Day 120: Candles

Candles
By Batsheva 3/31/10

It isn't really very hard
To get a good clear handle
On why so many special days
Seem to involve a candle

A candle's flame burns
Very bright
To help us focus
In pure light
On important things
Without, within
To see where we are
And where we've been

So when it's time
To celebrate
A candle's light
Is always great

And when it lights
A path that's true
One day you'll find
The candle's you

Day 119: Soldier's Seder

This is dedicated to the Jewish-American members of the military who are having their seders in Iraq and Afghanistan this week, and to all Israelis who have ever held a seder in a bomb shelter.

Soldier's Seder
By Batsheva 3/30/10

We sit here
At our seder
Peaceful, calm
They celebrate
In dread
Of one more bomb

Salt water helps us
To remember tears
They dip too
Though they live each day
With fears

Although
I know
This thought
To some disturbs
To me
It seems
Their lives
Are bitter herbs

And yet they make
The choice
To live this life
For higher purposes
They live with strife

And in this way
They differ
From a slave
They are not victims
Rather
They are brave

For them and us
The seder
Gives a voice
To remember days
As slaves
Without a choice

Day 118: Freedom

Freedom
By Batsheva 3/29/10

This time every year
We exit slavery
Which truly can be called
An act of bravery

For on the day
That we are free
We take
Responsibility

We've no taskmasters
Left to blame
If we do wrong
It's our own shame

And this is what
It means to me
To say that freedom
Isn't free

Day 117: Fingernails

Clipped my daughter's fingernails tonight, and decided to see if I could come up with a poem using that word. What can I say? I like a challenge.

Fingernails
By Batsheva 3/28/10

Madolyn Scales
Had no fingernails
She simply was born
Without them
But she didn't whine
She thought it was fine
She said,
"I don't care about them.
I have nothing to clip,
Buff, file, or snip,
And forget about paint.
That smell makes me faint.
I'm glad I was born
Without them."

Yes, Madolyn Scales
Liked not having nails
Until one day
When she was quite nervous
She discovered that nails
Despite their details
Provided a most useful service
For when Madolyn Scales
Found herself in a fright
She learned that she lacked
Something easy to bite
Once three of her fingers
Had started to bleed
She realized that nails
Might be something she'd need

So Madolyn Scales
Went to a salon
Bought a full set of nails
But did not put them on
Instead she just kept them
Safe in her pocket
Three in her purse
And one in a locket
So that when she was worried
And needed to chew
She could bite on her nails
Just like me or you.

Day 116: Home

Yes, I know this is not exactly original. But it came from a discussion I was having with my hubby today, and it's how I feel.

Home
By Batsheva 3/27/10

Home is the one
And only spot
You're loved for what you are
And even
What you're not

Home is not defined
By a roof and furniture
Home's defined solely
By love
Unconditional and pure

A family living in a car
May have a nicer home
Than a person in a mansion
Who is living all alone

So if we're in our house
All cozy
Or at a motel
As we mosey
It doesn't matter
If we roam
When I'm with you
My love
I'm home

Day 115: Candy

It's Friday, before the big holiday, and I'm at work, which means no time and lame rhyme.

Candy
By Batsheva 3/26/10

If you ever need
A treat
Something yummy
Something sweet
There is nothing
Quite as dandy
As a little piece
Of candy.

But watch out!
After one small bite
Next thing you know
Your clothes are tight!
A little candy
Leads to more
Until you can't
Fit through the door!

If you forget
to brush your teeth
And candy hides
Between, beneath
Well, pretty soon
You've cavities
And you will not
Be pleased with these!

So if you want
A nice sweet treat,
Reach for fruit.
It can't be beat!
But if you think
Candy's more fun
Remember to brush
And just have one.

