Day 61: Empty

This is NOT a kids poem. Maybe high school age. Maybe. It's really just me not allowing enough time to come up with anything good. Yet again. But at least I haven't missed a day. Tomorrow it will be two full months! Woohooo!

Empty
By Batsheva 1/31/10

It seems my tank is empty
At least 'tis for today
I don't know where the poems go
When I've nothing to say
But I wish that I could go there
And somehow track 'em down
Yet it doesn't seem to work that way
No, not that I have found
It seems the rhymes must find me
Only when they're good and ready
But when they do, it's true
That it's a feeling rather heady
While some folks get their kicks
From drugs or alcohol or crimes
I would really much prefer
To fill my tank with rhymes

Day 60: The Meanest Mommy in the World

The Meanest Mommy in the World
By Batsheva 1/30/10

I have the meanest mommy
In the whole entire world
I’m sorry she’s my mommy
And that I’m her little girl

She makes me go to bed at night
When I’m not even tired
She’s just so very mean to me
I wish she could be fired

She makes me eat my real food
When I’d much rather have candy
And I have to do my homework
Even when my toys are handy

She makes me put my things away
And tidy up my room
I’m sure that you can see just why
My life is full of gloom

Sometimes she makes me take a bath
When I feel very clean
And when she makes me do my math
She’s only being mean

She takes away my privileges
If I lie or disrespect her
I really wish there were some way
That I could un-elect her

I know some people say
She does the things a mother should
But even if that’s true
It doesn’t make me feel too good

I know she often reads to me
And cuddles me at night
When it’s dark and I get scared
She lets me have some light

She does cook my favorite foods
And buy me special treats
When she takes me to the movies
She lets me choose the seats

I get to help her in the kitchen
When she decides to bake
And she cleans up without yelling
When a big old mess I make

She helps me with my homework
If I’m having too much trouble
And if I cry because I’m hurt
She’s right there on the double

She plays with me and laughs with me
We do have tons of fun
When I said, “The meanest mommy”. . .
I should have said the nicest one.

Day 59: Choices

Choices
By Batsheva 1/29/10

If you could do
Anything at all
What is it that
You'd choose?
Would you want
To play football
Or report
The daily news?
Would you like
To be a scientist,
Perhaps an engineer?
Or would you rather
Run a cruise ship
And be the one to steer?
You might decide
You'd like to teach
And help young kids to learn
Or maybe be a botanist
And discover some new fern
You could be a nurse
Or doctor
And help to heal the sick
Or you could be a track star
But you'd best be mighty quick
You might choose to be a chef
If you're one of those who cooks
Or maybe a librarian
If you're crazy for the books
You may want to be a farmer
If you love to plant and plow
Or a veterinarian
If you’d like to fix a cow
You can be an entrepreneur
If you want to be a boss
But you cannot be afraid
To sometimes take a loss
Be a barber or beautician
If hair gives you a thrill
And if you become a lawyer
You'll learn how to make a will
If you love to act or dance or sing
Then try out for the stage
Just know that when beginning
You won’t earn a living wage

What to do when you grow up
Can be a hard, hard choice
But if you choose the thing you love
That’s reason to rejoice
And if you don’t know what that is
Just give yourself some time
It took me many years to learn
How much I love to rhyme!

Day 58: Try

Try
By Batsheva 1/28/10

A baby bird leaps
From its nest
For the first time
That's quite a test

It doesn't know
If it can fly
It only knows
It has to try

It doesn't fly
At that first trial
It's more like falling
But with style

Yet still it tries
And will again
And when it flies
(Note: Not, "if";
"When")

Its efforts will
Be well-rewarded
That little bird
Will be afforded
With views
No other creature sees
Soaring high
Above the trees

Yes, soon that chick
Will touch the sky
And all it had to do was
Try.

Day 57: Mad Kid

Mad Kid
By Batsheva 1/27/10

Am I a good kid
Or a bad kid?
Maybe I am just
A mad kid.
If nothing in your life
Went right
Wouldn't you be
Inclined to fight?
And if you tell me
To be cheerful
Please expect
To get an earful
If your whole world
Was going wrong
Would you be happy
Very long?

