Day 180: A Little Bit of Magic

A Little Bit of Magic
By Batsheva 5/30/10

A little bit of rain
A little bit of sun
A little bit of magic
And then a rainbow's done

A little caterpillar
A little bit of time
A little bit of magic
And a butterfly's sublime

A little bit of he
A little bit of she
A little bit of magic
And you have a family

A little bit of Earth
Spinning endlessly in space
A little bit of magic
And we have the human race

Day 179: The Stray

True story. Just as it's written. This poem is dedicated to Marie--a friend indeed--and to the stray, of course.

The Stray
By Batsheva 5/29/10

Just yesterday
A big, ol' stray
Appeared at my back door
Just as if he lived here
His brown eyes did implore
"Please let me in and feed me
Give me some water too
And if you do I promise
I will love and protect you."

But that dog looked like a Rottweiler
A big, tough, scary breed
And I've a kid to care for
And my own sweet dog to feed

So I didn't let that stray in
But gave him water, treats and food
And he stayed around my yard
Because I guess he liked the mood

Then I called a friend who knew some folks
Who'd find that pooch a home
This afternoon they took him
So no longer would he roam

And now I find I miss that dog
With his soulful, loving eyes
His fearsome features hid
A great big puppy in disguise

Oh, yes indeed, I miss him
That darling, playful stray
For though I never took him in
He got in, anyway.

Day 178: Air Poem

Air Poem
By Batsheva 5/28/10

If you lack the instrument
It's impossible to play it
And if you have nothing to say
You shouldn't try to say it

And so I think I'll end this rhyme
(I should have stopped right there)
Before I waste more precious time
Playing empty air

Day 177: A Teacher's Reason

A Teacher's Reason
By Batsheva 5/27/10

You try and try
And wonder
Will they ever see the light?
And then you see it
In their eyes
And know you did it right

The boy who couldn't get it
No matter how you tried
That moment when it somehow clicked
You very nearly cried

The girl who always seemed so lost
You worked so hard to reach her
And on the day you did
You knew
Why you became a teacher

Day 176: For Stacey and Kevin

For Stacey and Kevin
By Batsheva (aka Cousin Beth) 5/26/10

Stacey and Kevin
Those were your names
And they are still
But it isn't the same

For now you have new names
With one tiny girl
First Mama and Dada
And then in a whirl

Mommy and Daddy
You'll quickly become
No sooner than she's
Finished sucking her thumb

And then Mom and Dad
Most likely you'll be
Both very fine names
I'm sure you'll agree

But these changes come quickly
Oh so very fast
And before you know it
Your present is past

So treasure each moment
Please don't miss a one
For I promise you
There is nothing more fun
Or wondrous, amazing,
No greater delight
Than the moments that come
As each parent's birthright

Day 175 (Delayed): For Baby Zoe

Sorry this is late. I fell asleep in bed with my baby girl last night and didn't wake up until after midnight, so I figured I'd just wait until this evening to post.

My cousin had a baby girl yesterday. Well, technically his wife had her. . . . This is for the little one, and the next day's (today's) is for the parents.

For Baby Zoe
By Batsheva (aka Cousin Beth) 5/25/10

Perfect little baby girl
Snuggled in your Mama's arm
Your parents will do anything
To always keep you safe from harm

Your name means, "Life," and I believe
It is your parents' prayer
That yours is long and joyful
And before you first breathed air
They were working hard and planning
To make sure that you get there

Day 174: Mondays

Mondays
By Batsheva 5/24/10

I'm not a fan of Mondays
Monday means it's time for school
No, Mondays aren't fun days
Because school just isn't cool

School's boring
'Cause we work all day
There's very little time
For play

We have to pay attention
Follow every silly rule
I can't wait until I'm grown-up
And don't have to go to school

Although when you're a grown-up
Most people have to work
And Dad's always complaining
That his boss is such a jerk

And with most every job
There's no vacation for the summer
Which when you think about it
Really would be quite a bummer

I guess school's not so bad
Summer break's a super feature
I think maybe when I grow up
I might want to be a teacher

Day 173: Comforter

Comforter
By Batsheva 5/23/10

I know why they call it a comforter
On a frosty winter's night
Cuddled under that thick fluffy quilt
Tucked in nice and tight

It's comfy and it's cozy
Warm and snug as you can be
Yes, Heaven knows
When the cold wind blows
A comforter's for me

There's just one thing I do not get
And I wish you'd tell me why
Would anyone call it a comforter
In the middle of July?