Day 114: Fear

Fear
By Batsheva 3/25/10

I feel it
Feel it
Coming near
That awful thing
Which I most fear
I don't need
To say its name
For named
Or not
The fear's the same
I fret
I sweat
My palms are wet
Oh why can't this
Be over yet?
I don't know why
I'm so afraid
I wish this fear
Would simply fade
But no wish
Will make it go away
The fear is here
And here to stay

Unless

I choose
To take a stand
And tell this fear
Get off my land!
You leave my brain
Right now, today!
Take the next train
And go away!
Don't need this fear
Not one small bit
I'm choosing
To get over it
This brain is mine
And by and large
'Tis I who's usually
In charge
So I can just take back
That mode
And tell this fear
To hit the road!

And if that fear
Still will not leave
Well, this is what
I do believe
Even if
The fear does stay
I can move past it
Anyway
For courage is not
The lack of fear
It's standing up
To fear
Right here.

Day 113: The Dark

For my girl.

The Dark
By Batsheva 3/24/10

OK, I admit it
I'm afraid of the dark.
I'm scared of my bad dreams too.
What's that?
It looks like a great white shark!
Oh, it's just my toybox. Whew!
And there's a creature
By the closet door!
In the light
It's my jacket on the floor.

And then when I do
Fall asleep,
The monsters into dreams
All creep.
Although I know
When I'm awake
They aren't real,
They make me quake
When I'm alone
In the dark at night.
They give me such
An awful fright.

But morning comes
The sun will shine
And in the light
I feel just fine.
So I'll just keep
My nightlight on
To keep the dark away
Till dawn.

Day 112: Collecting

Collecting
By Batsheva 3/23/10

Coins and stamps
Tiffany lamps
Model trains
Toy airplanes
Baseball cards
Beach glass shards
Old comic books
Books for cooks
First editions too
(For some book lovers
Really almost any
Books will do)
Figurines
Magazines
China dolls
Bouncy balls
Matchbox cars
Matches from bars
Full beer cans
Asian fans
Coffee mugs
Real dead bugs
Cool seashells
Jingly bells
Silly socks
Old-fashioned clocks
Jewelry
Tom foolery
Autographs
Even giraffes

You can collect
Most anything
Just make sure when you do
That you're
Doing the collecting
And the things
Don't collect you

Day 111: Rainy Daze

This one is dedicated solely to the weather.

Rainy Daze
By Batsheva 3/22/10

What is it
About the rain
That gets into my blood
And makes me feel
Like crud?

Rain and snow
Both sometimes fall
What we call
Precipitation
And both can be annoying
Which is known as
Aggravation

But snow at least
Is pretty
And with it
You can play
About the rain
These really aren't
Things that you can say

The rain just makes me sleepy
It gives me headaches too
Somehow it seems to make me feel
There's nothing I can do

My brain's awash
In damp gray haze
When I'm in
A rainy daze

But life goes on
As we all know
The rain I must ignore
And look!
Those yellow daffodils--
They weren't there before.

Day 110: Mind Your Mind

Thanks to Carolyn again, who is rapidly becoming my muse!

Mind Your Mind
By Batsheva 3/21/10

You have your mind
And I have mine
I don't mind
That they're different
That seems to be just fine
For if everybody
Thought the same
Life would be
A boring game

But problems arise
Whenever you find
You think you know
Another's mind

The secret is
To not assume
About what thoughts
Belong to whom
And this is not
Too hard a task
The trick is this
You have to ask

Day 109: Butterflies

Thanks to Carolyn again for the inspiration!

Butterflies
By Batsheva 3/20/10

Butterflies are beautiful
But what about their name?
They seldom fly 'round butter
Which would be a silly game

Instead they tend to flutter by
Lilies and tulips too
It's fun to watch them flutter
By each flower as they do

So when I think about their name
It's seems to me quite clear
That someone made a typo
They should be flutterbyes, my dear!

Day 108: Birthday Parties

I've been putting together a huge joint-birthday-party for my daughter and a classmate of hers who shares her birthday. The party is Sunday. Tonight and tomorrow is the Sabbath. So the "poem" below explains itself.

