Home Sick

The year now ebbs; the clock goes tick
And I’m at home and feeling sick
So even though it’s New Year’s Eve,
There is no party up my sleeve.

We were invited to a bash
But sometimes, quicker than a flash,
Your plans go poof! and you are stuck
Out of the loop and out of luck.

I’m sure the party will be fun
And I’ll miss seeing everyone
Though I’ll veg out on “Twilight Zone”
And thankfully, won’t be alone.

For as these final hours do creep,
My hub and I will fall asleep
And maybe wake up when we hear
The countdown to the brand-new year.

Yet even if we miss the toast,
We’ll have what really matters most –
Each other and our friends and kin
To welcome 20-18 in!

Reflections on a Crime

A town in Georgia had a rash
Of crimes; the perp was bold and brash,
Destroying mirrors on the side
That automakers do provide.

The cops assumed that it was teens
‘Cause pranks are part of teenage genes
Until a neighbor strolling by
The mirror-basher did espy.

It wasn’t kids, but what occurred
Was vicious pecking by a bird
Who likely thought, as theories go,
His mirror image was his foe.

It goes to show, don’t jump the gun
Accusing teens or anyone.
When mirrors somehow end up wrecked,
That perp might just be one who pecked.

From Split Peas to Soup

I brought the ingredients,
All that it took,
So we could, together,
Have something to cook.

I opened the package
And, quick as a shot,
But carefully, Henry
Poured them in a pot.

He added some water
And sprinkled some dill.
I chopped up the carrots;
The cauldron did fill.

The mixture did simmer;
Aromas did rise.
I added some alphabets
As a surprise.

At last it was finished.
The wait was replaced
By the pride Henry felt
At his very first taste.

On Demand

I never figured out
On VCR’s how to record
And when my friends used TIVO,
I was also not on board.

So all that I could watch were shows
Or movies when they aired.
I guess that I was simply
Technologically impaired.

Not anymore! For I can tune
To cable On Demand,
Where lots of series, films and such
Are there at my command.

So on a freezing afternoon,
My TV did provide
A top-notch movie I enjoyed
While snug and warm inside.

De-livered

A British surgeon yearning for
Some immortality
Did laser his initials
On some livers, carefully.

His action was uncovered
When one liver didn’t heal;
With a second operation,
The initials did reveal.

I wonder at his motives
For if it were simply pride,
Why then etch his inspiration
In a place so deep inside?

In the end it doesn’t matter
For the courts will soon deliver
This strange surgeon and his hubris
To his new home up the river.

Henry in the City

We took Henry* on the subway,
On the streets and on the bus
And he got into the rhythm,
Rarely kicking up a fuss.

Just as long as we all boarded
While the doors were open wide
He marched in like a New Yorker,
Taking all of it in stride.

Though we’d planned on a museum
(After seeing dad at work),
He preferred to hang at home with us,
An offer we’d not shirk.

So we read and ate and danced and played
And laughed and checked things out,
A day we all enjoyed so much;
Of that, there is no doubt.

When in time we met with daddy
For their railroad ride back home,
We were filled with smiles and stories
And the fodder for my poem.

*my 4 year old grandson

The Esplanade

In Pennsylvania, there was snow
But back here in the city,
This Christmas isn’t white, but still,
The glowing sun looks pretty.

So we went out to take a walk
Along the dappled river,
The bracing air a pick-me-up
But not enough to shiver.

The pathway has been partly closed
For upgrades and repairing,
With April as the date to finish;
I have been despairing.

But suddenly, lo and behold!
One brand-new part’s completed
And to a lovely high-up
River stroll we’ve just been treated.

Though this is not my holiday,
It feels like I’ve been gifted
To have the esplanade returned,
My heart and mood uplifted.