Delphinium Descends

When I awaken early,

Delphinium descends

From the bedroom

Ceiling.

Zinnias, red and orange,

Grow up through the living room

Floor.

Lily, our cat, arises, stretches,

Peers through the viburnum that surrounds

My reading

Chair.

What’s this fresh mischief?

She

Thinks –

I can tell.

I say I don’t

Know.

But,

I don my red velvet dress in celebration.

Of something.

Some unknown

Happiness.

*

I return to our room

My husband still slumbers.

Red roses climb our antique wardrobe I refinished and painted vibrant

Orange.

A no no, I suppose, but I love it.

Husband snores.

He’ll not awaken soon

We had a late night-morning

Out our front picture window, I

See a mama sheep and two lambs

Grazing in our front yard.

Mama looks at me and seems to

Wink.

*

Out back a lion lounges on our patio.

She sees me and strikes a sphinx like pose

I take my book, Death on the Nile, outside to

Read.

Maybe I’ll read it to my feline

Guest?

*

On Marielle’s Birthday

On Marielle’s Birthday, she thinks she might look back on this day and think of it as The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Or not. She has to watch her blood sugar, after all.

Maybe it will be the day she purchases The Golden Bowl? Or perhaps a pewter one. A mercury glass vase? She needs something for cut flowers.

For a few reasons the whole day might be a real Catch-22.

Marielle’s Birthday could be the day she explores Bleak House. It’s kind of a gargantuan house, so she might have to carry on roaming it for a week or so. She might end up absorbed and really enjoy it.

On this day, she might try to find Ulysses on match dot com. She wonders about his profile. It could be long and complex; hard to read. But maybe he likes to explore places, talk about food? The date, if she finds him, could seem endless.

Marielle, on her birthday, could drink a few celebratory martinis, or not. She could possibly find The Thin Man on tinder. But he and Nora could still be pretty tight.

On her birthday, should Marielle show her hand and put her Cards on the Table? Or keep the Secret of the Chimneys?

But one thing is pretty certain. At least she hopes it is. And that’s that she sees no bodies, or cut up body parts, out her Rear Window. Plus these are the suburbs, and if there are any bodies, they can’t be seen through the fences. Anyway, it’s improper, to say the least, to peer at your neighbors through their windows.

On her birthday, or any other day, if Marielle witnesses a murder, she will surely dial M, for Murder, that is. If she contracts Vertigo, she’ll call her doctor right away, but she won’t drive to see him.

If nothing else, Marielle will spend some time in a park watching The Birds. She might count the varieties she sees, or just casually enjoy. She’s  quite the amateur expert. If one can be both an amateur and an expert on something at the same time. Marielle doesn’t know.

On her birthday, Marielle thinks she could head to Washington Square. She needs some more scented soaps, some new lingerie, maybe a new dress or two. It really is a great shopping mall. And she’ll want those things if she does find Ulysses and he turns out to be hot.)

There’s always the chance, at least in Marielle’s daydreams, that she could meet The Count of Monte Cristo, or some other count, prince or duke. No more doing windows or cleaning toilets for Marielle. No way. And her dishwasher is busted. So annoying. Many women don’t want to be rescued, so to speak, by a man. But Marielle’s old fashioned. It would be a-okay with her.

On Marielle’s Birthday, she would like for the sky to be blue. No clouds. Not one shade of grey, let alone Fifty Shades of Grey, thank you very much.

One thing is certain, when Marielle looks at all those dating sites, she will not look for Jude the Obscure, Harry the Unknown, or Clyde the Jailbird. Neither does she want Christopher the Famous or William the Well Known. She just wants a regular guy, unless of course, it’s the aforementioned prince, count, or duke. She’d make exceptions for them.

* Marielle knows there might need to be a Part 2 to this post. She’s nothing if not long winded. And right now, she really needs a shower. She’s lounged in bed a little too long. She will surely return soon. She just might be a little Rebellious Hazelnuts.

Daydreams about Documentaries and Books

Things voyaging my

Mind.

          A documentary,

Hannibal in the Alps.

Elephants, thirty seven,

With an army,

Prepared.

           Elephant eyes say,

What human folly is this?

Their strength keeps their heads above,

The Rhone.

Their eyes say,

We are not made for war, performance.

They say,

Agape.

Their eyelashes,

Butterfly kisses.

With their young,

Hearts gentle, Sensibilities, mythic

Is the great human the hero?

*

Degas’ Dancers in Green,

Not at the barre,

On the lighted

Full Moon,

Or,

In the autumn French Alps.

Plies, leaps through the

Crossing.

What of the Dancers in Pink, In Blue?

In the

Past?

