Clean Reading

The super put a bookcase
In the laundry room one day
Which neighbors filled with books
They were prepared to give away.

Soon some magazines were added
And some children’s lit as well,
All just waiting to be claimed by those
Who in this building dwell.

We contributed some novels
And non-fiction from my spouse
For apartments lack the luxury
Of space, unlike a house.

So I’m currently engrossed in
An address-mate's tome I took,
Since each time we do the laundry,
I can find another book!

Where We Go

Why do you go where you go, people ask.
Why do you do what you do?
If cities do beckon, then it is our task
To visit and find something new.

It may be museums or gardens or zoos
Or mansions decked out in their best
Or neighborhoods bustling with stores to peruse
Worth hours we have to invest.

Some people love beaches or cruises at sea
Or staying at home and relaxing.
Whatever your pleasure, vacations should be
Filled with fun, never stressful or taxing.

Our trips may not match what you’d like and I’m sure
What you’d pick wouldn’t be what I’d choose
But if all of us heed to that R&R* lure,
In our own way, then no one would lose.

*rest and relaxation

Skyways

Temps are freezing, but the locals
 Do not care a whit.
They leave their jackets at their desks
And onward they do flit...

To coffee shops and hair salons,
To newsstands, stores and banks
And for this huge convenience,
To whom do they owe their thanks?

Designers of the skyways,
Who were clever, smart and bold,
Creating walkways (glass-enclosed)
To block the rain and cold.

So those in Minneapolis
Who know their way around
Move easily from place to place
And never touch the ground.

To visitors, alas, this maze
Is daunting, so the cost
Of trying is to either freeze
Or end up getting lost!

The Lobby

A lobby's meant to represent
The building it is fronting,
To welcome all who enter
From the elements it's blunting.

It may be fancy, to impress
Or functional and boring
But either way, it greets us
From its ceilings to its flooring.

And whether an apartment, office,
Inn or a hotel,
The lobby sends a message
Not too easy to dispel.

It lets us know if we fit in
Or if we don't belong
And nothing can convince us
That our feelings might be wrong.

History Museums

History museums
Never seem to let me down,
No matter what the country
Or the city or the town.

From homes and music of the past
To cars and toys and fashion,
It's fun to reenact those times
Once lived with so much passion.

In Minnesota, an exhibit
Geared to World War II,
Had so much I remembered,
Though my birth was not yet due:

Soda fountains, pay phones
With those rotary-type dials,
Movies made in black and white
And cars in retro styles.

Pepsodent commercials,
Alfred Hitchcock, Humphrey, Clark,
Betty Boop and Girl Scout badges -
Memories did spark.

A history museum
Brings us back to where we were
Or where we might have been
To watch those happenings occur.

In Minneapolis

Here in Minneapolis,
In weather bright and cool,
We crossed the Mississippi
Then we headed to the school.

Two students helped to guide us
To the campus place for art,
A museum by Frank Gehry,
Not a shabby place to start.

We checked out the ceramics,
Sculptures, paintings and the shop
Then in need of rest and sustenance,
We thought we'd take a stop.

And that's when we found Annie's,
Where a coffee malt and fries
(Both delicious!) perked us up -
A Minneapolis surprise.

See, my favorite part of travel
Is to find a local thing -
Be it food or craft or scenery -
Such pleasure does it bring!

And though sometimes it's familiar,
Like the fries and malt today,
If I'd been at home, I would not do
What's done when I'm away.

Christmas Lights

My granddaughter, just two years old,
States clearly her desires
And also lets us know when there is
Something she admires.

So “Christmas lights!” she shouts with joy
When we pass homes so brightened.
It’s really quite adorable
That she is that enlightened…

Yet not because she’s so advanced
For one whose life is newish,
But rather cause, like all her kin,
She happens to be Jewish!