The day has many hours to fill
And
most are unconsidered,
So
often, we’re surprised by
All
the time that we have frittered.
Yet
sometimes, there’s a giant gap,
With
minutes that are waiting
To
see what we’ll resort to,
What
ideas are percolating.
Most
often, it’s the most mundane –
The
phone, TV or reading
That
makes the time slip quickly by,
The
empty hours receding.
Before
we know it, day is done;
We
prep for life tomorrow
When,
likely, we’ll look back and wish
For
minutes we could borrow.
As
the oldest child, I got to choose
Before
my other sibs.
From
where to sit or what to do,
I
was awarded dibs.
The
fact of being older meant
I
had a certain clout
That
might have caused resentment
But
was always straightened out.
My
younger grandchild, though, believes
Her
status holds the keys
To
open every door she can
Which
“youngest” guarantees.
She
doesn’t think it’s fair the order
Of
her brother’s birth
Allows
him any privileges,
But
then, for what it’s worth,
If
“oldest” has no value,
“Youngest”
has to be the same.
Too
bad there is no middle child
Around
to fan the flame.
Perhaps for dinner you might try
A steak and veggie plate
Or some chicken wrapped in nori,
Such a treat to masticate!
At some eateries, the menus
Are creative as food gets,
Which is really a surprise because
The customers are pets.
San Francisco’s restaurant “Dogue”
And Manhattan’s “Judy Z’s”
Offer rawhide bones and cupcakes,
All with canine tastes to please.
Though I understand that owners
Love their dogs, I must admit
Fancy dog meals in a restaurant
Just seems inappropriate.
A mom and child of five passed by,
Up
from the ferry crowd.
The
mother focused on the path;
The
daughter’s head was bowed.
The
walkway, tended lovingly
By
garden volunteers,
Was
bursting with the flora that
This
time, each spring, appears.
Amid
the tulips, daffodils
And
pink and purple blooms,
A
host of birds alit, attracted
By
their sweet perfumes.
The
girl, though, was oblivious,
For
tightly clutched in hand,
Her
mother’s cellphone all of her
Attention
did demand.
It
seems a shame that childhood,
With
such beauty there to glean,
Misses
out on making memories,
Distracted
by a screen.
Today is Pretzel Day – hooray!
So
when it’s time for snacks,
Indulge
in salty twists or sticks
To
help your mood relax.
Or
maybe try some pretzel rods
Or
ones with honey wheat
Or
peanut butter stuffed inside,
A
high caloric treat.
You
might opt for the soft-baked type
With
sprinkled salt or seeds.
A
squirt of mustard on the top’s
All
anybody needs.
Though
chips or popcorn top my list
When
salty snacks I crave,
Today,
because it’s Pretzel Day,
My
preferences I’ll waive.
My new clogs are iridescent,
Making people stop and stare,
Which doesn’t happen to the other
Shoes that I might wear.
The color’s kind of different
From the way they looked online,
Yet once I tried them on I knew,
Of course, that they’d be mine.
First they’re greenish, then they’re purple,
Like some feathers on a duck.
If you’re trying to describe them,
You’d be mostly out of luck.
For the thing with iridescence
Is the way the colors shift,
Though their very changeability
Helps make my spirits lift.
I pass a dog named Leo
Sometimes
on my morning walks.
Off
leash, he goes exploring
While
his owner stops and talks.
He’s
black and white with stand-up ears,
His
body low and squat,
But
his wagging tail stands out,
The
finest feature that he’s got.
Other
canines save their wagging
For
a dog-specific reason –
Recognition
or approval or
As
thanks for something pleasin.’
Yet
with Leo, it’s just joy
That
he apparently exudes,
As
rare in dogs as humans
With
such upbeat attitudes.
Seeing
Leo makes me happy;
I
cannot resist a smile
When
he prances past so gaily
In
his beatific style.