Birthday Parties
By Batsheva 3/19/10

Birthday Parties are lots of fun
A happy, festive time
But planning one
Means lots of work
And little time to rhyme

Day 107: For my daughter's birthday

My baby turned 7-years-old today. I figured that since most people buy cards that come with corny verse written by strangers, I could write my own corny verse just for her. So here are the two that I included in her card today. She read them herself, without any help, BTW. :-)

On My Daughter's Seventh
By Batsheva 3/18/10

Today's the day you're seven.
It's your special day to shine.
My precious gift from Heaven,
Lovely little girl of mine.

You aren't really very small
These days.
I know that's true.
Yes, now you're starting to grow tall.
What an exciting thing to do!

I'm proud of you in every way.
You're smart and sweet and kind.
So have a super birthday--
It's the best day to my mind!

My Little Girl
By Batsheva 3/18/10

My little girl loves frogs
And playful puppy dogs.
She also loves
To dance and twirl.
Oh, how I love
My little girl!

Day 106: The Office

Hubby gave me the word, "Office."

The Office
By Batsheva 3/17/10

What do you do
At the office all day?
Do you read lots of books?
Do you find games to play?
Do you talk to your friends
Like I do in school?
Do you take tons of notes?
Do you ever play pool?

I wish I could know
Just what you do at work
I wish I could watch you
I'd secretly lurk
So that I could see just
What you do every day
Then I wouldn't have to
Keep asking this way!

Day 105: Underpants

Okay, hubby gave me the word, "Underpants" and said I wasn't allowed to use the word, "France." I was not happy with this. Also, I am medicated at the moment.

Underpants
By Batsheva 3/16/10

If you decide
To do a dance
While wearing only
Underpants

Please listen to
This word of caution
Make sure that no one else
Is watchin'!

Day 104: Dream Poem

True story!

Dream Poem
By Batsheva 3/15/10

I dreamed a poem
Late last night
The finest poem
I ever did write
Read aloud
To wild applause
And truly it was
For just cause
With metaphors
Resplendent
Rhyme and rhythm
Quite transcendent
A perfect poem
In every way
And that's why
I'm so sad to say
When I awoke
With the light of dawn
My perfect dream
Of a poem was gone.

Day 103: Good Enough

Good Enough
By Batsheva 3/14/10

Sometimes it can be quite tough
When someone says,
"That's not good enough"
Especially if you've done your best
And you're tired
And want to rest
But the thing you must remember
From January through December
Is that you're the one
Who should decide
What's good enough
To suit your pride
No other opinion matters
So tear "Not-good-enoughs" in tatters
Unless they come from your own soul
Then let them help you
Reach your goal
For you're the only person who
Knows just what's good enough
For you

Day 102: Did Anyone Ever Tell You

This one is for everyone.

Did Anyone Ever Tell You
By Batsheva 3/13/10

Did anyone ever tell you
That you matter?
Did anyone ever tell you
That you're smart?
Did anyone ever tell you
That you really can succeed
If you do your best
And you believe
With all your heart?

Did anyone ever tell you
You're a wonder?
Did anyone ever tell you
That you're good?
Did anyone ever tell you
That you truly are a gift?
Because if no one's ever told you
Someone should.

Did anyone ever tell you
You have choices
And that what you make of life
Is up to you?
Did anyone ever tell you
That each moment of each day
Is a chance
To recreate yourself anew?

Did anyone ever tell you
That you're loved
And that hatred
Is nothing but a sham?

If no one's ever told you
Any of these things before
You can't say that anymore
Because I am.

Day 101: ISS

I subbed for an ISS class, yesterday and today. It was very interesting. You really get to know the students because you have them for seven hours straight (in my case the same basic group for two days). I don't think there was a "bad" kid in the bunch. Just a bunch of kids who need to learn to make better choices. Yesterday, I told them about my poetry-writing project. I read them a few, and they really seemed to like them. Then this morning I asked them what I should write my poem about today. They all said, ISS. So I did. They seemed pretty stunned when I read it to them. They loved it, and I gave them each a copy.