Girl With a Pearl Earring.

The Unicorn Tapestries.

I have many

Questions.

What is it like to be

Painted?

To be

Woven in golden thread,

Left in a magnificent garden to

Rest?

What is this place where magical You

Found Respite?

*

A beautiful brooch,

A vintage cameo

Intricate carved in delicate shell.

This lady I can hold in the palm of my

Hand. Not aged or worn,

With a tiny diamond around her neck.

What stories could she tell if I set her

Free?

Perhaps she wrote a novel –

Of suspense, with suspects,

Many?

*

Out my front picture window I see

The Three Musketeers

Tied Up In Tinsel,

Right across the street. In front of

A Room With a View.

But my view is better,

I also see

The Mending Wall.

It’s extraordinary!

Good fences make good neighbors,

After all

*

The Thin Man has traveled to my present! I

Saw him yesterday. He pulled up to

Bargain Mart in a black VW

Beetle.

1964, I think.

The steering wheel, a work of

Art.

I followed him in. I’m nosy

Like that.

He bought one six pack of Miller Lite.

(Not the best taste there, sorry, sir.)

And one package of Werther’s Originals, I

Guess for the

Road.

I wanted to ask, Where’s adorable Asta?

And to say, All this time, I thought Nora

Preferred

Martinis!

But, I did notice a paperback copy of The Golden

Bowl on the passenger seat…

*

Littles or One Big

Blue bowtie

       White kitty

Fabulous stunner

*

Vintage handkerchief

           Red embroidered

Lipstick print

*

Empty bottle

         Scent remains

Gardenia citrus

*

Pinot Noir

     Candles lighted

Lush kisses

*

Wool scarf

              Winter white

Wearing warmth

*

Magnifying glass

      Clue detection

Sugared fingerprints

*

Agility course

       Winning ways

Border Collie

*

Two raccoons

         One garbage can

Share share alike

*

Wool sweater

       Cashmere soft

Candy pink

*

Sugar maple

                  Sweet syrup

Buttermilk pancakes

*

Pink tulips

             Yellow irises

Baby’s breath

*

Two feeders

                Three bluebirds

One squirrel

*

Baker’s dozen

          Cinnamon doughnuts

Sweet delicious

*

Checked tablecloth

           Italian restaurant

Ravioli cannoli

*

I love pink!

   

              

More Places and Things

A cobblestone street in

An Old Port

Town

A bar on that

Street.

Rosie’s. For beers, chili, cheesecake, and

Maybe,

Darts.  Or just dessert. Cool.

*

A Pacific Northwest Cape Cod

House. A New England

Classic

Among suburban ranchers.

No ocean beach, only

Roses and Rhododendrons.

*

A topaz bracelet. All cognac in

Color, but for one blue gem.

Standing out from the

Crowd. Woods alongside a tiny

Lake. Not gaudy.

Simply stunning.

*

Food of comfort

Pot roast.

Lasagna.

Lyonnaise Potatoes.

A cold winter evening. A good book.

Say,

A Tale of Two Cities.

Or one unwritten. A Tale of Two Portlands.

Write it yourself.

By candlelight.

*

A little calico kitty, named,

Amelie.

Not a place, or a thing.

A lovely, loving

Creature.

Around her neck, a little red heart

Tag.

A little silver

Bell.

Chime – chime, when she enters a

Room

I’m here!  I’m here!

*

A slender mercury glass vase

Containing

A single red tulip.

A bowl of butterscotch pudding with

Real Whipped Cream.

A mostly blue sky, Wedgewood.

Containing

A few clouds, Cirrus, cumulus, cumulonimbus.

*

Things to savor, places to love

Creatures to

Adore.

Sweetest kitty in the Universe.

Miniature Poems, Baker’s Dozen

Water falls, soft

Love arrives, intense

*

Seconds tick away

Kisses touch passionate

*

Chickadee sings, joy

Bee works, prodigious

*

Acorns drop abundant

Hazelnuts pair with chocolate

*

Map itself, treasure

Locket holds heart

*

Strawberry shortcake, summertime

Cherry fruit, maneuvered

*

Book’s pages, turned

Word treats

*

Ripe peach, slurped

Sticky face

*

Clouds move, graceful

Snow falls, confectioners

*

Tulips, pink

And periwinkle

*

Red Corvette racing

Beetle black buzzing

*

The Three Musketeers

Tied Up In Tinsel

*

Don Quixote

Gone With the Wind

A Pine Near a Pond

My golden, Astrid, and I walk. 

Around Berry Park pond.

A puddle of mallards, a mama, five

Ducklings. They look content,

Unafraid.

Does Dvorak’s Water Goblin live

Here?

