Nature Is My Warmth

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I think I dream.

Six sandhill cranes, over my bed,

Soar.

On my right, a wolf sleeps –

         On my left, a fox.

Before I drifted into sleep, I was alone

Though not

Lonely.

But I was cold, not warm.

Now I’m warm, and not

Alone.

The wolf and fox are not enemies to

Each other, as I always

Thought

Neither am I the enemy of either of them.

*

I must sleep in the woods. I can hear

Light rain, but I don’t feel it.

Though it’s cold, and I am

Warm,

I did not try to build a fire as London did

In his story.

Once, long ago, I learned how, but have never

Had to use that knowledge.

Would I have

Succeeded?

Maybe the wolf and fox

Know.

I’m sure they know plenty I do not

They have to.

*

I hear the cranes call.

To each other?

To me?

To the fox and wolf?

The Universe?

The stars appear; Moon rises.

*

The Sky is my ceiling. Nature is my warmth.

*

I think I dream.

*

Drinking, Eating, and Itching

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When Elaine and Dan are together they love to cook and climb trees

To their backwoods love shack they both have the  keys

They cook in the kitchen and in other rooms

They’re creative with their inventive special va va vooms

*

But yesterday they both wound up with poison oak

Deep down inside Elaine and Dan are city folk

They go to the country only on weekends

It’s just the two of them – they have no woodland friends

*

But I guess I should take that statement back

There’s a still behind a neighboring shack

They’ve never met the old human who lives there

But he left them a note saying he has moonshine to spare

*

When they drink it they can’t feel the itch of their rashes

Also in their beef stew – they add some splashes

They must forgo the intimacy tonight

They won’t add more itches they’d have to fight

*

They’ll wine and dine the next time they come

And they’ll share with their fun neighbor some most excellent rum

It’ll be an uncomfy ride back to the city

Neither Dan nor Elaine are in the mood to be witty

*

They pack their leftover pastitsio in the cooler

They have plenty for next door neighbor Lady Hillary Hewler

And no stop this time for Italian sandwiches at Amato’s

Elaine likes hers best with no to-mah-toes

*

They pick up their lovely lab at her fabulous sitter’s

And they have three cats and a chameleon – they sure love critters

Also no market to pick up some cheese

They just want to get home – they’ve started to sneeze

*

Later Dan’s in the kitchen baking chocolate cake

Elaine’s in a cool bath for her rash’s sake

Dan brings her a gin and tonic

Her itch is making her feel demonic

*

When she gets out of the tub – Dan’s kind of in the mood

Elaine eats some cake and checks on her animal brood

She decides she’s good to go

So even though they scratch – they can’t say no

*

Some Vibes

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Pink pearl necklace, a cranberry velvet couch,

           Reading Balzac, Berlioz plays, thunder

                  And lightning. Gray tabby purrs.

*

A countryside cabin, rain on its roof, a fire in the fireplace, reading Kawabata. Vermeer’s View of Delft painting, a pewter pitcher of Calvados.

*

A room painted Matisse blue, a vintage pine table, a blue fountain pen waits.

                     Reading Hawthorne, a raucous raven peers in, a book of Poe’s poems.

*

A little attic space, midnight candlelight, a blue silk robe, reading Yeats,

      And a silver vase of lobelia.

*

Giant snowdrifts outside, warmth inside, with a fire in the fireplace, a white mansard mansion,

                          Reading Dickens,

                          A pink organza dress

*

A maybe haunted library, an orange velvet wingback chair, reading Sayers …

      An ivory cashmere sweater, Ravel plays on

             Vinyl.

*

An ivory silk blouse, black patent leather mary janes, and a black onyx necklace.

                     Reading Flaubert, an antique map of France, scent of sandalwood.

                      A black cat snoozes

*

      

Delineation

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Beach and sea

Delineation

Line in sand

Tide and foam

Boundary which moves

           Toes cross border

              Feel cold whole bodies

           Salt water welcomes

Sun, minerals, tears washed away

   Surfers ride

It’s getting dark

Waves invisible, the castles, lights out

*

Clouds in sky

Delineation

Blue, endless, a Cumulus door

Its entry moves, changes shape

         Ethereal white home –

But whose?

          A star’s daytime hideaway

     The moon keeps watch

Night is when inhabitants make

       Mischief.

Surf within the

                Constellations

Signs of water – Cancer, Aquarius, Pisces

       Leo awaits the Sun.

Feline impatience – He prefers heat, fire.

Nimbus nighttime

Respite for Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Capricorn.

Sleep by starlight

Under Venus’s watchful eyes.

