Breaking the Fast

Once a year I do not eat
For just one long long day.
The hours seem to stretch, but still,
I manage quite okay.

When time arrives to break the fast,
With loved ones gathered 'round,
There's just one food I must have first;
On that, I'll stand my ground.

It isn't bread or gooey cake
Or ice cream, meat or cheese,
But honeydew, with juicy flesh
That always seems to please.

I savor every single bite
As sweetness is released 
And once my plate holds just the rind,
I'm ready then to feast!

National Coffee Day

Today's a holiday, but one
You might not know about. 
It celebrates a drink I love
And cannot do without.

You may think beer, but you'd be wrong
(Although I love that, too).
The beverage that's honored 
Is that wake-up morning brew.

Yes, coffee is the drink I mean - 
Addictive, strong and rich.
So many folks enjoy it
And we'd never ever switch.

To those of you who sip your tea
Or cocoa, milk or chai,
I really think that coffee
Is the beverage you should try.

If not, a holiday for you
Your calendar might show.
Today, though, it is Coffee Day,
So raise your cup of joe!

Passport Photos

Our passport photos aren’t great
And not because they’re out of date,
For we’d been told no smiles allowed
And to this edict, we had bowed.

On mine, I look like I’m a thug
Or someone yearning for a hug.
My husband’s looks about the same,
A sour face inside the frame.

But now it’s time – we must renew
And no one said a grin’s taboo
So in the pictures we just took
We both display a happy look.

Perhaps the next time that we fly,
Our smiles, to agents, will imply
That doubts ‘bout us should be dismissed –
Too gleeful for a terrorist!

My Husband

My husband likes to vacuum
(Which is good, since I do not).
The rugs are very clean because
He vacuums quite a lot.

He doesn’t dust or clean the stove
Or scrub the sinks or floor
And changing sheets or washing windows
He would think a bore.

He also cooks, so really,
As for spouses, he’s the best
But he would be just perfect if
He also did the rest.

Marbles

My grandkids got a building toy
With plastic ramps and chutes
So marbles can go zig and zag
Down all the varied routes.

For safety’s sake, the marbles have
Been hidden from their view
Although, with supervision,
They can play with only two.

Henry has the blue one
And for Hadley, it’s the green.
We watch them like a hawk
Yet only rarely intervene.

The biggest fear, of course, is that
A marble will be swallowed
So every move they make, with one
In hand, is closely followed.

The grandparents have other thoughts –
Though marbles may amuse them,
What worries them much more’s the chance
That they will up and lose them!

At Yankee Stadium

I stared at all the jerseys
Worn by Yogi, Mickey, Lou,
The Babe and Derek Jeter,
Thurman Munson, Roger, too…

And I realized all these Yankees,
Those alive and those who’ve died,
Wore those uniforms, no matter when,
With dignity and pride.

For so many baseball players,
Playing ball was all they knew.
They were lucky that success rewarded
What they loved to do.

At the stadium, we cheered them
For each time they got on base,
With an inkling of whose jersey
Will join others in that case.

Henry Turned Four

Henry turned four
With a party galore
As his friends ran around
On the soft-padded floor.

You couldn’t ignore
How their spirits did soar
While they bounced and they tumbled
And just wanted more.

All this was before
Pizza (which they adore)
Served with juice which they spilled
Fast as helpers did pour.

Next the cake was in store
With the answer (a roar)
To “Who wants some?” and faces
To clean was my chore.

It was very top-drawer
From the food to décor.
At the end, though, the kids
Were wiped out to the core!