Thursday, July 29, 2010

Day 240: Bananas

Bananas
By Batsheva 7/29/10

Monkeys and apes like bananas
This is a fact I have found
And kids acting silly are told
To please quit "monkeying" around
When people go wild for something
It's said they are going "ape"
And "bananas" can also mean "crazy"
So here's what I cannot escape:

If you're looking for wacky excitement
Don't do any dangerous stuff
Just eat some delicious bananas
'Cause clearly, that's crazy enough!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Day 239: Can You?

Can You?
By Batsheva 7/28/10

Can you take a giant spoon
And ride it to the moon?

Can you sink to the bottom
Of the deep blue sea
And live like a fish
Just swimming free?

Can you take an ice cream cone
And use it as a phone?

Can you gather all the sand
That's on the beach
And put it somewhere
That you cannot reach?

Can you count all the stars
In the sky?

Neither can I.

Day 238 (Delayed): Cleaning

Cleaning, A very brief poem for an endless chore
By Batsheva 7/27/10

The big problem with cleaning is
(This bothers me a lot)
Folks always spot the spots you missed
And miss the spots you got!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Day 237: Onlies

Onlies
By Batsheva 7/26/10

Only children aren't all lonely
They're not spoiled, lost, or sad
They're not self-centered egotists
And no, they aren't bad

Only children are just children
They're the same as any others
The only way they're different is
They've no sisters or brothers

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Day 236: Making Friends

Making Friends
By Batsheva 7/25/10

Making friends is easy
You can do it anywhere
At work or play
Or on your way
Or high up in the air

Oh, making friends is easy
You can do it any time
Morning, noon, or evening
And it doesn't cost a dime

Yes, making friends is easy
But still
Be on your guard
Though making friends is easy
It's keeping them that's hard

Day 235 (Delayed): What You Know

What You Know
By Batsheva 7/24/10

What you know is very little
But it's also quite a lot
It's gotten you to where you are
A truly special spot

And if you feel you're ready
To move on to some place new
What you know will help you get there
But you'll still have more to do

See, you never can stop learning
If you want to move ahead
And your brain's a hungry fellow
Always needing to be fed

But I promise you that you'll succeed
No matter where you go
As long as you're a learner
Who keeps growing what you know

Day 234 (Delayed): Turtles and Snakes

Turtles and Snakes
By Batsheva 7/23/10

Turtles and snakes
Live in lakes
Sometimes in desert sand
And it's not our place
To tell them
Whether they belong on land
Those turtles and snakes
Make no mistakes
About where they belong
Just like the birds who sing
But only they can write their song

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Day 233: Bubble Gum

Bubble Gum
By Batsheva 7/22/10

I love chewing bubble gum
My favorite gum to chew
I can't imagine anything
That's much more fun
Can you?

It's sweet like yummy candy
When chewing you first start
Then once you get it nice and soft
You know what's the best part?

You can blow a giant bubble
Have contests with a friend
And if you make a giant mess
It's worth it in the end

Because I really have to say
When all is said and done
That when it comes to chewing gum
The bubbles make it fun

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Day 232: Laughter

Laughter
By Batsheva 7/21/10

Are you feeling lonely?
Feeling sad?
Feel your life's
Just something bad?

May I suggest
There is a cure
For all the sorrow
You endure. . .

Just find some folks
Who make you laugh
And in their humor
Take a bath
Or swim in it
Or drink it up
Let the laughter
Fill your cup

The only place
There's "Happy ever after"
Is in a heart
That always looks
For laughter

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Day 231: Yo-yo Days

Yes, today was one. Seriously.

Yo-yo Days
By Batsheva 7/20/10

One minute you're up
The next you're down
A yo-yo spinning
'Round and 'round

You spot a bluebird
Flying high
But then it poops
Right in your eye

What can you say?
It's a yo-yo day.

You find some money
Then you lose it
A yo-yo day--
No one would choose it

But if you pressed me
I suppose
A yo-yo day
And how it goes
Is better than
A day that's flat
A day just like
An old doormat
A day that's neither
Good nor bad
Yes, doormat days
Are far more sad
No excitement
None at all
But
If you're never up
You'll never fall
So I must give doormat days
Their due
Though they never see
A magnificent view

And isn't some trouble
A pretty fair price
For all life's
Delicious and wonderful spice?

So maybe
There is room for praise
And gratitude
For yo-yo days

Monday, July 19, 2010

Day 230: Know Yourself

Know Yourself
By Batsheva 7/19/10

Study medicine or chemistry
Psychology or law
At the feet of famous gurus
You can sit and learn in awe

Learn literature or language
Physics or philosophy
Electrical engineering
Or choreography

Theology, anthropology
Business, accounting too
Just make your choice and study
What is interesting to you

The single thing that matters most
In what you learn by far
Is does it help you understand
Much better, who you are?