Day 172: Picnic

Picnic
By Batsheva 5/22/10

Life really is a picnic
You plan it out so well
Pack a basket full of goodies
And pray the day is swell

It may wind up quite sunny
Floral scent on gentle breezes
To which you are allergic
And so begin the sneezes

Then suddenly while sneezing
You knock the juice right over
Then it's not long before the ants
Come marching through the clover

And then a bee or wasp or three
Come 'round to join the fun
And pretty soon you're wishing
That this picnic could be done

You get some stings from bees and bugs
Nasty mosquitoes too
But when you get right down to it
There's just one thing to do

You shake it off and play a game
Laughing, ignore the sting
For having fun despite the bites
Is the key to picknicking

Day 171: New Friends

Corny and lame. Don't even bother reading this one.

New Friends
By Batsheva 5/21/10

When you find new friends
You know it
Somehow they always show it
As if you'd known them from
Some other place
Their friendship's written
On the face
With a nose that's never
Up in the air
Understanding eyes that show
They care
Mouths that smile
With words sincere
And last but not least
Listening ears

They may come for a day
For a week
Or for years
But for however long
Friends are worthy of cheers

Day 170: Brunch

Ridiculously lame, but I just was not inspired today.

Brunch
By Batsheva 5/20/10

I cannot eat my breakfast
I'm not hungry when I wake
But by noon I am so hungry
I could eat a wedding cake

There's only one solution
To this problem of my diet
It's a great mid-morning meal
And you really ought to try it

It's too late for breakfast
Too early for lunch
So we mix them both up
And we call it a brunch

An Old Non-Rhymer

My dad saved this, and he asked me if I could post in online. I wrote it 25 years ago, immediately after the experience described within it. All quotes and descriptions were exact. (This will not take the place of a new rhyming poem today--will write one later.)

Reflections of a Liberal, Vegetarian, Pacifist on a Visit to "The Big Gun and Knife Show"
By Batsheva (Date approximately 1985, give or take a year or two)

The three-dollar admission
Seems a fair price for such a glimpse
Into the other side

At the door I am asked
If I am carrying any guns
Saying no, the word gun is stamped
On the back of my hand
In red
What would they have done if I had
Said yes?
Perhaps a different color stamp
Turning my hand
The word says, "nug"
I feel better.

Why do so many of these people
Look like they belong on post office walls?

What is anyone going to do
With a three-foot butterfly knife?

How can guns be made so small?
A person could be carrying one
And you would never know
Am assured they still can kill
"Well, that's good," I say.

Rifles
Heads of bears
Skins of deer
Some still wearing whatever expressions
Were on their unsuspecting faces
At the very instant
Bullets ripped apart their flesh
"Yep, pretty proud of that one, bagged him myself."

Machine guns
Grenade launchers
Any psychopath fresh out of the hospital
Has the inalienable right
To walk in here and purchase an Uzi

Asked to sign an NRA petition
I politely decline
Being careful to remember
To smile.

Day 169 (Delayed): Big Words

Big Words
By Batsheva 5/19/10

Does anyone know
What abnegation means
Or how about adventitious
I have no clue
But I'm telling you
If you know
Then you must be ambitious

Some other words
That I don't know
Are asperity
Celerity
Portmanteau
Compendious
Conterminous
Concatenate
Edacious
Praetorian
Eonian
Ablaqueate
Ceraceous
Refulgent
Recondite
Senescence
And satori

These are some big words
I don't know
But they're just part
Of the story

Our language has so many words
No one can know them all
So don't feel dumb
If you don't know some
Let the lexicon enthrall

Day 168 (Delayed): Fat Cat

Work + Holiday when you're not supposed to write = major delays. Sorry. This one is pretty lame.

Fat Cat
By Batsheva 5/18/10

A big fat cat
Ate a giant rat.
What happened next,
Do you suppose?
Well, that's easy,
Goodness knows.
Though it really
Doesn't matter--
The cat got fatter.

