The Nest of the Ignored

She steps into the steeping brew of the cafe
Stories and dreams held close, fluttering to escape

Smiles
Hugs
Laughs
Settling

Now the words pour out, some strong and some weak
They rush and they are warm and they are wanting

These urgencies, these fragile utterances
fly with purpose
wish for witness

With great hope they travel
only to find
eyes pointed elsewhere
posture slack
a wounding vacancy of attention

A slight inward breath
gather gather here, inside
there there now, mommy is here

She splits herself in two
Pushes the button labeled automatic
Asks a question; nods on cue

If you look behind her now, maybe a little to the left, you can see her there
Hunched over her nest of the ignored
Her back is turned, she does not look at you
Why should she?

a mystery solved

a riddle-like dilemma shows itself today

i find myself here again with nothing much to say

should it be an image that i conjure in my mind

should it be a concept that i search inside to find

should it be a missive to a friend so dear

should it be a story with a moral tier

the challenge here we see, now come into view

is to answer the question, what thing should i do?

what direction to take, what thing should i make

which words to write down, try clever or clown

and isn’t it easier to simply track the truth

and find that in so doing i become a sleuth

i’ve solved the very mystery that seemed in my way

looks like i have found yet another thing to say

we all have our quirks

changing a pattern can be rather hard
call it a habit, a rhythm, or mode
the things that drive us, our own life code

to make real change takes quite a large effort
you can read loads of books and decide from your gut
only to find yourself still in that rut

there are two paths here that seem rather true
the first: do nothing and stay where you are
this is a sure way to not get very far

the second: keep trying to find your own way
if one approach does not work, try something new
don’t let yourself get stuck in this is the way I have to

there are infinite ways, we all have our quirks
we are all just a little bit different you see
what works for you might not work for me

Wizzelly and The Bright Orange Shoes

It was a lovely October day
and Wizzelly was super proud
he had gotten some really bright orange awesome shoes
if you saw them you might describe them as loud

but man, Wizzelly loved these things
he was walking with all kinds of swagger
on the way to school this day
but around the corner, quite staggered

came some of the bullies
from Wizzelly’s neighborhood
they saw those orange shoes from down the street
and they started screaming, as they would

“oh man look at that kid’s shoes
those are so crazy and weird
ha ha ha ha ha ha
what a loser, loser loser!”…the sound only cleared

when Wizzelly got way down the street
away from that mean pack of boys
he was feeling a little bit lower in stature
he had lost quite a bit of his poise

he loved these bright orange shoes
he thought they were super cool
but now he was considering
not even going to school

then his friends Walter and Will
came running up to him
“Oh man Wizzelly, what cool shoes
you look just like Captain Jim!”

Captain Jim was a teacher
at Wizzely’s school
he was the very favorite
the teacher who did rule

and Wizzelly had a choice
to listen to those mean boys
or to listen to his pals
which would he discard, which would become noise?

Wizzelly looked down at his shoes
and they shined right back at him
and he conjured up his love of those shoes
and the world stopped looking grim

Those shoes made him feel mighty
like he was superhero
and no one, not even mean bully boys
would make him feel like a zero

so on they went and got to school
and Wizzelly showed off those shoes all day
he treated himself with all kinds of respect
and it made everyone feel that way

the lesson here I think
is to stick with what you love
don’t let bullies bring you down
you have to ignore their shove

and if you start feeling bad
your friends will be there to help you
trust yourself to guide you right
and to those things you love stay true

this thing that i love

deep in my heart
I am grateful for you
for the time you spend reading
for the things that you do
sending a heart
or sharing a smile
I’ve done this 100 days now
that is quite a long while
long enough it seems
to make a new pattern
but not long enough
to make a trip to Saturn
not that I want to go there
it seems rather cold
I plan to stay here
I have my practice to hold
let’s end things quite simply
with this way to be heard
with this thing that I love
let us end with … words.

beholding questions

i want to live in a place where questions are held
and examined and loved and even beheld

the truth lives in answering…not in getting it right
we are in motion and then, well, good night

i’m holding the questions
deep in my heart
and hoping somehow
they turn into art
then i can share them
spread them around
make something good
find my own ground

the truth lives in answering... i won't get it right
i hope to keep going and then, well, good night

fun & games

Peter chuckled.
Ruby laughed.
Stella finally buckled
and Shawn played the giraffe.