You can know the contents of every book
On every sage's shelf
And it will not make much difference
If you do not know yourself

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Day 229: Horror Stories

Horror Stories
By Batsheva 7/18/10

Have you ever watched
A horror movie
When you were all alone
Or read a scary book
When there was
No one else at home?

It doesn't matter if
You know the story isn't real
That doesn't change
How terrified
It's bound to make you feel

So even if you're someone
Who does like getting scared
It's still wise to remember
Horror stories
Should be shared.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Day 228: Hate

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hate
By Batsheva 7/17/10

Light a candle
If you hate the dark
Build a fire
From a tiny spark
With darkness gone
There's nothing left
To hate
For the flame of love
How long
Must our world wait?

Day 227 (delayed): Apples

It's just getting harder and harder for me to post before sunset on Friday. Not sure why, as sunset is later now than it was back when I was managing it! Anyway, the following is a true story, from my days as an alternative-to-school tutor. My take on making lemonade out of lemons.

Apples
By Batsheva 7/16/10

Some boys I used to teach
Played with the apples in their lunch.
Tossed them 'round like baseballs--
They were quite a rowdy bunch.

I asked them why they did that
And they replied, "Well, duh!
We hate them. We won't eat them,
So what else should we do? Huh?"

I said, "Give me your apples,
And I'll take them away.
But you may all change your minds."
They said, "That'll be the day!"

The next day I returned
With their apples in a pan,
But I hid them from the boys
You see, I had a little plan.

When lunchtime came around
I asked, "Now who would like to eat
The apples you got yesterday
As an extra special treat?"

Well, no one raised their hands.
They laughed and joked instead,
"If we didn't want them yesterday,
Why would we now?" They said.

"'Cause you never know how things can change
With a little bit of work.
Let's make a bet," I offered,
As I tried to hide my smirk.

"When you look at your apples,
I'll bet you'll want a taste
But if you do, first you must promise
That from now on, you won't waste.

The boys all laughed and said, "Yeah sure!"
They couldn't stop their jeering
Until I brought out my surprise
And jeering turned to cheering!

I took a knife and cut a slice
And said, "You see, right there?
Those are all your apples!
"For real?" They asked
"I swear."

Right away they realized
That I hadn't told a lie
Yes, you should have seen their faces
As they ate their apple pie!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Day 226: Nothing

Dedicated to the memory of Tuli Kupferberg, a genius who would have loathed my poetry. :-) I wrote this as a reflection on this song of his. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HmJX11_AQE

Nothing
By Batsheva 7/15/10

Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing anyway

Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing's all I have to say

Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing is my only word

Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing is absurd

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Day 225: Be the Change

"You must be the change that you wish to see in the world." --Mahatma Gandhi

Be the Change
By Batsheva 7/14/10

The change in the world you wish to see
That's the thing that you must be

If you want an end to war
Then do not fight

If you want to stop the darkness
Be the light

To put an end to hunger
Share your food

To bring an end to sorrow
Cheer your mood

If you seek world peace
Then you at peace must be

To end enslavement
Set your spirit free

If you want no poverty
Then share your wealth

And if you want to heal the Earth
First heal yourself

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Day 224: Broccoli

Broccoli (unfinished)
By Batsheva 7/13/10

Eat your broccoli!
Mama said to me
No I won't
I cried
It's stinky
Yucky
Green and gucky
No matter how she tried
My mama couldn't make me
Eat a bit of broccoli

Day 223 (Delayed): Boring

Boring
By Batsheva 7/12/10

Everything gets boring
Once I've done it for a while
No matter how I love it
Anything becomes a trial

It really doesn't matter
The activity at all
Once I've done it for a bit
My interest starts to fall

But the more I think about it
The more I start to see
There's nothing wrong with anything
The boring thing is
Me

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Day 222: Doctors

Doctors
By Batsheva 7/11/10

Doctors come in handy
If you're feeling very ill
They look you over
Up and down
Perhaps prescribe a pill
Or even a shot
Though I'd rather not
If they insist I will
Take one in the hip
Or in the arm
If it will keep me
Safe from harm

But on the whole
I have to say
Of Doctors
I'd rather stay away

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Day 221: Noah's Ark Revisited

Noah's Ark Revisited
By Batsheva 7/10/10

They say Noah took two
Creatures of every shape and kind
Onto his ark
Yes, so they say
At least those he could find

But he didn't take the fishies
The dolphins or the whales
Turtles, squid or octopi
Nothing with shells or scales

'Cause the flood was one big party
For our water-dwelling friends
No punishment, apologies
Or need to make amends

All those sweet land-critters died
Except each Noah-pair
But all the water-dwellers lived
It hardly seems quite fair

A question you may want to ask
(At least I think you could)
Is what about the fishies?
Were they really all that good?