Day 167: Rain

Rain
By Batsheva 5/17/10

Rain falls down
All over town
It drenches everywhere
It waters trees
And bumblebees
And simply doesn't care

It falls in sheets
Upon the streets
The rooftops
And the lawns
And gives a bath
To each giraffe
And all the little fawns

I love the rain
Though it's a pain
I'm wet from feet to hair
But plants are green
And rainbow's seen
Because rain doesn't care

Day 166: A Jewel

A Jewel
By Batsheva 5/16/10

Some may find a dirty stone
And toss it to the side
And never even notice
The precious jewel inside

Another may discover
That grungy
Ugly stone
And think
Within it
There is light
That has yet to be shone

So that wise person
Takes that rock
To polish it with care
And in so doing
Picks the lock
To the gem
That's hidden there

Day 165: Potato

Dedicated to Steve, who unwittingly gave me the idea.

Potato
By Batsheva 5/15/10

One is a number.
So is two
And three and four
And five,
But potato's not a number!
Now please, son, let me drive.
Six is a number.
So is seven
And eight and nine
And ten,
But potato's not a number!
So let's not start this again!

Day 164 (delayed): Koala

Sorry for the delay again. We had company for dinner last night, and the Sabbath arrived before I had time to write something.

Koala
By Batsheva 5/14/10

A cute little Koala
Was sitting in a tree
Eating eucalyptus leaves
As happy as can be

When a furry little Rabbit
Hopped over to say, "Hi"
And to tell that nice Koala
That she really ought to try

The sweetest yummy clover
That was growing in the grass
"I know you'll love it," Rabbit said
But Koala took a pass

She said, "Clover's not for me
I'm a eucalyptus eater.
It's not in my mind.
It's how I'm designed,
And for me there's nothing sweeter."

So take a lesson from Koala
And eat just what you should
For if you do
I promise you
That you'll be feeling good

Day 163: A Door

A Door
By Batsheva 3/13/10

Do you adore
A door?
I do
And you should too
Just think of a door
And what it is for
It keeps out
What you don't want
Let's in what you do
A way out
A way in
And yes
A way through

The only secret
I suppose
Is to know when to open
And when to close
But if you have that
Figured out
You know what a door
Is all about
And why a door
Is something
To adore

Day 162: The Pen

The Pen
By Batsheva 5/12/10

The pen is an amazing tool
When used by a genius
Or even a fool
A pen can write a poem
Or the US Constitution
And with it you can find
A mathematical solution
A pen can write a shopping list
Or a love note to someone
You recently kissed
A musical score
And a check at the store
A thank-you note
And a write-in vote
An eloquent speech
And a lesson to teach

Yes, a pen can do so many things
But when you stop and think. . .

It can't do much of anything
If you are out of ink

Day 161: Monkey Shines

Monkey Shines
By Batsheva 5/11/10

Monkey shines
At climbing vines
And swinging tree to tree
But Monkey pines
For many things
That he can never be
He'd like to be
A marmoset
But he is much too tall
Or a great gorilla
Though of course
He is too small
But Monkey shines
At all the things
That monkeys do the best
And if he could
I'm sure he would
Pass every Monkey test
So Monkey should be happy
(Now please read between
The lines)
And delight in every minute
Every day that Monkey shines

Day 160: Truth

This one is a little bit different. . .sort of mystical. . .probably unfinished.

Truth
By Batsheva 5/10/10

To question and to wonder
To create and to explore
To learn and to discover
All these and so much more

The opportunities we're given
Here on Earth
While we are livin'
And right from birth
We seek the truth we're living for

There's no future
There's no past
There's only now
So hold it fast
And you'll find the light of truth
That's at your core

Day 159: Rumor Chain

Thanks to my muse, Carolyn, once again. I get stuck. She bails me out. That's what friends and muses are for.

Rumor Chain
By Batsheva 5/9/10

Have you ever played this game?
It goes by many different names
Operator, telephone, or
Whisper down the lane
You pass a secret message
In a long unbroken chain

But when the chain comes to an end
The secret that you learn
Is not the secret message
That began with the first turn

No, the message always changes
In every person's ear
Somehow it rearranges
Even when we think it's clear

So the message at the end
Might just keep the smallest part
Of the one that was created
When the game began to start

Now, if you've ever spread a rumor
That's a chain that's much the same
As the game that we're discussing
But a rumor's not a game

Every time that you spread gossip
You may be causing pain
Though it isn't your intention
The fault is in the chain

Which you're choosing to be part of
Just as if it were that game
But lives should not be played with
That's why gossip is a shame

Day 158: Mother's Day

Mother's Day
By Batsheva 5/8/10

If you've ever had a mother
You've known a love so pure
The pain of a bruised elbow
A kiss from her could cure