Beautiful music.

Also sinister,

Villainous.

Sunlight through the oaks.

Shadow branches,

Benevolent.

If Water Goblin here,

Capture by them is certain. If he rises,

He’ll be drowned, bereft of

Breath.

These trees are vigilant.

Astrid barks. I sigh. My mood ring flashes

Green.

What does this mean?

Memory is Trickster,

And I am getting old.

The ring is a long ago gift.

My summer birthday, a party of

Five.

Jessica, Ronnie, Maggie, Karla, and

Me.

All of us, twelve years.

This same park. A picnic. Up,

Late.

Light, long.

Just after dark, we saw a tree we thought

Magic.

A young pine, just three feet

Tall. Adorned with tiny blue fairy

Lights.

I asked why.

It was Karla who said,

There are no other evergreens near.

It feels decorated, special, like it’s

Getting a

Hug.

Karla is gone now So is Maggie.

We didn’t keep in

Touch after high school

Finished.

I feel a chill. My face is wet. Astrid and I sit

Under The Tree.

This pine is grown now, and strong.

I’m sure it wants

A hug.

Places and Things

For warmth,

A red coat,

Woolen, cozy, surprising

White winter with its

Color.

Snowflakes sparkle,

At home on its

Shoulders.

Greet its wearer with glee.

**

Come summer,

A blue heron pair.

A koi pond filled just

For them, they

Think,

Statuesque, ancient.

Fish for their bellies,

Easy

Pickings.

Time to fly on – no challenge means no

Fun.

Cat watches from window,

Two birds she’ll not

Pursue. These are dinosaurs, not prey.

Where are the chickadees, the

Juncos? Just to observe, not

Hunt.

This cat chases only

Toys.

Her feline tonic and

Gin.

**

On the edge of town,

A little shack, painted orange

Sort of like in the Song.

A copper roof, not

Tin.

Weathered, not

Rusted.

Mischief and make out sessions.

Rendezvous,

Real fun.

A little Afternoon Delight, some Dream Weaving,

Lorelei Let’s Live Together, (when we’re older,

and no more Calculus.)

But, Love Hurts sometimes.

Crushes fade.

Love sometimes

Unrequited.

**

Three towns away, a little

Motel.

Also for assignations, couple’s

Getaways. Bigger than the shack.

The Pink Hyacinth.

Cotton candy pink, a cherry red roof.

Twelve rooms all in a

Row.

Free Cable, HBO.

Atmosphere, vintage.

Phones, analog. Though there is

Cell Service if you like. Four bars

If you’re lucky.

And the

Ponderosa Room Bar.

Bigger than the twelve rooms

Together.

People go, but no one admits to

It.

You can tell by the restroom wall

Phone Book.

For a good time, call.

Rome 10 is special, just so you

Know.

The keys to The Love Shack? No. The keys to a storage shed in husband’s and my backyard. 

Miniature Poems, Twelve

Little word nuggets for this Thursday. Appetizers on this sunny day – no calories.  🙂

Sand, toes, mai tai

Windswept, watercolor, blue

Pearls, fountain pen, pink

Oaks, breeze, A Tale of Two Cities

Raspberry sherbet, summertime, blue linen

Library, Key Lime pie, a vintage milk glass candy dish

A front porch, a glass of lemonade, Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

Red gladiolas, a summer rain shower, Difficult Loves by Italo Calvino

a pink silk scarf, a bee hive, blue sky

A maple tree in autumn, apple pie, Persuasion, Jane Austen

A peridot bracelet, a slice of birthday strawberry shortcake, The Maltese Falcon

Lapis Lazuli, a towhee’s song, a gin and tonic

Myriad Things

A single pond lily, on which

Dragonfly

Alights.

An anthropologist of sorts,

She studies

Me.

I’m no

Entomologist,

But I admire

Her. Where has she been in her brief,

Stunning

Life?

Will she be found in fossil form far in

Future?

Wings etched in limestone?

**

The word, beauty.

To many, many myriad things.

A kitten with amber eyes,

An amber necklace with a message,

Eeons old.

A tree of life that speaks a different language,

That maybe mourns lost

Friends.

Desert sands, artifacts revealed when

Wind moves dunes.

**

I wish a long dead author’s ghost to visit me,

Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson,

Tolstoy, Balzac.

How did they do it? The secrets and beauty of their minds.

Painters,

Monet,

Degas,

Renoir.

Was it Absinthe? The wine?

**

A bluebird in watercolor,

A painted bunting in pastels,

A raven in pen and ink,

Queen Anne’s Lace in amber.

Write, sketch, study so I remember.

So my ghost can tell

The Stories

**