Day 364: Docked

Docked
By Batsheva 11/30/10

A boat sits safely docked at shore
Avoiding storms and ocean's roar
No harm will come to it--that's true
But. . .
That's not what boats are built to do

Day 363: The Boulder

The Boulder
By Batsheva 11/29/10

A giant boulder
Silent, still
Perched atop
A high, high hill
It is no threat
It does not move
So stable
In its earthen groove

And yet
If someone comes along
With a force
Intense and strong
That boulder
Will begin to roll
And maybe take
A heavy toll

But if people
Must move that stone
They need a plan
That's wisely honed
So they'll be able
To control
The rock
When it begins
To roll

Day 362: Reaching for the stars

Reaching for the Stars
By Batsheva 11/28/10

Reaching for the stars is great
But now I think I've learned
It's better not to touch them
For you're liable to get burned

Day 361 (Delayed): Symbiosis

The result of sitting in on a 9th grade biology lecture. Not great poetry, the rhythm and meter stink, but I was bored and had to do something.

Symbiosis
By Batsheva 11/27/10

Symbiosis means two creatures
Of two species live together
Come rain or shine
In every kind
Of good or nasty weather
"Sym" means together
While "Bio" means life
And symbiosis can cause
Great benefits or strife

Parasitism is a symbiosis form
Where a win and a loss
Are always the norm
One creature takes advantage
Of another
To its harm
And if you have a parasite
It's true cause for alarm

But commensalism is a better
Symbiosis type
One creature benefits but the other
Has no gripe

Mutualism means each organism
Only helps the other
Like a trusted friend, a colleague,
Or a sister, or a brother
And I suspect that
If you're on the ball
You'll see this is the best
Symbiotic type of all

And the moral, I think
If I got this right
Is avoid (and don't be)
A parasite

Day 360: Bones

Bones
By Batsheva 11/26/10

I think you'll find a skeleton
Is much harder than gelatin
It doesn't jiggle
Or even wiggle
Unless you want it to
Those bones provide a strong structure for you

Yes, the skeleton has an important job
Just keeping your body
From being a blob

Bones give a stable, sturdy frame
And shape on which to hang a name

Now, aren't you glad that everyone owns
Those very useful things called bones?

Day 359: Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day
By Batsheva 11/25/10

What do you have to be thankful for
On this Thanksgiving Day?
The ability to think and speak
And the right to have your say
The gift of all your senses
Hearing, vision, taste, touch, smell
Without them you might miss some things
I'm sure that you can tell
The company of family
And friends who hold you dear
On Thanksgiving it's a great time
Just to have your loved ones near

What do you have to be thankful for
On this Thanksgiving Day?
Good health, good food,
A warm, good mood
That's the Thanksgiving way.

Day 358 (Delayed): 50 Years

50 Years
By Batsheva 11/24/10

50 years of herring
50 years of soup
50 years of Zayde
Always hiding in his "Coop"

50 years of puzzles
50 years of pie
50 years of Bubbe
With a gleam in her eye

50 years of learning
50 years of love
50 years of marriage
Made in Heaven above

Day 357: Desserts

Desserts
By Batsheva 11/23/10

Apple, pumpkin, cherry, berry
Banana or key lime
I'll take any flavor pie
At almost any time

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry,
Mint, pecan praline
I'm accepting any offer
When it comes to--yum--ice cream!

Cakes are great and cookies too
Of every shape and kind
Yes, when it comes to sweet desserts
I can't make up my mind

I have no true, strong preference
To me, each one does call
So when it's time to choose dessert
I guess I'll take them all!

Day 356 (Delayed): Forever

Forever
By Batsheva 11/22/10

Forever is a long, long time
But that's what marriage means
At least it is supposed to
Though that isn't how it seems

So many couples get divorced
It happens all the time
Marriage isn't quite forever
Which is sad, though not a crime

It means two people who once thought
They'd be together 'til they died
Have made the choice to live apart
That doesn't mean they lied

They meant it when they married
Their vows were quite sincere
But sometimes situations change
For reasons not so clear

Still, I prefer forever
When I've found a love so true
And I will work to make it last
Forever, my love, with you.

