Hold it so gently
So tightly
Tapping it so lightly
Always giving it
Constant attention
Don’t drop it
Don’t break it
Give it power
With you constantly
Cell phones are like marriage mates
Get a new one
Because this one is old
Ok just kidding....bad example

Perfume, garlic, wet dog
That makes a lot of scents

Paying your lunch tab with coins
That makes a lot of cents.

I texted you all day today
That really doesn’t make sents.

Fifteen eighty three
Go to sleep March 11
Wake up March 22
The powers that be
Messing with
The calendars again
Were they vacation days
Or PTO?

The butterfly lay on the ground
Fluttering and screaming
Someone had hit it
With their big machines
Knocking it to the ground
With her babies nearby
Someone with no heart
Someone who took no pride in life
She couldn’t tell me her pleas
I couldn’t understand her agony
She was in pain I could see
Distressed little one
Delicate we had to be
Got her wings straight
She will fly again
Hope she repairs fully
She looks worn but still pretty
How could anyone just leave it
Still alive or not
From here or not
Rich or not
Speaking the same tongue or not
Is the conscience dead
Or are some just not born with one?

Stop feeding the fickle ones and they will go away.

Keep feeding the loyal ones and they will stay.

The fickle won’t starve for you.

But the loyal know they need you to survive.

Sometimes there
Just isn’t a pill
It’s just the will
Of a grey day

Go away ugly coat weather
Hide under my bed
Come out when we need you
But just not today

Twirl in my PJs
Because that’s what I need
I crave more sleep
So down my head I lay

Maybe tomorrow
Maybe not even then
I’ll deal with it when i need to
Then I can pick up my pen

You came upon me
Stared at me with
Giant gleaming eyes
Kissed my arm
Said hello in
Your own words
Took a quick bite
Came back around
Kissed my hand this time
Said hello again with
Your special words
Then went back
To eating your kibbles

Celebrating
The impending train wreck
Showing up doubtful
Mourning the losses in advance
A ticket to ride
With an expiration date?
Putting in an preorder for
Refunds on congratulations
Hoping this train doesn’t jump
The tracks once it leaves the station
You aren’t the conductor
Or the passenger
Step aside and watch
Get out of the way
Cringing, hoping and praying
You can’t look away
This is not a game
Now pronounced farewell
Yourselves will be to blame

Will it make you full of joy?
Will it be too many calories?
Will it make you worry?
Will it help you not worry?
Will it make you have regrets?
Will it make you sick?
Will it be calling your name?
Will it make you happy?
Will it satisfy you?
For... how ...long?
If you can, you should.
If you can’t, then don’t.

Social distancing: difficult but doable

Social security distancing: they had better not!

Sociopath distancing: no problem

Social media distancing: impossible

Socialite distancing: also no problem

Social worker distancing: probably shouldn’t

Butterflies get all the love
Get all of the attention
Come out in daylight
When you can shine in the sun
Fold your wings
Beautiful to peer
Slender smooth stance
Grown in a fancy house

What about me?
I’m pretty too
Stout and fuzzy
Come out at night
Shining in the moonlight
Show my wings on display
Like a jet plane
Grown in modest house
Clothing not as daring as yours  
Name is small and dull

But I can still fly just as far
As you can... if I wanted
I’m not an ugly butterfly
You’re just a fancy moth

While I discreetly
Wandered around
Looking for nobody
You quietly found me
And made me
Your somebody

Our family tree
Woah is me
Has termites

No pictures to prove
Who is who
Boo hoo hoo

Should it matter
Would it make us sadder
If we searched the history of us

Would we find
We are royalty
Or just of the toilet seat

We might find the dad
Who went away
Or was just led astray

Find the town
We are from
Exact locations say some

A can
Of worms
Or just deserts

Do we have to know
Will it make us
Grow

Maybe all we need
Is these little seeds
Of us now to plant

The small tree
Start fresh
Of just you and me

Live it up as usual
Spring breakers
Life on the edge
So close to the ledge
Learning nothing of use
All that education
Given enough stupider
Was really all in the computer

Some words
The four lettered kind you know
Seem to be so overused
That their primary meaning
Has lost its use
It doesn’t make sense
To hear a youth
Or on a show
Or at the desk next to you
Over salting it between
Regular words ruined
I know you think your cool
To the rest of the school
But really it’s just sad
That you talk so bad
I can’t understand this language
You claim is human
It’s made up of a few tacky letters
So don’t talk to me anymore Mr. F
Nothing’s getting thru
You are now a word whisker
It even hurts my ...blank

She made floaty
leaves blow
towards her
stretched out
pressed paw
to grab
under the screen
so the wind had
something
useful to do

No one gets you
Your not useful
In a crisis
Poor box of donuts
I will buy you
And you’re on sale?
I will buy two

Readers can see the pain
Writers can scribe the pain
Artists can sketch the pain
Physicians can ease the pain
Loved ones can kiss the pain
Music can drown the pain
Food can comfort the pain
Laughter can endorphin the pain

What remains?
The pain—always there
No matter what we try
Physical or mental or emotional
Can blend into all of these
No matter how, it’s there
It’s there, it’s there, it’s there
Suffering our own is tough
Trying to understand the pain
In someone else’s shoes...
Even harder

Pain wants to yell and scream
Or be silent and groan inside
So why do we care?
Because of empathy
Lend an ear to hear to listen
To comprehend
To have compassion

We may have no answers
But catching someone else’s pain
When they want to throw it
Even for just a moment
Time offers a chance for relief
Just knowing we are heard