You think that you'd
Be sad?
Oh my
Well then. . . maybe . . .
So am I

Peel a mad kid's mask
And you might find
A sad kid hiding
Right behind.

Day 56: Special Ways

Had a horrible day teaching first grade today. But I think one of my best poems ever might have come out of it. Hope you like it.

Special Ways
By Batsheva 1/26/10

Please don't laugh
At Ms. Giraffe
Because she's very tall.
You wouldn't like it
If she laughed at you
Because you're rather small.
It's true her neck's
Extremely long.
That doesn't mean
That something's wrong.
There's no need to be afraid.
It's just the special way
She's made.

Mr. Penguin's a bird
Who cannot fly.
I tell you this
And it's no lie.
He has feathers
And handsome wings,
But he uses them
For other things.
And I don't think
That he would trade,
Since that's the special way
He's made.

Ms. Elephant's so very fat--
Ten thousand pounds!
Imagine that!
But please don't put her
On a diet.
Don't think of it.
Don't even try it.
She needs her size to stay alive.
It really helps her to survive.
She's not afraid of being weighed.
Big's just the special way
She's made.

Mr. Snail is oh . . . so . . . slow.
Is he moving?
I don't know!
It's hard to tell.
He moves that slowly.
He sure could never be a goalie.
But please don't tease him
Or make fun.
It's all right that he can't run.
He has other gifts, you see,
And nowhere that he needs to be.
For being fast, he won't get paid.
Slow is the special way
He's made.

All creatures in the sun or shade
Have special ways in which they're made.
And this means every person, too.
We're all so different--
Even you!
And no way can be worse or better.
Your specialness is God's love letter
Telling you that you truly are
A unique, amazing shining star!

Day 55: Two Eggs (The lighter, more kid-friendly version)

So, yesterday, I got an excellent critique on Two Eggs from my friend Carolyn. She felt that I made the eggs too human and likable to turn them into breakfast. I had thought about that, but my feeling was that the farmer sort of represented the Hand of Fate, in that when the one egg says, "Are we gonna be fried?" And the other egg answers, "That's for them to decide," it was making a statement about how there are things in life over which we have no control, and there's a need to sort of accept that. But my daughter totally agreed that she didn't like the eggs getting eaten, and my goal here is not to distress kids. So here is the revised version:

Two Eggs
By Batsheva 1/24/10

Two eggs in a nest
One brown
One white
Each one perfect
In the other one’s sight

When White said to Brown
“How ya doin’, Caramel?”
Brown answered White,
“Hey, Vanilla, just swell.”

Two better friends
There could never be
Than these two different-colored
Eggs, you see

Then one fine day
The farmer came by
Took a look at the eggs
And said, "Oh my!
I think these eggs
Will be hatching soon."
And that's just what they did
That very afternoon.

Now the farmer had figured
That one chick would be brown
And the other one white
But that's not what she found.
No, those two different eggs
One brown, one white
Each one perfect
In the other one’s sight
Cracked right open
And the farmer spied
The chicks were exactly
The same
Inside.

Day 54: Two eggs

Two Eggs
By Batsheva 1/24/10

Two eggs in a nest
One brown
One white
Each one perfect
In the other one’s sight

When White said to Brown
“How ya doin’, Caramel?”
Brown said to White,
“Hey, Vanilla, just swell.”

Two better friends
There could never be
Than these two different-colored
Eggs, you see

Then early one morning
The farmer came along
Just whistling and humming
And singing her song
Deedle eedle eeee
Deedle eedle oooo
Gathering the eggs
Is what I do!

Well, White asked Brown
“Are we gonna be fried?”
Brown answered back,
“They get to decide.”

That’s just what they did
The farmer’s family
Made some breakfast
And what did they see?
Two different eggs
One brown, one white
Each one perfect
In the other one’s sight
Cracked them open
And the farmer spied
They were both exactly
The same
Inside.

