She enjoyed the stir she created when walking into a room. Intentionally, she was quite a SIGHT. INKED from head to toe with beautiful, intricate designs, it amused her to wear PLAID, making her a busy swirl of color and lines. 

Georg’ann

Known for simple elegance
she mostly CHOSE clothes 
with clean lines, PLAIN, 
no pattern. Occasionally 
a statement accessory in 
Leopard, PLAID, or polka dot.

Heather

With a PAUSE, an arched eyebrow,
a shy smile spreading while 
looking up and down that 
lean and RANGY frame,
“You’re quite a fella. 
Want a piece of TAFFY?
It’s from Atlantic City.”

Georg’ann

Carnival man moves
to LOWER the safety bar, 
Riders STAMP their feet, 
bodies bursting with anticipation. 
Car begins its steep ascent. 
Eyes shut tight, hands clenched. 
Fearful I might FAINT. 
Acceleration as we pass the crest. 
Rapid motion, flinging against 
one another, pushed to edge. 
In a flash it’s over. Stumble out. 
Take my hand, pulling toward
cotton candy, popcorn, TAFFY.

Heather

Thanks, Heather!

QUICK to throw together, 
delicious and satisfying,
BERRY crisp is a winner
across the BOARD!

Georg’ann

Encounters with GUILT, 
steaming from shame. 
Tearful tales of compensating 
for having been made to feel 
unwanted and unworthy. 

Down descends claw 
from mechanical CRANE arm
in the gyp machines, 
always coming up empty. 
What was it grabbing for anyway?

Walking along the WHARF
man SPARS with the air, 
invisible attacker, fear is real. 
Almost trips on a loose BOARD. 
Woman whispers, “we are enough”

Heather

EVERY BELLE knows it’s true: a good haircut gives one a new LEASE on life. And a new pair of shoes? Look out, world!

Georg’ann

Tomorrow we BEGIN
preparations to LEAVE. 
Sign a new LEASE on life, 
as the idiom goes.

Heather

We ALIGN, despite a list of differences 
that could PROVE to CURSE 
our friendship from the start. 

We return again and again 
to the heart of it all.
We relish the way we 
revisit our shared history. 

We REUSE skills and strategies, 
co-creating endless combinations 
that keep us alive to 
the joys of each other’s company. 

Georg’ann

Retreat Abundance

As always, too much. 
EXTRA everything. 
In the kitchen we HOVER
over leftovers, deciding fates. 
RINSE containers, strategize 
artful REUSE, new offerings

Heather

HEAVE-ho, we plunge ahead 
No QUEST too big
No goal too lofty
Let us cut the deck
play POKER with these 
men who think they are gods
Let’s EDIFY them, show our worth  
and challenge their pretense

Georg’ann

Grasping life, I MOURN. 
Grief limns the ordinary
with golden halo, almost neon. 
The way the sun lit the clouds
last week at sunset while we
laid under the swings, reveling 
in nature, backs on astroturf. 
Sweet and SPICE, our time.
Commingling spectrums EDIFY.
Sharpened sensibilities softening.
Softening all my hard edges,
Highlighting what matters 
like the warm glow of sunset. 

Heather

What is that SOUND?
Do I crawl out from 
under the DUVET?
Do I dare to look? 
What possible information, 
what single DATUM
would motivate me 
to leave my cosy nest?
None, I conclude, and
so, I roll over.

Georg’ann

He’s got COURT again next week. A sense of life on the line. OCD kicks in, needs to pull a together a look that reads respect for the proceedings, for himself. Closet holds no options, he heads to the basement, pulls out a MUSTY suit jacket, runs his THUMB over the lapel. Remembers the look she gave him when she caught her first glance. He needs to feel that level of ease, conveying confidence without being cocky. In every detail chosen he strives for shame to be MUTED. 

He’ll go alone this time. Told me he doesn’t want to be reduced to a single, unchanging and largely inaccurate DATUM. Terrified her eyes would never again be able to look upon him with love. Her love is the only confirmation that he has any worth left.

Heather

I CHOSE a CAUSE. I focused and began to  organize. This helps CEASE my daily anxiety, connects me to others, and generates hope. This is how I am meeting the moment.  May we all find a way forward.