If you've ever had a mother
You've known a love so true
Any time that you were feeling sad
She somehow always knew

If you've ever had a mother
You've known a love so great
It's perhaps the most amazing thing
God ever did create

If you've ever had a mother
You've known a love so sweet
The chocolates that you give her
Simply can't even compete

If you've ever had a mother
You've known a love so fine
Of this I am quite certain
If your mother is like mine

Day 157: Stories

Stories
By Batsheva 5/7/10

The stories deep inside you
Are the ones that must be told
They do not last forever
If unwritten
They grow cold

We need to write our stories
To let our children know
Who they are
And where they came from
And to see how they can grow

Then in the far-off future
Our stories they'll still tell
So we'll live on
Even as
They write their own
As well

Day 156: Wanting

Wanting
By Batsheva 5/6/10

Wanting is a normal thing
We do it all the time
But when we want things badly
It can sometimes lead to crime

If you want something enough
To go and steal it from someone
That's not okay
And please don't say
You think it's kind of fun

People can't have all they want
It's impossible for sure
For as they get each thing they want
They find they're wanting more

Nobody said you get it all
Or that life is always fair
But wanting is a good thing
If it teaches you to share

Day 155: The Puppy and the Guppy

The Puppy and the Guppy
By Batsheva 5/5/10

A puppy and a guppy
Really wanted to be friends
And they only had one problem
But it's one that never ends

For the puppy lives on land
And must always breathe the air
While the guppy lives in water
And he never can leave there

Whenever there's a problem
Try your best to work things out
But if the problem's something
You can't do something about

Remember that silly little pup
And that funny, foolish fish
Who really wanted to be friends
And shared an impossible wish

To be something besides themselves
Each to be with the other
Wishing that they'd had each other's
Species for a mother

For if you know a thing cannot be done
It's a waste of time to try
Like the puppy and the guppy
Who just had to wave goodbye

Day 154: Red

Red
By Batsheva 5/4/10

Red it is said
Is the color of passion
A Valentine's rose
And some fabulous fashion

But if you're in the red
It means you're in debt
And that is a red
That I'd rather not get

And if you're seeing red
Like the matador's cape
You're angry, enraged
And in need of escape

Red's the color of blood
Of sweet berries, as well
And the flowers round which
Hummingbirds love to dwell

So when you think of red
Just consider, please, this
The color means pain
Also pure red-hot bliss

Day 153: Lullaby

Lullaby
By Batsheva 5/3/10

Sleep my child
Have no fear
Only sweet dreams
Linger here

Apples and berries
Peaches and cream
The sweetest of treats
For you to dream

Sleep my child
And dream of love
Angels watch you
From above

Kittens and puppies
Butterflies too
Will play in the sun
Along with you

Look at the moon
And the stars so bright
Sleep my child
And dream of light

Day 152: Green

Green
By Batsheva 5/2/10

They say that green's a monster
Full of jealousy and envy
But I consider green to be
Environmentally friendly

Green's calm and peaceful nature
Is the grass and it's the trees
It's the mossy rocks and algae
It's some rivers, lakes, and seas

It's the life force in your salad
It's the energy of spring
The serenity of summer
The pride of recycling

Green's a speedy little lizard
And a slow-paced turtle too
It's a hopping, friendly tree frog
And the still, reflecting dew

Green can be so many things
But it should come as no surprise
The loveliest of greens to me
Is in my sweetheart's eyes

Day 151 (Delayed): Sweet Orange

Sweet Orange
By Batsheva 5/1/10

Creamsicle
Dreamsicle
Sweet
Sticky fruit
Popsicle
Sherbet
And candy
To boot
Even the veggies
Like yams
And like carrots
Still carry
Sweetness
As one of their merits

Orange fire in sunset
And in sunrise too
Is the sweetest of light
The most beautiful view

So if you find
You're feeling
Too bitter or sour
Seek out some orange
It's sweet's finest hour

Day 150 (Delayed): Yellow

Have had no Internet access for the last 3 days. . . .

Yellow
By Batsheva 4/30/10

Yellow's such a happy fellow
Sunshine bright
And butter mellow

Green may be jealous
While blue's sometimes sad
Red is romantic
Or boiling mad

Pink is quite girlie
Purple is royal
Brown can be earthy
The color of soil

But yellow is cheerful
Anywhere, any time
To make yellow sad's
An impossible crime

Some say it's a coward
But that's just not right
I think yellow's simply
Too happy to fight