Day 355: Tickets

Tickets
By Batsheva 11/21/10

You need a ticket to ride a train
You must have a ticket to fly in a plane
To see a movie or even a play
Having a ticket's the only way

A ticket's a pass to some fabulous fun
So why wasn't Mom glad
When the cop gave her one?

Day 354 (Delayed): Pomegranates and Cherries

Pomegranates and Cherries
By Batsheva 11/20/10

Pomegranates and Cherries
Are the base of this drink
Which isn't as odd
As you might think
For those are the two fruits
This couple love best
Much better by far
Than all of the rest
Those fruits come together
To make a great blend
A bit tart, but still sweet
Perfect pair, to the end

Day 353 (Delayed): All Golden

I will be posting several personal poems in honor of my parents upcoming 50th anniversary. This is the first. One of the things I like about this poem is the sound effects. In addition to rhyme, I enjoy playing with sounds in other ways. In this case, the words, "All of" said with a certain accent or tone, can be heard as either, "I love" or "I'll have." I think different pronunciations give these words different layers of meaning.

All Golden
By Batsheva 11/19/10

Bubbe and Zayde
Fifty gold years
All of the laughter
All of the tears
All of the pleasures
All of the pain
All of the sunshine
All of the rain
All of the stories
All of the song
All of the love
That was there
All along

Day 352: Suicide

Suicide (He would have been 56 today.)
By Batsheva 11/18/10

Your bitterness and lies
Never let you keep a wife
We should not have been surprised
When you chose to end your life

You took and took and took
It was all you knew to do
Almost, not quite a crook
And then you took your own life too

You had so many gifts
Why was it so hard to give?
Spent your life creating rifts
I guess that made it hard to live

The goodness deep within your soul
Sometimes it shone quite clear
But loving you did take its toll
Guess you've paid now, my dear

Day 351: Orchestra

Orchestra
By Batsheva 11/17/10

Violins, Cellos,
Pianos, harps, bass
Stringed instruments
Are so full of grace

Piccolos, clarinets
Oboes, bassoons
And flutes
Are called woodwinds
They play lovely tunes

French Horns and trumpets
Tubas, trombones
Brass instruments play
Quite a wide range of tones

Last comes percussion
We call, "Tympani"
When these come together
Play a symphony

Day 350: Body

Body (Not a children's poem!)
By Batsheva 11/16/10

This sack of flesh you see
It really isn't me
Skin and bones and fat and blood
It will someday
Decay
In mud
But that's okay
For now
Its role
Is just a suitcase
For my soul

Day 349: Thankful

Thankful
By Batsheva 11/15/10

I'm thankful for the grape juice
I'm thankful for the cup
I'm thankful for this dinner
Now, come on
Let's eat it up!

Day 348 (Delayed): Stars

Stars
By Batsheva 11/14/10

Movie stars
TV stars
What does it mean?
Are people somehow better
'Cause we see them on a screen?

They're ordinary people
Just like me and just like you
The only way they're different
Is the job they have to do

So if you speak to me of stars
You shouldn't be surprised
If my attention wanders
To the stars up in the skies

Day 347: Worse

Worse
By Batsheva 11/13/10

Whatever your problem or trouble
Whatever your worry or curse
If someone just popped your big bubble
Just know it could always be worse

Day 346: Babies

Babies
By Batsheva 11/12/10

They come wrapped up in bundles
These drippy, squishy things
But they're really tiny people
Just like cherubs without wings

They can be so loud and messy
But they're also awfully cute
And mom doesn't even yell
When baby spits up on her suit

I'd never get away with that
Not me--I'm much too old
But babies always seem to
'Cause they're little--so I'm told

Still, I wish that I could get away
With things that babies do
Though I guess that if I tried
They would call me a baby too

Day 345 (Delayed): A Grain of Sand

A Grain of Sand
By Batsheva 11/11/10

A grain of sand upon the beach
Is like nothing at all
Who notices one in a billion things
So very, very small?

But a grain of sand can be quite huge
And even make you cry
At any given moment when
It's sitting in your eye

Day 344: Black Licorice

Black Licorice
By Batsheva 11/10/10

Black Licorice is delicious
Though some people say that it's gross
Yes, I've heard many say that it's awful
The flavor that I like the most

But just because other kids hate it
That does not mean that it is no good
'Cause taste should not be debated
Though people may say that we should

I'd much rather eat my black candy
Eat your red stuff
I'll leave you alone
Now wouldn't that really be dandy
If we say tastes are to each his own?