Leo guffawed.
Carol kept score.
Boonter pawed
and Kim wanted more.

Tim was smiling.
Ken was too.
They were all having fun,
how about you?

marigold (part 6)

Walking in the wind was one of Marigold’s favorite things and this morning it was very windy! It was still quite early but she was out, doing her morning exploration, she called it her walkabout.

She would survey the flowers, the trees and shrubs. Looking for changes both below and above. She walked towards the stump, yes, the now famous stump. As she got closer her heart started to thump…

Another pencil - it was just sitting right there! Marigold was stunned, she was locked in a stare. Her mind was racing, her thoughts were alive…

How did this happen again? What is going on? How can we figure this out? Where could a pencil just come from? Is this some kind of trick? What will we do now? What is going on?

Just then Cody skittered along, when he saw Marigold’s face he worried something was wrong.

“Marigold, what happened?” Cody let out a combination squeak and scream.

Marigold pointed to the pencil and the words, out they streamed, “Another pencil, there like before. The mystery is deeper, I have to think more.” With that Marigold plopped herself down, right on the leaf covered dirty hard ground.

Cody decided to leave her alone. He would go find the other Detective Club members and share what was known.

Marigold sat there, trying to think. She sat and she stared, not even a wink. As she was trying to puzzle it out, she was startled indeed by a friendly small shout.

“Hey, you there! Can I ask you a question. I may have left my pencil here after my last drawing session. Have you seen it?”

Marigold’s eyes grew as big as saucers and she whipped around to see a teenage boy standing there. He was carrying a big drawing pad.

In an instance she knew, the mystery was solved! This boy left his pencils on the big log while he was drawing the view she had seen. So simple, so perfect, so truly delightful!

She bounded up and grabbed the pencil from its perch, “Is this it? The one you left. Can you now stop your search?”

“Oh, and by the way,” she rummaged through her coat pocket and produced yesterday’s appearing pencil, “did you leave this one yesterday?!”

“Yes yes, those are my pencils. My favorites for drawing in fact. Thank you so much for finding them. I must have just set them down and forgotten.”

He reached out his hand, “Hi, I’m Peter. And thank you again.”

Marigold reached out and shook his hand, she felt like a real adult, “I’m Marigold. I’m the head of the local Detectives Club and we are so glad to have this case solved.”

Peter chuckled.

Just then Marigold noticed that Cody had returned with the rest of the club. “Oh, let me introduce to everyone! This is Bernice, and Reginald, and Mildred and Mattie, and Stan, and of course here’s Cody.”

Peter thought he heard something that sounded like a squeaky scream coming from the little mice, and, wait a minute… were their lips moving? And then he thought he heard a sound like a owl’s hoot but maybe a word as well. He was truly perplexed. Of course, the entire Detectives Club was excited and they were all talking at once. But Peter was probably a little bit too old now to really understand anyways. It takes a certain kind of person to keep their ears open to really hearing.

Instead, he thanked Marigold again, glanced around at the animals, nodded his head, and was gone.

Marigold declared “Time to celebrate our first case solved by the Members of the Detectives Club! Good work all! Hip hip hooray!!”

Everyone was happy, except maybe Stan. What do you think he was doing? Of course, he was taking a nappy.

unknown footprints

if there had been footprints there was no way of knowing
whoever walked here before will remain unknown
i may imagine to feel something, walking in the wind
i do imagine, i do not know
i do feel someday my footprints will be unknown
i wonder if they will be imagined?
what remains, i do not know, walking in the wind

marigold (part 5)

I will tell you a story now of the club members exploring the place where the pencil was found. Well, not Stan, he is snoring.

The ground was covered in leaves and the wind had been blowing. If there had been footprints there was no way of knowing.

The club members searched for clues each in their own way. None of them knew what to do, that’s for sure, but it was still a very exciting day!