Georg’ann

Unplanted annuals laid to WASTE,
as are the few pretty pots put together
when spring blew in the urge. 
Friend generous to SHARE
abundance of seedlings. 
Spring days filled,
other choices made
June has arrived
with departures imminent. 
These plants will wither, 
circumstances changed. 

In this moment I fully admit
what inactions have indicated
for weeks. There, on the stoop,
the promise of nectar neglected.
Glancing with guilt, I see how
they CEASE to be priority, 
or even possibility. 

Heather

We INFER that it will take a WINCH to get the BASIN into place. Thankfully, this part of the fountain is PLAIN and unadorned. It will still be challenging to fit it in among the horses, mermaids, etc. We decide to draw straws to see who gets the pleasure of explaining this new problem to the guys in ADMIN. I was very relieved that it was not me that pulled the short straw.

Georg’ann

Pencil POINT freshly sharpened,
Coffee cup close at hand,
Glasses on, music off.
Work has BEGUN.
Each task another link
in a long CHAIN of tedium.
This day set aside for ADMIN.

Heather

Time well spent

We meet across the grocery aisle,
greet and exclaim over the
happy accident. Not enough, we
say, I must see you more today.
Oh, a plan, we must make,
as arm in arm we go.
Let’s SPLIT a POUND of
beans. I’ll give you five bucks,
not a PENNY more.
Heads together, chums forever

My house or yours, no matter which,
for we will putter in the pantry,
pull together a soup, heat up
a hearty peasant loaf. While we
set the table, we can write
a PAEAN to the humble fare.
Then we shall recite this encomium –
our panegyric song shall narrate
our feast. For dessert, we will PREEN
and admire our clever selves,
self-satisfied and replete.

Georg’ann

That one quite the CHEAT.
Every FIELD played hard. No
concern for muddy consequences
Any QUERY an opportunity
to maneuver like mercury.
Puffed up, oh the feathers.
Never ruffled, proud to PREEN.

Heather

AVOID the ant hill,
watch out! there’s poison ivy!
What next?
Can it get WORSE?
Oh, no, no digging here –
It’s much too ROCKY.
Phew, a ROUGH day
for this backyard gardener!

Georg’ann

Garden Walk

PAUSE in arbor of enchantment,
BOUND by ancient wisteria
vining up limestone pillars.
She is out of place in yard
devoid of character.
Astroturf and pristine pool.
Wonder what she thinks
of what’s come to be.

We, too, are incongruous.
Yet garden gatekeepers
welcome us kindly,
ignore his smoker’s COUGH
and the ROUGH exterior
of our motley little group.

At each stop different notions
of what belongs, everything
placed in appreciation of beauty.

Heather

I am keeping a SHARP WATCH on the baby bunny in our yard. It likes to hang out in the grass, and, in general, to HAUNT the yard like an adorable little fiend. It has a HABIT of eating exactly what I have planted to keep it out of the garden. Amusing and frustrating all at the same time!

Georg’ann

WATCH the children run.
Marvel at how naturally 
they form packs, chase
with delighted HASTE. 
Up and down the tower. 
through the field. 
Slowing, imaginations spin. 
HABIT too easily lost. 
Fast friends, names unnecessary.
No biography or plans for later.
Immediate intimacy in play. 
Dusk descending, a father calls. 
Time to go. Final pleas, 
begging a few more minutes. 
We head in opposite direction. 
She turns, calls out cheerfully, 
“Bye, see you never.”

Heather

“I will BROOK no nonsense from you, evil DEMON!” The words, uttered during the workshop, led to a lively discussion. Many were convinced that there was an opportunity to make up a new IDIOM using these words. Much debate ensued as to what it could mean: devils and notions of streams and other bodies of water, coupled with the idea of intolerance. Sarah was both delighted and annoyed at this response to her play.

Georg’ann

CLASP my hand steady 
through this ROUND. 
DETOX. 
On repeat uttering 
IDIOM of ravaged souls. 
The words have
no meaning to me. 
All I need to understand 
carried in the sound of them.