Day 220 (Delayed): Silly Dream

Silly Dream
By Batsheva 7/9/10

Last night I had a silly dream
The grass was blue
And the sky was green
The shore made waves
While the sea stood still
And the birdies were silent
As butterflies trilled
Kitty cats barked
While dogs meowed
And the men all curtsied
While little girls bowed
Cows all whinnied
As horses mooed
Losing fans cheered
And winning fans booed

And everything actually seemed to me
Exactly as it was supposed to be
And if that makes you wonder why. . . .

I said it was a silly dream
Didn't I?

Day 219 (delayed): Sick in the Summer

Sick in the Summer
By Batsheva 7/8/10

My throat is sore
My snot is thick
It means one thing
I think I'm sick

Being sick in the summer's
A miserable feat
When it's hot and it's humid
A fever adds heat

The thought is enough
To make you weep
When you should be out playing
You're in bed asleep

Yes, it's hard to imagine
A much greater bummer
Than the idea of feeling
So sick in the summer

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Day 218: Twilight Pearl

My daughter asked me to sing her a different lullaby tonight. I asked her which one she wanted. She told me to make one up. On the spot. I've done this before, so it wasn't such a surprise, but this time I decided to put her on the spot, and I asked her to give me a title, and then I'd sing the song. So this is the title she came up with, and here are the words I came up with, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Not much to it, but I will say this, the words "sleep" and "sleepy" had a good effect. We were both unconscious within minutes of my singing this.

Twilight Pearl
By Batsheva (Title by The Kiddo) 7/7/10

Go to sleep
My twilight pearl
Mama's sleepy
Little girl

The stars are peeking
Through the skies
As you are closing
Sleepy eyes

Go to sleep
My twilight pearl
Mama's sleepy
Little girl

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Day 217: Fireflies

Fireflies
By Batsheva 7/6/10

Fireflies
Don't bite or sting
Or buzz
Build webs
Or hum
The worst they'll do
Is tickle you
If they land on your thumb
No
Fireflies do not annoy
Instead
They bring delight and joy
Dark summer nights
They gleam and glow
As they perform
Their twinkling show

They rarely take
But gladly give
These fireflies
Know how to live

Monday, July 5, 2010

Day 216: Love and Hate

Love and Hate
By Batsheva 7/5/10

You cannot hate
Someone you love
Although you think you might
It's anger
Not the same as hate
Just feelings from a fight

And if you let the anger pass
You'll find the love's still true
Continuing eternally
The greatest part of you

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Day 215: Independence Day

Independence Day
By Batsheva 7/4/10

Barbecue
Picnic
Parade
Fireworks
(Don't be afraid)
Music
Laughter
So much fun
Celebrate
In summer's sun
And then before
You go to sleep
There's still time left
Awestruck
To peep
At a noisy, magic
Sky display
It's all for
Independence Day

Day 214 (Delayed by a few seconds!): The Silly Game

The Silly Game
By Batsheva 7/3/10

It doesn't matter if your name is Billy
Or if your name is Seth
It doesn't matter if your name is Lily
Or if your name is Beth

It doesn't matter what your name
We all must play the silly game

What is the silly game, you ask?
I'll answer, but it's quite a task
'Cause the silly game is anything
You want it to be

Now let me see. . .
It's acting like fools
Dressing up mules
Mocking a mime
Talking in rhyme
Laughing at jokes
That no one else gets
Making up crazy
Nonsensical bets. . .

I could go on, but I think you see
How silly the silly game can be

We all must be serious
Much of the time
But life without the silly game
Would simply be a crime!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Day 213 (delayed): You are Here

You Are Here
By Batsheva 7/2/10

Once upon a time
I came upon a sign
That said, "You are here"
And I asked that sign
In a voice quite clear,
"Are you talking to me?"
The sign said, "You are here"
And I said, "I know I'm here
Where else would I be?"
The sign said, "You are here"

We went on like that
For quite a bit
'Til I started to get
Rather tired of it
So I walked about 10 feet away
And yelled at that sign,
"Now what do you say?"
The sign said, "You are here"
And I ran back, pointing,
"No! I'm over there!"
But I wasn't there
Not anymore
So I sat right down upon the floor
And cried and cried
'Cause no matter how very hard I tried
Even if I stayed all year
I couldn't make it stop
Saying, "You are here"

And even today
Wherever I go
I think of that sign
And wouldn't you know
Somehow it's now mine
And it cheers me to hear
Its constant words
Telling me
I am here

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Day 212: July

July
By Batsheva 7/1/10

The month of July
Got its name from a guy
Who was widely known as Julius

And though I really
Don't know why
And you may find it curious
I'm glad they called
This month July
Instead of calling it
Julius