Day 53: Puppycat

Puppycat
By Batsheva 1/23/10

"There's no such thing
As a puppycat!"
My little one said,
"It's not real!"
Oh, but you can be
A puppycat, said I
If that's how you feel.
If you choose to bark and purr
Then a puppycat you are
It matters not if you've no fur
You're a canine-feline star!

Imagination's all you need
To be anything you wish
And if you like to bark and swim
You can be a puppyfish!
But if you'd rather fly and purr
Then you're a butterflycat
I don't think anyone's ever heard
Of a funnier thing than that!
If you like to trumpet with your trunk,
And lots of noise you make,
While slithering on the carpet--
You must be an elephantsnake.
If you'd prefer to cluck and moo,
You'd be a chickencow,
Which just might be the strangest thing
I've heard of up 'til now.
But if you really want to do it,
My little one--just get right to it!

Anything you want to be,
Any place you want to go,
Anything you'd like to do,
Imagination makes it so.
And if you argue, "It's not real!"
My precious Puppycat,
I'll tell you it's a better deal
'Cause reality's not "all that!"

Day 52: Who Are You?

Who Are You?
By Batsheva 1/22/10

If I ask you,
Who are you?
What is it
That you'll say?
Will you tell me
What you do?
Or in some other way
Will you reply?
Perhaps to try
To simply give your name.
But to me,
That seems to be
An answer rather lame
For if your dad and mother
Had named you something other
Than what they did,
Would you have been
A different kid
Or just the same
But with a different name?

Some other answers
You might give
Could be just to describe
How you feel and how you live
A member of which tribe

Where you come from
What you do
Who you love and who loves you
The name you got
The name you took
What you like
Or how you look
Each answer only goes so far
In telling me just who you are

But one response, admittedly,
Would be considered odd,
And yet it's true and perfect:
You're a wondrous child of God.

Day 51: Annotation

The Declaration of Independence, First Sentence, Second Paragraph, Annotated
By Batsheva 1/21/10

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
These things are clearly true--is what they meant
That all men are created equal,
Women, too, should be the sequel
That they are endowed by their Creator
God-given stuff--What could be greater?
With certain unalienable rights,
About them there can be no fights
That among these are life,
No murder--whether gun or knife
Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We are free to fight off crappiness.

Day 50: Dancing at the Movies

Dancing at the Movies
By Batsheva 1/20/10

I took my kid to the movies today
A reward for good grades and hard work
Effort like that from a first-grader
Deserves a special perk

We didn't have to stand in line
On a Wednesday afternoon
And we arrived there just in time
To see what's "Coming soon"

Then right away we noticed
There was no one else around
In that whole big theater
Only we two could be found

So she could ask me questions
And I then could explain
And never have to worry
If folks thought we were a pain

And when they rolled the credits
At last I had my chance
As the movie's score was playing
I got her up to dance

At first she was embarrassed
But quickly she saw why
There's no need to be embarrassed
When it's only she and I

So we danced all down that aisle
And I have got to say
When I saw her delighted smile
It was worth a good week's pay

Some day when we're much older
This memory we'll treasure
Of dancing at the movies
On an afternoon of leisure

Day 49: Best Friend

Best Friend
By Batsheva 1/19/10

If you're looking
For a friend
Who always will be true
A friend who's loving
So sincere
Trusting all you do
A friend who'll give
More than he'll take
And relish everything
You bake
Who'll never judge
Or lie
Or hurt you
Never knowingly
Dessert you
Who'll always listen
Without complaint
Who's basically
A total saint . . . .

And if this friend
Must never be
A conversation hog,
Well then my dear
It's plain to see
You need to get a dog.

Day 48: Lilies Lullaby

For my girl.

Lilies Lullaby
By Batsheva 1/18/10

Dream a dream of lilies white
While fireflies light up the night

Dream a dream of lilies red
With angels just above your bed

Dream a dream of lilies yellow
Soft cloud like a big marshmallow

Dream a dream of lilies gold
A teddy bear for you to hold

Dream a dream of lilies pink
Where only happy thoughts you think

Dream a dream of lilies bright
And you'll dream sweet dreams through the night

Day 47: Opposites Attract

Had lunch with Rena today. This poem is 100% true! (Yes, even the part about seeing giraffes walking in the bathroom down the hall!)