Heather

The lady and/or the tiger

I adjust, I ALTER my stance.
Standing in the SHADY grove,
I look out at the tiger.
Teeth GNASH, eyes narrow:
Mine or the tiger’s?
I cannot tell. I wait.
The tiger waits.
Who will be the first
to QUASH their fears?
Who will be the first to act?

Georg’ann

This marriage

Vines GROWN woody
over time. 
Intertwined. Moving 
in different directions
weaving back together
in LEAST likely fashions. 
Rambling over one 
CHASM after another. 
Finding something 
upon which to cling. 
Seeking air, light 
at times serve to QUASH.
Untended becomes brittle. 
Leggy mass held
on solid structure. 
Season after season 
something still pliable. 
Tender shoots twist, 
old and new twirl. 
Honey scented blossoms. 

Heather

Feeling as HARDY and strong as if I had on a full suit of ARMOR, I step into the sun. It has been glorious to work in the yard – my tired body bearing witness to my continued ability to be active. I soak up the sun, as if I am a walking SOLAR battery, drawing energy from the light. True, too, that I draw equal pleasure from the cloudy, rainy days. Being the POLAR opposite of my joyful gardening days in the sun, the cool rainy days balance me out. I relish the ebb and flow of the days, feeling alive and grateful.

Georg’ann

Almost June again.
Last year preparing
for treatment. Months
filled with watching
light in the leaves
of the Japanese MAPLE.

Remembering how fear
yielded to contemplation.
Bathed in quiet, held in love.
What I need so PLAIN.
Forgotten, practice reclaimed.
Knowing within how to
navigate POLAR extremes.

Heather

Coming out of the COVER of the trees, I was warned by the low, quiet GROWL of my dog that someone or something was nearby. The park included a pretty little lake, and our wanderings had taken us to its edge. Our sudden appearance startled a few long-legged birds who had been wading in the shallows. Equally startled by their flight, I could not for the life of me think of what they were. STORK did not seem right, more likely herons. I was called up SHORT too by my dogs reaction – puzzled, a bit frightened, but determined to put on a show. It struck me funny, and I laughed with a SNORT, then I couldn’t  stop giggling. The look little Buster gave me in response made me feel I should apologize for making SPORT of his city dog naïveté when faced with wild things, especially birds much bigger than he is.

Georg’ann

Cat prowling, in search of prey. Groundhog ambles into SIGHT.
Yard creatures get a START. 
Scurry, scram to empty the field.
High or low, anyway to go. 
Riveting action, impressive skill. 
In this SPORT each has a role. 
Playing for their lives, all champs.

Heather

ROUND about now,
in the late afternoon,
the DRONE of machines
starts up. Lawn mowers,
leaf blowers, even
a chainsaw or two.
I continue silently planting,
content in the knowledge
that it is all part of the same
song: summer is on its way.

Georg’ann

Clichéd images, photo file within
White stucco HOUSE,
pots of herbs, planted bouquets.
Wide windows overlooking
olive GROVE, maybe citrus.
Beyond, just out of view, the sea.
Wood table, where I WROTE daily.
Penning thoughts in smooth loops
clicking the keyboard rhythmically
then stretches of silence
as thoughts gather.
What does a gathering
of thoughts look like?
New folder created, pinned.
Doesn’t matter about being BROKE.
Needs PRONE to being met.
Good fortune despite no fortune.
Embracing CRONE
that’s always been within.
See her looking out child’s eyes,
guardian, softly soothing.
Some days company comes.
We DRONE on about nothing,
which is everything.

Heather

It is WRONG – I don’t care how GREAT or not you are. We are not simply GRIST for your mill, the churn for your butter, or the stones under your feet. The notion that you can GRIFT your way to trillions on our backs, profiting off our pain may seem like winning now. But you are sowing the seeds of your destruction. Everything you tear down just clears the way for us to build anew. 

Georg’ann

In the garden, 
under yellow flag iris, 
sat a tiny SNAIL shell, 
almost pure WHITE.

So began a children’s story. 
It held promise of enchantment. 
Until tragedy struck. 