             House of Sky is grand

There’s        room        for         all

*

Morning, wind is made

Windows, doors close

Water signs

             Crave sleep.

In dreams more borders crossed

               Delineation, blurred. 

       Universe keeps Time.   Clouds make shelter.

                       All the Tomorrows.

Deidre and Byron

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Deidre thinks Byron has a great physique

And the color of his eyes is quite unique

It’s an odd shade between true blue and emerald green

Byron is intelligent – so Deidre has seen

*

Deidre’s favorite color is pastel pink

She writes in a blue notebook with special red ink

Byron has his sights set on her

He calls her the French name for flower, Fleur

*

She wants to cook him pork chops – but Deidre can’t

Byron balks and eat them he shan’t

So she makes him her specialty – Lima bean casserole

And a delicious banana profiterole

*

Twister is Byron’s favorite vintage game

It’s a good thing Deidre doesn’t think it’s lame

Together they have some pretty fun times

They both love their tart margaritas with limes

*

Deidre’s middle aged and has a segmented neck

Byron sees it in the light of the deck

But he knows he has a double chin

And odd webbed feet but at least no fin

*

They both like to jog

But there’s so much smog

They walk instead

Around their neighborhood they long tread

*

Deidre can be lax in shaving her pits

And Byron eats lots of his beloved grits

Though that’s nothing to do with what’s inside

They love each other and together abide

*

Byron likes camping

But Deidre prefers glamping

For her it’s a cabin with a luxurious shower

But that’s not close to nature and it makes him glower

*

Byron’s balding – but Deidre doesn’t care

He also wears his bowties with flair

Deidre savors pistachio ice cream

Together they’re truly living the dream

*

Deidre’s lips send Byron reeling

Byron’s kisses send Deidre to the ceiling

They’re lovers until the end of time

I hope you’ve enjoyed this couple’s rhyme

*

Lovely Candytuft

Misbehaving Houseware – a Rhyme

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Roses whisper in Chloe’s ears

They tell her that her rent is in arrears

She just found out her magic garden speaks

Her tomatoes are gossipy and so are her leeks

*

Her spoons add gin to Chloe’s tea

She’d rather have prosecco – can’t they see?

She’s incredulous that her silverware can plot

So what about her favorite copper pot?

*

Her copper pot can talk indeed

And on Wednesday she caught it smoking  weed

Her boyfriend understands and knows Chloe’s sane

Sometimes he hears the cussing wolf’s bane

*

Worst of all are the sneering crocus

They’re full of scheming magic and bad hocus pocus

Why does Chloe have such misbehaving plants?

They’re cattiest of all to neighbor Ida Krantz

*

And why do her pots and silverware act crazy?

She just doesn’t get it and wishes they were lazy

She wants to donate her ware to a thrift shop

But they might escape and down the street they’d hop

*

It would truly be a totally bizarre sight

And it wouldn’t happen at night but in broad daylight

And what of her ill mannered garden blooms?

They can’t merely be swept away by brooms

*

She admits she loved watching them grow

And one always reaps whatever one sows

Why did they grow up to be so bad?

She weeded and loved them – it’s so very sad

*

Today her copper pot said I’m sorry

Don’t call the cops and I won’t be their quarry

I promise I’ll never smoke again

Only if ever in me – you cook a hen

*

In the end Chloe decides she loves her home

And everything in it – she’ll never roam

Even if her flowers are bad now and then

Perhaps she’ll write a novel with her favorite quill pen

*

Alliterative Lines – J, K, (and Kn,) L, and M

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Juniper jumbled, jasper jaded. June, July, January, jukebox. Jungle, justify, justice, jolly. Jelly, jam, julep, jousting. Jaunty, jonquil, jasmine, johnnycake. Jocular, jumpy, juicy, jamboree. Jester, jovial, jostle, jubilee. Judge, julienne, juvenile, javelin. Jewels, jetty, jackdaws, jugular. Jumbo, jawbone, jacaranda, jury. Jalopy, janissary, junkyard, jerseys. Jaguars…

—

Kites, kindling, kumquat, koan. Kindness, kinship, kooky, kayak. Kettle, kippers, killers, kelp. Kitten kismet kisses. Kaleidoscope, kilter, kangaroo. Kudos, kiln, kindergarten, kit.  ** Knowledge, knots, knobs, knives. Knuckles, knees, kneeling, knapsacks. Knead, knack, knock, knave. Knoll, knit, knight, knap. Knickers…