Opposites Attract
By Batsheva 1/17/10

Have you met my dear friend, Rena?
Sweet and funny as can be
She's short and round
And rather loud
But her smile's all you see

Miss Rena loves to keep giraffes
She's got them wall to wall
You'll even see them walking
In the bathroom down the hall

They say that opposites attract
And I believe it's true
Just think of Rena
And her giraffes
And you will see it too

For giraffes are very tall and lean
And quiet as a tree
So I'm sure you'll see just what I mean
As clearly as can be
Yes, I know you'll recognize
When you see the facts we've got
That in Miss Rena's eyes
Giraffes are everything she's not.

Day 46: Silence in Question

Before anyone gets worried: Yes, I read this to my husband and got his permission before I posted it. He insists that the reason he doesn't talk much is because 99% of what he's thinking just isn't worth saying. He says that I have no reason to be concerned. So y'all can stop worrying now, okay?

Silence in Question
By Batsheva 1/16/10

My husband's mute
On 99% of what he's thinking
And this sometimes makes me
Wonder if our marriage
Could be sinking

Is his silence merely
But a tool
To keep us safe from danger?
Or am I simply
Just a fool
And married to a stranger?

Day 45: Outta Time!

Outta Time
By Batsheva 1/15/10

Tweedle dee
And Tweedle dum
Bite my nails
And suck my thumb
I'm outta time
It's nearly night
And I've got
Not a thing
To write
And so I might
Just shed a tear
Saying I am
Outta here
But I must go
I'm outta time
So this is the end
Of my sad, sad rhyme.

Day 44: Specials

Subbed for a gym teacher today. Saw this kid in every class. Used to be me.

Specials
By Batsheva 1/14/10

Oh no!
Oh no!
It's gym class!
I know I'm gonna
Get picked last
Every time I do, it seems
When they're up there
Choosing teams
And when we have to
Get in pairs
I always end up
Getting stares
Because there's never
Any doubt
That I will be
The odd one out
Can't throw a ball
Can't catch a pass
No wonder they all
Pick me last
I'm terrible
I hate it so
Oh please, oh please
Don't make me go
I'm feeling sick
Think it's the flu
And look, I'm missing
My left gym shoe
I just can't go
I'm 'bout to cry
I really wish that
I could die