Such an IDIOT. 
Should have GRIPT ‘er tighter. 
Lost it to a GRIFT. 
Now my sweet story 
in deceitful hands

Heather

I’d like to see you try to ANGLE your way out of this CHORE, my friend. It was QUITE the mistake – to borrow my SUEDE vest when you were going out to eat some barbecue! Better get working on it – that vest ain’t gonna clean itself!

Georg’ann

Anticipating FLUID hip motion
she chooses black linen jumpsuit.
Large, soft, flirty ruffles
stitched onto wide, loose legs.
Imagines them flouncing.

After a hot shower, skin creamed.
Teeth flossed. Hair tossed.
One foot in, then the other.
Straps glide over broad shoulders.
Hands reach behind,
steady fingers find silver,
begin to pull gently upwards.

Zipper doesn’t want to BUDGE.
Breath holds, heart beat quickens.
Pause, jiggle tiny metal lever.
Smoothly coming together,
glides over long torso.
Lipstick on, gold dangles.
Grabs SUEDE bottomed heels.

Last glance in mirror.
Flashes herself a smile,
gives a wink, gets one back.

Heather

Won’t you be my HONEY?
SHIRK your responsibilities,
turn you life upside down, 
and SHACK up with me? 
We could shell some peas,
SHUCK some corn,
snap some beans 
It would be fine – 
mighty fine – 
to do that
with you

Georg’ann

Wondering at the ant
on the windowsill
carrying a CRUMB: 

From whence did she PLUCK
Might she get STUCK
moving treat that she SNUCK
Will it become item to SHUCK

Heather

The Painting

A courtier sits and ponders
His chin sinking into
his FURRY collar, with
eyes focused far away.
A crystal FLASK and glass nearby,
Amber liquid skillfully rendered
A FOLIO open before him.
I sit and ponder alongside,
perched on the velvet-covered
bench, enjoying this unexpected
companionship across the centuries.

Georg’ann

Annually at Rosehill

Resplendent PEONY display
bountiful GROUP of pinks and white.
Individual specimens en mass
line limestone walls and headstones.
Covering the hillside, filling the air
with perfume. WOMAN going by stops,
fills her face in a SOLID mass of petals.
Reminds me of a collage image
that might appear in Clare’s FOLIO.
Whimsy of a lady bathing in bloom.

Heather

An ache, a pain
A new lump or bump here
A creak or twinge there
The discovery of the new 
So different at 66 than at 6
A SPECK of worry intrudes
A watchful waiting ensues
I try to hold to my AXIOM
“Sufficient unto the day….”
Calmly silencing any ALARM
And taking a breath 

Georg’ann

From our PLACE 
there was no shift
in wind or SLANT of light 
coming through the trees. 
One loud thunder clap,
a few drops of rain. 
Ignored ALARM. 
Continued with movie.  
3 miles south
Tornado struck.

Heather

You may INFER from 
my position (PRONE)
that it is all too 
much to be BORNE.
You would be correct.

Georg’ann

Comes SHARP
GRIEF follows 
ROUTE home 
BORNE alone

Heather

I am really stuck. My mind, a BLANK. WHERE normally images flow, instead, nothing. Absurdity abounds and the images clash, like trying to hang fish in the SOUTH or color in a dresser. It’s a chorus where no one sings in the same key, no perfect PITCH to be found.

Georg’ann

Woke in the night, turning
from side to side. Image
of a fish out of water flopping.
Steadied myself with attempt
to craft a gatha. Zen exercise
combining poetry and meditation.
Within wakefulness SPLIT came.
Not useful then. Held for morning.
No TOPIC ever in mind to begin.
Hit or strike, whatever the PITCH.
You always there to catch.

Heather

Having decided to FLING some steaks on to BROIL, Diana knew she shouldn’t dwell on how late Darren was. It would only further strain their relationship. But really, she was at the LIMIT of her patience. If he didn’t walk through the door soon, she wasn’t sure she could keep her comments to a simple “hi, honey.” Knowing that he would try to placate her only made her more LIVID.

Georg’ann

Grandmothers shouldn’t
let teens wander in Las Vegas

There was no one
to VOUCH for us.
We tried to WEAVE
a compelling narrative
of the long journey across
acres of hot blacktop
only to find chain link.
What seemed a shortcut
was most decidedly not.
Arriving hot, exhausted
and somewhat panicked.
I demanded to be heard.
No avail. Vida would not yield.
Remained LIVID all afternoon.