—

Lover lasting lunar larkspur, Lamplight lightning legend lore. Lusting lakeshore leopards luminous. Larceny lifting lentils, Looming lacrosse large, Loggers lounging, lipstick. Luscious lime lemons, Linen, lace, looping, lacquer. Liquor, linden, loquacious, lanky. Looking, lively, lions, lemurs. Lilies, lupine, lists, lately. Locusts, ladybugs, lassoes, little. Literature, letters, lifeboat lilting. Leverage, leaving, luster, loss. Leeward…

—

Marvelous milestones miraculous. Merry mortal marooned. Macadamias margaritas moguls. Morganite mellifluous melodious. Muffins masticated morose. Movement matriculates miasma. Mandible masses moribund. Moss mills mild. Mercury mutual mysterious. Merit, moral, meaty. Miffed mortified mankind. Mountainous murky monkshood. Mandrake mileage maybe. Mega…

V and W (More Alliteration)

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Voracious vague vanity vociferous, vitality vigor.

Verified vilified, vocations vibrant, voluntary, vaporizing.

Vacation, vitamins verses Vidalia, validate verity.

Vicarious visible, vestments vital, vines vivify.

Voluptuous visors vices villas, velvet verandas.

Victorious vivacious vocabulary, vineyard, vicars virile.

Volition valuable venison victuals, velour vintage.

Vixens venues, vegetables voltage, voting vases.

Videos victrolas voices virtual, virus vaccinated.

Visitors, vestal vermin vinyl, vague vacuum.

*

Windows wisdom, wobbling wicker

Whiskers wizened, wealthy winsome.

Wicked windy, willows,   welcome.

Wafting willful winding wandering

Wasps, worms, wine, woeful.

Wallpaper, warnings, wishes… whence.

Watching, wooly warmth    –    wellness.

Wounds, whining.      Weird woodsy.

Wallflower waving, westward, winter

Wow whoa what? Who?

Weasels, whispers, wacky, weekly

*

Yet More Little Alliterative Poems – R, S, T, and U

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Rotunda rises, rapidly recovered. Reclamation

Reading rabbits, rectangles rare. Rambunctious

Remarks relative, reconnaissance revealing. Romantic

Retribution realistic, rhyming rhythm. Robust

Relic retro, receiving regiments. Rentals

Relief remorse, rutabaga ripe. Reneged

Recess rambling, rototiller respite. Relinquish

*

Sartorial sublime suspended. Surreal satisfaction, supposedly.  Sashay.

Syllables surrendered soon. Salient summary, surprised. Subtle.

Subterranean serpents subpoenaed. Supple supplements, subjects. Simple.

Sugar spices soldered. Serrated separated, serene. Sable.

Scientific swordfish swelter. Solar sapphires, sunstones. Summary.

Sunshine sparrows sated. Swallows salutary, swilling. Semantics.

Supreme supercillious sudden. Sequins summit, seldom. Soothsayers.

Subsist subtract submarines. Superlative sabers, simultaneous. Slurry.

*

Talented televisions tiresome. Tureen turnstiles telemetry. Torpor, telepathic.

Temporary tornadoes tumbling. Tongues tongs totally. Topics, troubled.

Torpid tapered topiaries. Transmit tailors tamed. Taught, taffeta.

Territorial tweezers tonal. Turmeric tussle tupperware. Tuner, tumultuous.

*

United, uvula, ubiquitous. Ungulets, usurp utilities.

Ulterior, underhanded, ukulele. Upsurge, unctuous, undeniable.

Upscale, unhinged, usury. Ufologist, umbilical, urologist.

Uncanny, ungainly, underdog. Ultraviolet, ultrasonic, unbelievable.    

  

Alliterative Poems – N, O, P, and Q

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Naturally neutral, niceties ninety, nouns

Never network nests, nemeses notwithstanding

Northwest, naughty neutrons, narwhals nebulous.

Nordic, neither neighbors nor – neurotic

Nomadic nautical, nanoseconds, necks, nil…

*

Otherwise opportunistic, opinions, options, original occurrence.

Oily, omens omnibus, optimal occasions ought

Orange, overtly ostrich, oval octane obtrusive.

Overtime, oatmeal, ocelots oasis, onyx oboe.

Osmosis, oxygen, oxymorons oscillate, often oxen.

Ointment, octagonal, ossuaries, occipital oriented oxfords… Orwellian

*

Plaintive, pensive, productive pendulums.

Prosperous, pileated, perusing plaid.

Pixels pictures, pines prepared.

Programmed positive, places plural

Pleasant prestidigitation, pred, prior… Parallel.

*

Quilters quiet, quaint quarters, querulous quintuplets.. Quadrangles

Quizzical, quintessential, quandaries quince, quantum quibbles quipping.

Quail quarantined, quests quarrel, quarters quotes quills… Quality

Snickers