Hey, wait a sec
What's that you say?
You say we're having
ART today?
Well hurry up!
Let's go!
Hooray!

~~~~~

Oh yuck!
Oh ick!
I'm feeling sick!
Today we're having art
I just wish it wouldn't start
I've no artistic skill
It really makes me ill
'Can't draw a straight line
That talent's not mine
My ceramic pot looked like a blob
When it comes to art
I'm just a slob
Oh, please tell me
Why must I go
When they know
I hate it so?

Art class makes me feel so grim. . .
What's that?
You say we're having gym?
Well, how about that?
I'll see you at bat!
Hooray! Hooray!
P.E. today!

Day 43 #2: Digital Education Debate

This is a first for me. Have the day off, and felt inspired, so you get a twofer today--actually sort of a threefer, since this two-part poem could count as two.

Digital Education Debate
By Batsheva 1/13/10

Part 1. (Student's View)

I have a brand new teacher
And she really is the best
She has no way of knowing
If I'm cheating on a test

My teacher doesn't tell me
If I slouch, to sit up straight
And she will never yell at me
If I should come in late

My teacher won't complain
If my homework isn't done
And she doesn't think it's silly
If I want to have some fun

My teacher will play games with me
If I just ask her to
And she doesn't mind repeating
When she tells me what to do

My teacher doesn't wonder why
I have to "go" so much
And if I see something interesting
She never says, "Don't touch!"

My teacher doesn't care
If I burp or laugh or cough
But the best thing 'bout my teacher
Is that I can turn her off!

Part 2. (Human Teacher's Response)

Your computer's not a teacher
It's a tool, and I will say
If you think that it can teach you
You should think again today

Your computer may not know
If you need to get a drink
But it also doesn't care
If you're learning how to think

It's true that it won't mind
If you give it lots of guff
But it also won't encourage
When you're finding something tough

You know it cannot comfort
If you're having a bad day
And if you do something stellar
It will not have much to say

Your computer won't give you rewards
For doing a good job
And it will never help you learn
How not to be a slob

You know it cannot teach you
How to judge what's right or wrong
Nor can it help you understand
How people get along

It can never, ever keep you safe
From a whole wide world of risk
And nor can I, but at least I try
More than some little disk

A computer is a great device
And a super classroom feature
But to really learn
And get it right
You need a human teacher.

Day 43: Email Apology

OK, I know I said that I'd stick to kid's rhymes, but this just came, and I go with what comes. Also, I've been finding myself apologizing a lot lately. . . .

Email Apology
By Batsheva 1/13/10

That thing I sent
To you today
It wasn't what
I'd meant to say
And even if
At the time
I'd meant it
I regretted it
Soon as I'd sent it
I know this may
Sound rather lame
But I'm just not good
At this email game
Because (and this is
Quite a pain)
My hands are faster
Than my brain

Day 42: It Snot

Dedicated to my husband who knows why.

It Snot
By Batsheva 1/12/10

Grayish, Greenish
Wet and sticky
Always comes
When I feel sicky
You may think
It's very icky
But it's not.

When I sneeze
And need a tissue
You wouldn't like it
If I kissed you
You might think
A cold's the issue
But it's not.

So when my nose
Is very runny
I'm hoping you don't
Think that's funny
Because I have to
Tell you, Honey,
That it's not!

Day 41: The Grumpy Dumps

The Grumpy Dumps
By Batsheva 1/11/10

Do you ever feel
Completely grumpy
Shlumpy
Flumpy
Down-in-the-dumpy?
Don't hit the dog
Or kick the cat
There's no need
For acts like that
There are plenty of other
Things you can do
Or so I've heard,
And think it's true
They say that exercise
Is wise
So go out for a walk
Or phone a friend
With an ear to bend
And have a nice long talk
You could read a book
Or take a look
At something funny on TV
Or build a castle
Then knock it down
As meanly as can be

So when you're in the
Grumpy dumps,
Just find something to do. . .
Oh, me?
I write a poem.
Now, tell me, how about you?

Day 40: For a Newborn Boy

For a Newborn Boy
By Batsheva 1/10/10

My wish for you
Is not that you become
A star
At playing sports
Or on the stage
Or that you pass the Bar
You can be
Anything you choose
My wish is that
You remember this news:
You're so very loved
Not for what you do
But just for who you are
And that's what makes you
Baby boy, already a star!

Day 39: Hopping Glad

After yesterday's fiasco, I think I'm going to stick with my strength and focus on children's poetry/stories. Still doing one a day, though!

Hopping Glad
By Batsheva 1/9/10

Bonnie Bunny liked to hop