Day 343 (Delayed): How Many?

How Many?
By Batsheva 11/9/10

How many stairs will you climb in your life?
How many steps will you take?
How many years with a husband or wife?
How many times will you wake?

You never will know all the answers
Though some you will find on the way
We all have to take our best chances
What matters is life
Day by day

Day 342 (Delayed): The Price of a Rainbow

The Price of a Rainbow
By Batsheva 11/8/10

The price of a rainbow
Is living through the rain
The price of finding inner peace
Is putting up with pain

Day 341: Good Advice

Good Advice
By Batsheva 11/7/10

When you fall off a horse
Get right back on
Advice upon which to rely
For one fact that you can
Depend upon
Success may take many a try

Day 340 (Delayed): Cotton Candy

Cotton Candy
By Batsheva 11/6/10

Cotton Candy
Tastes so dandy
Makes me want to cry
Or maybe
It's just all that sugar
Getting in my eye!

Day 339: Delayed: Everything

Everything
By Batsheva 11/5/10

That guy?
The one you think
Has everything?
Maybe he's tone deaf
And really wishes
He could sing

That rich girl?
With the nannies, drivers
And cooks?
Maybe she wishes she just had
A mom
Who'd read her books

Perhaps there's a price
That we all have to pay
For what we have
With what we don't have
Each day
And if there's a bill
Well, I'm sure we can foot it
'Cause no one has everything
Where would we put it?

Day 338 (Delayed) : Our Solar System

Our Solar System
By Batsheva 11/4/10

In the very center is a fiery
Ball of gas
A star, the sun, whose name
Is Sol
And boy, that Sol has class
It keeps the system moving
Keeps each planet in its place
Their elliptical orbits
Going on with endless grace
Sol's gravity controls them all
Those eight fine planets great
And all the little dwarf ones
On which there's much debate
One fact that's not in question
Is the sun's essential role
Within our solar system
It's old Sol who is the soul

Day 337 (Delayed): Coyotes

Coyotes
By Batsheva 11/3/10

I've heard there are coyotes in my town
It's a fact that really makes me frown
Though they look just like a dog
Coyote'd eat one
Oh how I hope and pray
I never meet one

I wish they'd just go back
From where they came
But the poor coyotes can't
It's humans' shame
We destroyed their habitat
Now our towns are where they're at
And there's no one but ourselves
Whom we can blame

Day 336: Bears

Bears
By Batsheva 11/2/10

Bears can be extremely scary
And more than just a little hairy
With very sharp claws
At the ends of their paws
And teeth oh so big
They could eat a whole pig
To meet a bear,
I'm just not ready
Unless of course,
His name is Teddy.

Day 335: Glasses

Glasses
By Batsheva 11/1/10

Some people have perfect vision
And some folks need glasses to see
While some others live in darkness
They're as blind as blind can be

Blind people simply can't help it
Any more than those with good sight
And it's not your fault you need glasses
To help you to see things all right

But if you need glasses
Then wear them
Don't lose them or leave them behind
For people who won't wear their glasses
Might just as well choose to be blind

Day 334 (Delayed): Maps

Maps
By Batsheva 10/31/10

A map can show you how to get
To where you want to go
But before it can
There are some things that you must know

You have to know just where you are
And then, it's plain to see
You need to have a good idea
Of where you want to be

But once you know both of these things
You'll never go astray
If you have a good, clear map
To help you find your way

Day 333 (Delayed): Basketball

Basketball
By Batsheva 10/30/10

Young Bobby loved his basketball
He really loved it most of all
'Twas his favorite game
Which wasn't a shame
Since Bobby grew seven feet tall!

Day 332 (Delayed): Alphabet Names

Alphabet Names
By Batsheva 10/29/10

Adam
Bonnie
Chase
Danielle
Eric
Farrah
Gabriel
Hannah
Isaac
Julie
Ken
Laura
Max
Nancy
Owen
Paula
Quentin
Rachel
Sheldon
Tara
Ulric
Vicki
Weldon
Xena
Yaroslav
Zanetta
There are names for every letter
None are good and none are bad
Chosen by your Mom and Dad
If you don't like yours
When you're grown
Choose a new name
For your own