Heather

ALONG the drive, we enter into the mountains, where roads cut deep. Bare ground is exposed, vulnerable as a human GROIN, where wounds can be fatal. I look and imagine erosion, tumbling rocks as evidence of this injury. My eye is drawn to the signs of healing, where trees are filling in, roots have GROWN, like scar tissue holding the broken parts together.

Georg’ann

Nature imprinted

BEGIN climbing wooded path
grumble and GROAN, alas
carry little one on my back

Begin climbing wooded path
exclamations of joy, converse
GROWN women side by side

Heather

Scorn not the one in need
Never forget that
WHILE some flourish,
many struggle
When we are in our prime,
it is all too easy to imagine
that decline will not arrive,
that we are safe
until the FIFTH of never
But it is an illusion:
if a body you have,
then, some day,
that body will need

Georg’ann

begins AGAIN
gonna WHITE knuckle
path to new BIRTH
pours out FIFTH
drags on cigarette
posture conveys
resignation and resolve

Heather

The storage unit opens with ease. Boxes are stacked floor to ceiling. I begin, taking out a box, cutting or pulling off tape, opening to view the contents. Here, the SPOUT is broken on one pitcher. There, I REACH in and shake out an old t-shirt, stamped with tour dates from a concert at a nearby ARENA. Layers of a life lay before us, exposed, BARED to our scrutiny. We do this loving act, supporting family by digging in and helping. No judgment, no shame. And no need to lay bets or WAGER if this day will come for us. I doubt anyone is EAGER to see the inevitable come, but we ponder, silently, trying to imagine what lies ahead in our own journeys.

Georg’ann

14, out on the town

Unplanned we MATCH
in shades of plum.
Hair upswept, lips tinted.
Think we are all that and more
PAUSE briefly to mutually admire
depart quickly, arrive EARLY
EAGER for our first opera.
Eyes rove across grandeur.
Bodies electric with excitement.
Swelling with self determined
sophistication. Curtain rises.
Too soon restless, caged.
Whisper a plan. Depart quietly.
Go for coffee at the Spoon.
Giggle obnoxiously.

Heather

Let’s WASTE the day 
We COULD play HOOKY
Goof off together and 
find words that rhyme 
with MORON, like boron
Or maybe you play one BONGO
and I’ll play the other?

Georg’ann

Stretch of RAINY days,
lullabies descending from clouds
tucking baby plants ever more
securely into garden beds. 
MELON arrived at the store.
Joins asparagus and strawberry.
BONUS of global fruit markets-
seasons blend into one another. 
Flavors lack essence, too far 
from home, fed industrial water. 
No steady rhythm of warm rain
keeping beat like a BONGO drummer. 

Heather

The signs didn’t AUGUR well. I feared I would have to be clever, ARTSY even, to turn this experience around. But, fortunately, the ALARM I had felt heading in was not necessary. Concern? Yes. Emergent situation? Yes — maybe on the verge of urgent. But, not an emergency. I am AWARE of just how lucky I am.

Georg’ann

CRANE my neck, STARE
peace disrupted, BLARE
culprit isn’t AWARE

Heather

I did CHECK repeatedly in the days leading up to the trip, unable to accept that rain was predicted for the whole drive. But, I decided, a rainy drive is not necessarily something to SCARE ourselves with. And  sensibily, we ELECT to break up the long drive. And indeed, today was the real deal – serious rain the whole way. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a hunter with a shotgun and a DECOY duck setting up a blind by the side of the road.  It was definitely duck-friendly weather.  At the end of my final turn at driving, I had been gripping the steering wheel so tightly,  I was a bit surprised that my BICEP muscles were not sore!

Georg’ann

Coffee STAIN on favorite white shirt. 
Tracy thought it evoked lab coat.
Perfect weight, memory of Philly
thrift store. Hanging with my kids. 
Easy as watching the RIVER flow.

I’ll keep it, someday to be FIXED 
New color. No bleach. 
Joins the pile of cloth waiting
for repair, slight alterations. 

