Rain and Snow

A snowstorm was predicted

But the city just got rain,

Although, at first, some snowflakes

Landed on each window pane.

 

They disappeared in seconds

But just thirty miles away,

My son had several inches,

Perfect for some snowball play.

 

My grandkids did some sledding

And were thrilled to have the chance

To coast down hills within their park’s

Fresh snow-covered expanse.

 

I didn’t miss the hassles –

Digging out the car and such,

But I’m glad the suburbs had a taste

Of Jack Frost’s snowy touch.

The Capitol Attack

Three years ago today we watched

The Capitol attack

And what it made me understand

Is there’s no going back.

 

For though there always have been lies

In government, I saw

That there are many people who

Think they’re above the law.

 

And going forward, I’m afraid

That things will get much worse,

For anarchists have now have years

To gather and rehearse.

 

The lies of January 6^th,

Which many still believe,

Are reinforced by those who yearn

To damage and deceive.

Bridge Chairs

If you have bridge chairs, playing bridge

Is not their only use.

Try mah jongg or canasta -

Any game needs no excuse.

Or set them up for extra guests

So everyone can sit,

Especially if there’s

A fold-up table where they’ll fit.

The same goes for a coffee cup,

For cocoa or some tea

Can fill it up as well as java -

Wouldn’t you agree?

Of course, that coffee cup may rest

Upon a coffee table,

Which may hold books or magazines,

Despite its coffee label.

And yet, if you’ve a bookcase,

You may get some eye-roll looks

If the shelves have only knickknacks,

When it’s meant for holding books.

Farina

When I was young, on winter days

If it was really cold,

My mother made farina

(Which is healthy, I am told).

 

The bowl, when placed in front of me,

Was steaming hot and full

And likely many people

Would be tempted by its pull.

 

But I was not among them,

For each spoonful was a chore.

I ate until I hit a lump

And then would eat no more.

 

I still won’t try farina,

Oatmeal, porridge or the like.

If those were all my choices,

I’d begin a hunger strike.

 

My breakfast needs a bagel

Or a muffin or some cake.

A bowl of something mushy

Served to me? A huge mistake!

Sitting by the River

Seagulls soar and pigeons fly,

Sharing one huge cloud-streaked sky.

While they swoop and scavenge, I

Sit watching them in flight.

 

Walkers with their dogs stroll by;

Joggers pass, their heads held high

And in repose, I wonder why

This brings me such delight.

 

With my pencil, I can try

To get on paper, thoughts that my

Perceptions let me amplify

When I sit down and write.

Final Sale

Two shoplifters, when they were caught,

Stealing items they just should have bought,

Fought their felony charge

For their total was large,

Adding up to much more than they’d thought.

 

See, their sentence, the thieves had deduced,

When the charges had been introduced,

Should be lessened, to scale,

Since just items on sale

Had been stolen, their prices reduced.

On the First

This morning there was rain, but then

The sunshine took command,

To make it clear, for this new year,

There would be joy at hand.

 

So by the time I left to walk,

The promenade contained

More people who had waited, too,

‘Til it no longer rained.

 

The air was fresh, the sidewalks shone

With puddles here and there

And new year shouts erased all doubts

Of levity to spare.

 

Who knows what future days will hold

In 2024?

But on the first, there is a thirst

For all the good in store.