Frankie Froggy said, "Please stop.
For hopping is my thing, you see.
If you hop too,
What's left for me?"
Then Bonnie said,
"Well, I'm bigger than you,
And hopping's what
I like to do.
So I'll be taking charge
Of hopping,
And you will be the one
Who's stopping."

Well, this made Frankie very sad
And more than just a little mad.
When suddenly from 'round the bend
Came a zookeeper
Who decided to send
The two of them to the local zoo
Where they met Katy Kangaroo!
Beside her they felt very small
And thought they shouldn't hop
At all.
When Katy hopped a giant leap
Bonnie Bunny began to weep
But Katy asked, "What's wrong,
Miss Bunny?"
Then Bonnie said, "That isn't funny!
You know what's wrong
Your hops are great,
And now, I'm only second rate!"
Then Frankie made a little squeal
And said, "Now, Bonnie,
You know how I feel!
Not only that, it seems for sure
Neither of us can hop anymore."
"Nonsense!" Cried Katy Kangaroo,
"I'd never tell you what to do!
You each hop well for who you are
Just be yourselves and you'll go far.
There's room enough for all to hop
And there's no need for you to stop
If hopping is the thing you do,
Then always to yourself be true!
For there's no reason to compare
Yourself to others--that's not fair.
As long as you just do your best
You'll always pass the hopping test."

Now, Frankie had been hopping mad
But Katy made him hopping glad
As finally he understood
That he could hop,
And hop he would.
And Bonnie felt much better too
For she realized that it was true
That no one had to be in charge
Of hopping,
Whether small or large.
Then Frankie and Katy and Bonnie too
Became friends
Just doing what they do.

Day 38: Homeland Insecurity

News has been getting me down.

Homeland Insecurity
By Batsheva 1/8/10

Now hold, on
Let me get this straight
This hurts my brain
So please just wait
While I try to figure out
How this whole mess
First came about

Back in '01
On Nine-Eleven
Nineteen nuts thought
They'd go to Heaven
If they could crash
Some big jet-liners
Oh yes, they thought
Naught could be finer
And so they did
Three thousand died
And on that day
The whole world cried
Well, not everyone
For there were a few
Who thought this was
Just great to do
One even tried to hide
A bomb inside his shoe

So the President said
Hmmm. . .let's see. . .
I'll create a new bureaucracy
Called Homeland Security
'Cause one thing we know for sure
Is absolutely everybody
Wants to feel secure

So now the year is Twenty-ten
Eight years have passed
And now, again
Some crazy man
(It's always men!)
Has tried to bomb a plane
But he didn't use his shoes
Oh, no, that would be insane,
Instead the bomb was in a place
No one would guess--
His private space
Yes, the bomb was in his briefs
And this has brought us all
To grief
For now, they're not
Just checking shoes
A new machine
They now will use
That through our clothes
Will take nude pictures
Which seems unnecessary stricture
The other option
They have found
Is letting ourselves
Get pat down
Including in our private spaces
I think that's what the
Disgrace is

The briefs bomber
Might have had a plan
To embarrass each American
In which case, I say
He won, he beat us
For now we let our own fear
Cheat us
Of our modesty
How can we do this?
Honestly?
When all it takes
To stop these crimes
Is intelligence that
Fits the times
We knew the guy
Was dangerous
His own dad told us
And there's this
He was flying
Cross the earth
One way, no bags
That's not a dearth
Of intelligence
It's just a lack
Of common sense
With Internet
And Blackberry
There's no way
In Heaven's Name
That lunatic should ever have
Set foot inside a plane

Instead of turning
All our airports
Into big traumatic scareports
The government should
Do its JOB
Of our dignity
We'll not be robbed
'Cause if this keeps up
(I don't mean to be rude)
Next thing, they'll
Make us all fly nude!

Day 37: Puppy Frog

My daughter's first word was, "Puppy," and her 2 favorite things in the world are frogs and dogs, so you can take it from there. I'm also in a hurry right now, and silly comes easy to me. This one is for the kiddo.

Puppy Frog
By Batsheva 1/7/10

Puppy was a frog
Just living in a bog,
But since his name was Puppy
He thought he was a dog!
So every day
Upon a log,
He'd bark and bark
To all the bog
He'd only bark
He'd never croak
Now isn't that a funny joke
To think that somewhere
In a bog
There's a barking puppy frog?

Day 36: The Lark's Reply

Because Faux News is not the only place where "Fair and Balanced" is the motto. Only I actually mean it!

The Lark's Reply
By Batsheva 1/6/10

You silly Owl
We have no fear
Of you at all
Sit, have a beer

The problem here
Is that
At night
It's hard to see
And that's all right
Today with electricity