ISS
By Batsheva 3/12/10

It's called ISS
Which is
"In-School Suspension"
And I'll tell you this
It's much worse than detention
They keep you locked up
In a windowless room
And the other kids laugh
'Cause they know that you're doomed
To spend your whole day
With blank walls of concrete
Where you have to be quiet
And stay in your seat
You can't see your friends
In class or the hall
You just have to work
Or stare at the wall
And even at lunchtime
It's still just the same
A cold bag of food
Bland, boring, and lame
That you're forced to eat
In that same tiny room
Which easily could be
Considered a tomb

So if you don't want
To be in ISS
Then take my advice
And stay out of this mess
Respect other people
Obey every rule
Remember the reason
That you're here in school
You come here to learn
And you'll learn a lot less
If you're stuck in this place
That they call ISS.

Day 100: One Hundred

One Hundred
By Batsheva 3/11/10

There's an amazing number
That comes after ninety-nine
You'll find it if you're looking
Far on down the number line

It's a one with two big zeros
That's "One hundred," as we say
When you count one hundred anythings
It's quite a special day

"Of one hundred's" what we mean
When we say the word, "Percent"
In case you didn't know
Just exactly what that meant

And that's the reason why
One dollar is one hundred cents
While overseas in England
One pound's one hundred pence

One hundred is ten tens
And it's also twenty fives
If you live to be one hundred
Then you'll probably be wise

In good old Roman numerals
One hundred is a "C"
I think that means
One hundred's "Cool"
Now, wouldn't you agree?

Day 99: Spring

Gorgeous day today. Can you tell? :-)

Spring
By Batsheva 3/10/10

Even before
It's really arrived
You walk out the door
And you feel more alive
The air's gotten warm
The sun's in the sky
And a crocus's charm
Could make you cry
It's spring!
It's spring!
Such a glorious thing!

You don't need a reason
If you want to sing
But there's no better reason
Than the season
Called spring

Day 98: Purple Turtle

I had no idea what I was going to write today, but suddenly the phrase, "Purple Turtle" popped into my head. At first I had absolutely no idea where I was going to go with it. Then I decided to put him in a tree and it all made sense! :-)

Purple Turtle
By Batsheva 3/9/10

A purple turtle
In a tree
How could such
A strange thing be?
Strange to me
And strange to you
And stranger still
To the turtle who
Never thought that
He would be there
Wondering if
Someone would care
Enough to kindly
Help him down
(For turtles should be
On the ground)
And maybe wash
The paint away
(A turtle shouldn't
Purple stay)

So someday if you
Happen to see
A purple turtle
In a tree
I hope you'll know
Just what to do
'Cause purple turtles
Need friends too!

Day 97: Cheese

This was a doodle poem. Hubby gave me the word, "Cheese," and this is what came up. Yeah, we eat a lot of cheese around here. ;-)

Cheese
By Batsheva 3/8/10

Yummy chewy
Tasty gooey
I'll have some
Melted cheese
If you please

Real cheddar melted
On macaroni
Will always beat
That powdered phony
Or slap a slice
Upon some toast
That's the way
I like it most

I know some bubbly
Mozzarella
Makes you quite
A happy fella
Especially if it's
On pizza
Everybody's
Favorite treat-za!

Photographers
From Nome to Dover
Know how to turn
A frown right over
It really is a breeze
You don't have to say it
Just think of cheese

Day 96: Gratitude Latitude

Gratitude Latitude
By Batsheva 3/7/10

At times
When you don't feel okay
Just count your blessings
So they say

And this is wise
I will agree
But doesn't always
Work for me

Though thankfulness
Is my true goal
And I do feel it
In my soul

To focus there
Can be a chore
When I'm feeling
Really poor

So I'll request
If you don't mind
Please do a favor
And be so kind

As to grant me just
A little latitude
When it comes
To troubled gratitude

Day 95: Pain

Pain
By Batsheva 3/6/10

It falls
This pain
Like a midsummer rain
Unexpectedly
Unlike the rain
It serves no good
At least
I don't see how it could
Like an ugly stain
On your favorite clothes
Upon my life
This pain arose
And all that I can say
Is pain
Please go away
(And don't come back
Another day)

Day 94: School

A note about the poems for days 93 and 94: They both represent conversations between two different entitites (not the same entities in both poems). If I were writing this in Word, or by hand, I would represent the different voices by indenting the second voice, so that each voice would be in its own column. Unfortunately, when I tried to do that here, it didn't work. Regarding this poem--I actually had a very similar conversation with a middle school student once. It didn't rhyme though. :-)

School
By Batsheva 3/5/10

School's so boring

Well, why are you here?

