s in the works.

The nameless neighbors you might see
When out to exercise;
The waiters who know just the way
You like your well-done fries.

A friendly nod, a “Hey – nice day!’
To elevate your mood
Is just the boost you need to help
Improve your attitude.

If life’s a banquet, friends and kin
With entrees fill our plates.
They satisfy the hunger
That reality creates.

But what’s a meal without the tastes
Each other dish provides?
I thank all those who cross my path
And represent the sides.