Night vision
Comes quite easily
But it's sheer insanity
To think electric's not
In the timeline of humanity
More than a tiny dot

For so many millennia
The sun was all we knew
As our light source
And so, of course,
Our dependence on it grew

Then yes, fears came
Not from some Lark
But what child isn't
Afraid of the dark?

The sun is warm
It serves all life
The night is cold
With danger rife

So it does make sense
As time marched on
That culture tilted
Toward the dawn

The bias isn't ours
For blame
It's nature's own
And that's a shame

We know it's not fair
But listen, Cuz,
There's no one who ever
Said life was.

Day 35: Night Owl's Lament

Written after being up for 15 hours straight, having driven ~50 miles in the snow, on 4 hours of sleep.

Night Owl's Lament
By Batsheva 1/5/10

Tired, tired,
Sleepy, tired
Just last night
I felt so wired
Too wired by far
For The Land of Nod
And It seems to me
So very odd
That the world is quite
Neatly divided
'Tween Owls and Larks
Yet so one-sided!
Careers for Owls
Are rather rare
And so we try
To fit in where
The Larks fly
But that makes Owls cry
For sometimes we don't
Get to yawning
Until it seems
A new day's dawning
But that's the time
To go to work
Folks wonder why
We lack in perk
But you would too
If you'd no sleep
Forced an alien
Schedule to keep
In a world where
You are taught
That night is when
All evil's wrought
Vampires, demons,
Ghosts, and more
All arrive through
Nighttime's door
Perhaps that's why
Bias is great
Against the Owls
Larks can't relate
So please know this
Before we're fired
We aren't wicked
We're just tired!

Day 34: Into the Snow

Guess what. It was snowing today. :-)

Into the Snow
By Batsheva 1/4/10

Snow
Snow
Falling
Falling
With silent voice
Each flake is calling
Put on your boots
Come out and play
The hills are ripe
For sleds today
Where every snowball
At its core
Is a snowman waiting
To be born
And nowhere else
Can there be found
Winged angels flying
On the ground

Please come build forts
Have snowball fights
And watch the snow
Reflect the lights
The smell of snow
So cold so new
Just take a whiff
It's calling you

So put on your boots
Your hat and gloves
For this is the weather
That each child loves

Falling
Falling
Calling
Calling
Put on your boots
And go
Into the snow

Day 33: For Amanda

This is for a young woman who died at the age of 23, two years ago last week.

For Amanda
By Batsheva 1/3/10

Amanda Amanda
With hearts full of woe
We think of you often
We all miss you so

Ornery, contrary
Stubborn as could be
But it helped you live longer
We know that, you see

You could have gone sooner
With that awful disease
But you fought it so bravely
Kicked that sick in the knees

But for all your toughness
Your humor shined bright
And the glow of your smile
Could light up the night

For parents and siblings
Friends and Grandparents too
Your smile shines on
Full of love that’s still new

But the pain is still there
And it always will be
Some days through the tears
It is so hard to see

For nothing is worse
No thought quite as vile
Than that of a parent
Outliving that smile

Day 32: Ode to T.S. Geisel or The Doc and I

Ode to T.S. Geisel
or The Doc and I
By Batsheva 1/2/10

They say I sound like Dr. Seuss
It's true
And I make no excuse
For the doc is a hero
To girls and to boys
Who'd choose his great books
O'er the finest of toys
His stories are made
Into movies and plays
And continue to be so
Long after his days
On earth have all passed
Though he's gone
His words last
And his works have great meaning
Each and every one
He proved rhyme can be
Both important and fun
Yes, he was a success
And I'm not being funny
When I say that he made
A whole mountain of money
So please call me Seussian
Say my work's lame
It just might mean that I am
Headed for fame
Say that my poetry's weak
I won't cry
We'll have the last laugh
The good doctor
And I.

Day 31: Resolutions

If you're looking for my new year's wishes, that's yesterday's poem--scroll down one. This is today's. Very short, but to the point. I never have any time on Fridays and today will be busier than usual. Not exactly a vacation day for me.

Resolutions
By Batsheva 1/1/10 (Cool date!)

Resolutions shmesolutions
That's how I feel
The idea's a farce
It's simply not real

But self improvement is good!
I can hear you all cry
Okay, I agree, but
I'm wondering why
If the change that you want
To make is so great,
Why is it you felt
The need to wait
To make it until
The new year arrived?
You see, that's the part
That feels contrived

Please understand
It's never too late
You can make resolutions
Whatever the date
And if it's for self-improvement
You thirst
You can even make them
On Jan. the first. ;-)