'Cause I have to be

That much is clear
But tell me,
What would you do instead?

I'd sleep all day
In my cozy bed

But then at night
You'd be awake

Then I'd play games
For Heaven's sake

Is that really all
You want to do?

No, I do have
A goal or two
To become a star
Is my greatest dream
Or maybe play
On a pro-sports team

So tell me then
Do you believe
That your goals
You can achieve
By wasting time
In bed all day
Or goofing off
At video play?

What you have said
Does make some sense
But school's really just
Much too intense

School can be tough
I know that's true
But sometimes tough
Is good for you
Tough helps you strive
To reach your goals
So you know how
To pay the tolls
That you will find
Along the road
For a dream's not something
You are owed
You must with total passion burn
To discover
And to learn
All the things
You need to know
That's school's job
It helps you grow
And gets you
Closer to your dreams
And even if
It sometimes seems
To be just
A tad bit boring
Do well in school
And you'll be soaring!

Day 93 (delayed): Climb

This delay was not my fault. I worked yesterday, and while at work, wrote my poem. Then I had to run errands, and did not get home until 7PM at which time I had to make dinner, help my kid with her homework, and get her to bed. At 9PM, I went downstairs to enter my poem here, and discovered that our Internet connection was down. By then it was too late to go anywhere else. So, as you can see, 'twas not my fault! Here is yesterday's. Oh, and as far as I know, I still don't have access at home, so I will try to get in today's, in addition to yesterday's, while I'm at work today. Net access at work=a good thing!

Climb
By Batsheva 3/4/10

Climb the ladder
To the top
Keep on climbing
Never stop

When will we get there?

I don't know
The important thing
Is that we go

Why does it matter?

I can't say
I only know
Climbing's the way
To get to where
We need to be
This ladder's all
We need to see

You should look around
The view is great

No, don't look down
It will make you late

Late for what?

Oh, I don't know
I'm moving on
You're much too slow

Goodbye my friend
I'll take my time
I think I'd rather
Enjoy my climb

Day 92: Purple

Purple
By Batsheva 3/3/10

Purple's made of blue and red
And right this minute
In my head
I can think of rhymes
For red or blue
So many rhymes
It's true--can't you?
But purple,
Well, that's very tough
For a rhymer
Purple's rough
I'll have to make one up
I guess
Which is a challenge
I confess
But I'll just say
I think it's querple
That nothing wants
To rhyme with purple!

Day 91: Blank

Blank
By Batsheva 3/2/10

Blank blank blank
Like an empty wooden plank
I'd say a clean sheet
But that wouldn't rhyme
This poem should be
A felony crime
And there's only one thing
To thank
This brain that is
Blank blank blank

Day 90: To Choose

This was an experiment. I chose a word that I saw on a poster on a classroom wall, and decided to make a list of all the words that I could think of that rhymed with that word. I wanted to see if I could take that list and build it into a coherent poem. I got about 90% of the list in, and I think the poem, while not great, works. So I'm calling the experiment a success. :-)

To Choose
By Batsheva 3/1/10

Since we climbed out of the ooze
Humankind began to choose

To accept
Or to refuse
To compete
If win or lose
To cheer
Or merely shout out boos
To be sweet
Or to abuse
To be silent
Or accuse
To forgive
Or curse a bruise
To cheat
Or rightly pay the dues
To preach
Or sit within the pews
To hush
Or rush to spread the news
To douse the flame
Or light the fuse
To space out
Or follow cues
To go barefoot
Or wear shoes
To teetotal
Or drink booze
To depress
Or to amuse
To celebrate
Or sing the blues
To give up
Or look for clues
To live as singles
Or in twos
And learn new
Skills and tools to use

So do not ask,
"The choice is whose?"
For all of us
Are forced to choose.