A Packing Fairy

I’m leaving on vacation soon,
My suitcase mostly packed,
But certain items I’m deciding
If I should extract.

That extra long-sleeved shirt?
And will I really wear my jeans?
I need a packing fairy
Who swoops in and intervenes.

She’d point her wand and I would have
Exactly what I need
And from the drama in my mind
I’d thankfully be freed.

But as it is, I’ll do the job
And while I’m gone, I bet
I’ll agonize ‘bout things I brought
And those I did forget.

Death of a Gorilla

I don’t know how a boy slipped down
And landed in a cage
Which housed a huge gorilla,
Prompting anger, grief and rage.

For when the ape then dragged the boy
The keepers at the zoo
Decided that a killing shot
Was what they had to do.

I’d hate to be the person
With that awful call to make,
But I understand the reason
With a human life at stake.

Yet, after all is said and done
I still can’t understand
Why there wasn’t anybody there
To hold that young boy’s hand.

A Cupcake to a Kid

To eat a cupcake like a kid
You have to do as Henry did:
With mouth wide open, bite the place
Where frosting waits to glaze your face.

Repeat ‘til frosting disappears
(Forget the smears on nose and ears)
Then tackle all the cake beneath
(The crumbs of which will coat your teeth).

Let mom and daddy clean the floor,
The chair and all the clothes you wore
While you’re enjoying every bite,
Your face aglow with pure delight.

The grownups all will find it cute
But here’s a truth that’s absolute –
Such manners are a toddler’s job;
We’d call a teen like that a slob!

Memorial Weekend Barbecue

The clouds roll in, the sky gets dark,
The trees sway to and fro
And thunder rumbles, getting set
For Nature's rainstorm show.

Of course the timing coincides
With readying the grill
But if I have to barbecue
While rain pours down, I will.

The burgers and the dogs deserve
A charcoal bed below
So I'll attempt with all my might
To see that it is so.

Three Day Weekend Travel

A three day weekend used to mean
That roads on Friday night
Would be so packed you'd barely move -
Vacationers in flight.

But somehow patterns shifted
And the exodus began
Maybe Wednesday night or Thursday - 
Leaving early was the plan.

So with fingers crossed, I'm praying
That's the way things still appear
For I'm traveling this evening
And I hope the roads are clear!

New York's Top Dogs

Max and Bella topped the list
Of New York doggie names.
Lola and Lucky, Rocky and Jack
Were other common claims.

Charlie, Buddy, Lucky, Teddy
All were top 10 males.
Toby, Oliver and Milo
All way top-tier tails.

Daisy, Coco, Princess, Molly,
Chloe, Sophie run
With the females on the list.
Poor Fidos – not a one!

Every state most likely has
Its own peculiar set
Of monikers that people chose
To name their precious pet.

It’s curious how names evolve
From what they used to be.
I wonder who decides which gain
In popularity.

On the Promenade

Tour boat, ferry, sailboat, skiff
Bounce along the briny;
Sunshine sparkles on the waves,
Reflections bright and shiny.

Blimp and copter in the sky
Meeting no resistance;
Bridge, majestic, guarding all –
A pillar in the distance.

Police boat passes, pulsing blue
And beeps at people waving;
Children, on a trip from school,
Reluctantly behaving.

Downtown on the promenade,
The river slowly flowing;
I soak up my surroundings,
Glad for time before my going.