Raise a BICEP like Rosie.
Resistance
one salvaged piece at a time.
Gather with friends
for Stitch and Bitch or 
Discourse and Dye. 

Heather

Unsure of how I feel today, 
wanting to SAVOR 
yet knowing that some 
are BOUND to forget, some
will struggle and grieve

I stand at the stove, 
prod a pancake gently,
consider its doneness 
With a flip, I see too late 
that I am too soon 
it OOZED batter 
challenging my perceptions 

Smells elicit the past, 
a DOPEY smile on my face 
as I imagine kitchens of long ago
She, seated at the table, coffee steaming
He, at the stove, pancakes 
on the griddle. They talk 
about errands: a DOWEL 
for his latest project, groceries to buy

I, pajama-clad and slipper-shod, 
slide in between the words 
coming to lean in and wrap
child arms around my Mama
“Happy Mother’s Day,” I whisper

Georg’ann

FAINT scent of urine. 
HOUSE sealed, nothing fresh.
Throughout a COVER of neglect
Cobweb on the windowsill tchotchkes.
Faded peacock made of MODEL Magic,
spoon man and stretchy cat. 
Dead plant stalk still upright
held up with a DOWEL rod. 
Remnants of relationships
suspended. 
Attentions elsewhere. 

Heather

Walking past the bakery window, a magnificent display: from PLAIN to fancy, so much to choose from, so many possibilities to SHARE. We look, we select, we chuckle at our prize: a BEAST upon which we shall FEAST, a bread dragon with a grin. Oh, what a work of art made possible by YEAST, flour, butter, sugar, and a baker’s skills! Lucky us, we think, as we walk through the door, arms wrapped around each other, delighted with the world!

Georg’ann

I want to be soft, pliable
kneaded, not always needed
DOUGH rising in warmth
while creator watches
MAPLE seed pods spin
their playful descent
take my time to REACT
inevitable the punch
deflation necessary
to build resilient structure
trust no BEAST could bake
requires patience, attention
then letting be
emotions move through
union of hands upon me
in preparation for a FEAST
or daily bread
humble sustenance
only essential ingredients
water, salt, flour and YEAST.

Heather

Reading the news

Feeling kinda LOOPY,
Headlines seem so goofy
Can’t look at another GRAPH
Could we turn away and laugh
We ERUPT into confusion
We fall and take a bruisin’
What a load of TRIPE we say
Not sure if I can take another day

Georg’ann

Draped in TAUPE linen,
this ensemble having
almost become
some sort of TROPE
blending worlds
as she devoured
hominy, peppers and TRIPE
floating in an earthenware bowl.

Heather

TAWNY hair falls across a face, and suitors jostle one another for the privilege of being a LACKY. Skills learned EARLY in life – how to charm, seduce, entice; how to hide any PALSY of uncertainty. Face tilts up, lips part, low, husky voice – the whole exudes a BALMY heat that makes the air thick and heavy. A wonder to behold.

Georg’ann

DREAM of clear water
wide and deep
a single spotted koi
dive beside, body enters
splashless, at one with
emerge dry, seemingly
unchanged
wander rutted road, barely there
large puddles of mud
see rattlesnake in the rocks
caution without fear
move with respect
ahead a quiet cafe
settle in vine covered court
iced beverage, soft coral
pull out a postcard, affix a STAMP
glass and I sweat
air slightly more than BALMY
I hear muffled screams
then wake with a start
you in the next room
mid nightmare

Heather

I continue to grieve. I don’t know why I thought a one-day surrender to it would make it all okay. Don’t get me wrong – I am not in AGONY. It’s more like walking along and being surprised by a loose BOARD, by too much spice in the TACOS. Oh dear, that probably makes me sound a bit WACKO, or perhaps MACHO. Like I am denying feelings. No, that’s really not the case either – this is a grief over a loss that is small but complex. And no less tender, vulnerable, or real despite its smallness.

Georg’ann

TEARY time, open and flowing
like sweat glands at the SAUNA.
Purifying not quite the same.
Not seeking release,
VALID as it is. Truthfully
wishing for less to cry about.
Thankful I don’t have to hide
from the onslaught,
no burden of having been
conditioned as a MACHO man.

Heather