One Letter

My name's Ilene; Ilene's my name.
Irene, though close, is not the same.
When people switch that "l" for "r"
I find that just a tad bizarre.

It's rarely those who know me well
Although my boss would never spell
My name correctly if he wrote it;
Even spoken, I would note it.

You may think it's no big deal,
But that isn't how I feel.
"Just a name!" I disagree
For it defines and pinpoints me!

Induction Ceremony*

Watch the rock and rollers
With their bellies and their wigs,
Playing songs performed at
Oh-so-many early gigs.

The keyboards and guitars still sound
Real good, though maybe slower
Yet their voices simply cannot reach
The high range or the lower.

Blown-up photos from the past,
Not meaning to, are mocking
Their current selves who do their best
To do their roll and rocking.

The audience, all old as well,
Belt out, with zeal and passion,
The lyrics they remember
From when tie-dye was in fashion.

The music bubbles in my blood;
I watch and I’m transported,
But find it sad attempts to bring
The past to life are thwarted.

*Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Up to my Neck

I love to wear a turtleneck,
A boat neck or a cowl
But offer me a V-neck
And I guarantee a scowl.

A scoop’s a possibility
And I will sport a crew
Yet I cannot explain just why
A V-neck will not do.

A sweetheart neckline flatters
And a halter is ideal.
A square or off-the-shoulder,
If the mood hits, has appeal.

Whenever I go shopping,
I know what feels right for me,
And that is why I’ll rarely wear
A neckline with a V.

Potty Field

On a high school track there has been found
Some human feces on the ground
And more than once had Nature called;
A camera therefore was installed.

Was it a prank or would it show
A jogger who just had to go?
The fact that it was left to find 
Implied there was an axe to grind.

Today the perp at last was caught
And everybody was distraught.
It was no kid who had a grudge 
But the district head who they must judge.

His reasons haven't been revealed
For leaving poo out on that field,
But I would guess as of today
That he has flushed his job away.

Heat Wave

Flew home to a heat wave
Though it’s not supposed to last.
The temps down south in Florida
We’ve already surpassed.

I’m usually not sockless
And in shorts the third of May,
But that’s just how I traveled
To my New York home today.

This morning down near Tampa
It was sixty-five degrees
When we took an early walk to town
With quite a lovely breeze.

It’s a topsy-turvy world we’re in
Yet what I find most strange
Are the people who insist that there
Has been no climate change!

Completing the Circle

In Disney, with my favorite aunt,
My son some months past three,
She carried him right past the guards,
So he could get in free.

For children not yet three years old
Paid no admission charge.
"They'll never stop me!" yelled Sydelle 
And onward she did barge.

That was in 1984
And now that son is grown,
Vacationing in Disney World
With children of his own.

And so we made a special trip 
With this same aunt in tow
To spend the day together
Like we did so long ago.

The grandkids fill the spaces
So the circle is complete 
And being there to witness it
Was such a lovely treat.

My son may not remember
How his great-aunt cast her spell
But the Disney circle is a tale
I'll always love to tell.

My Disney Day

My stress was through the roof before
This day at last arrived.
So many problems could crop up,
Plus I was sleep-deprived.

The heat, the crowds, the lines, the waits,
The grandkids, 2 and 4-ish,
As well as my devoted aunt,
Who's 89 or more-ish.

Yet it indeed was magical -
"A Small World" ride and others,
Amazing since this trip, I'd never
Choose if I'd my druthers.

The rip-off dinner worth each cent 
With characters there hugging,
The pictures proof with smiles so wide
My heart-strings got a tugging.

To share this day with those I hold
Most dear cross generations
Was worth much more than I foresaw 
Despite my trepidations.