Mildred and Mattie scurried low to the ground plenty of effort but nothing was found.

Bernice flew to the top of a very tall tree she scanned from above, but there was nothing to see.

Reginald he stalked from around the edges, rooting in holes and under some hedges.

Marigold and Cody stayed close to each other. Cody was like a little squirrel brother. But they found nothing that looked like a clue. Marigold wasn’t sure what really to do.

She plopped down on the big stump, put her chin on her hands, wondered aloud and started to slump.

“Cody, what are we doing to do. Without any clues I can’t see how we can solve this little mystery! Where did this pencil come from. This is a really big conundrum.”

Cody looked at Marigold with his almond shaped eyes and said, “I know, this is a real surprise. I thought we were the best detectives around. But there is no clue to be found!”

As they were sitting there Marigold noticed something. Something she hadn’t seen before. The view down the valley from on top of the stump, it was a view someone might come here for. But that little fact, it passed through her mind…for nothing interesting about it did she find.

And so … our detectives are feeling quite low and the rest of the day moves on quite slow. Let’s leave them now to go their own way but tomorrow will be a quite surprising day!

marigold (part 4)

I will tell you a story now
of that same Detectives’ Club meeting
the last of the members finally arrived
and here was the sound of their greeting.

Mildred and Mattie were fighting
as sisters sometimes do
“squeak squeak squeak” they both cried loudly,
“I am mad at you!”

Reginald was a regal looking skunk
he was sitting quietly
wondering why he was summoned
his tail high in the air, waving sprightly.

Stan was a slightly surly
fairly round racoon
he could be trusted to take a nap
every afternoon.

He looked as if he might
fall asleep right now
but Marigold starting speaking
and got his attention somehow.

“Thank you all for coming
to our first official meeting.
The Detectives’ Club has our first case!
My heart is really beating!”

“I want to tell you all what I know so far.
Please everyone listen closely.
I only know very little really
just what I found mostly.”

“I was walking around this morning
and noticed something odd
there was this red pencil sitting
just all alone on a big log.”

(At this point Marigold held up the pencil.
She wasn’t touching it with her fingers,
she was using two leaves as little makeshift gloves…
you know, she didn’t want to disturb any fingerprints!)

“I looked around and saw nothing more
and I saw no real clues.
But maybe I missed something…
explore the scene of the crime, that is what we should do!”

At the mention of the words clue and crime
the mood in the Detectives’ Club Clubhouse
changed and the excitement was like just before opening birthday presents…

Mildred and Mattie were tittering and twittering and their tails were quivering!
Bernice’s eyes seemed to grow to twice their normal size!
Cody looked like he might jump right out of his skin.
I don’t think a squirrel ever looked so excited!
(Well, maybe when finding a long buried nut.)
Reginald’s tail looked taller and more bushy than ever.
His face may not have changed, but his tail told the tale.
Stan, well, he mostly still looked surly and a little tired,
but if you looked very closely, you would have seen his nose
and whiskers were twitching pretty wildly!

“I think that right now we should
head back there and see.
I will lead us all
to the place under the tree
where I found the pencil
and we can look for clues
but don’t disturb anything
whatever you do!”

And so the chase begins,
the club is is on the case.
To see them all earnest now
would put a smile on any face.

Let’s leave our friends
to make this walk alone
we will join them once again
when they enter the clue finding zone!

marigold (part 3)

I will tell you a story now
of later that very same day.
The Detectives’ Club had gathered
in their own unique way.

The clubhouse is more of makeshift
tent made of sticks and a tarp.
It sits under some willow trees
and the ground under has nothing sharp.

In the middle of the clubhouse
made of a giant old piece of tree
is a wobbly table
and around it do sit three.

Here we have Marigold
anxious to get started.
And Bernice is here, feathers fluffed
ready to be very smart.

Also here is Cody, a cute little squirrel
and Marigold’s best good friend.
Cody has a wild imagination
he can always pretend.

In fact we hear him now…
offering ideas
for how the pencil got here
they call this his idea diarrhea. (YUCK!)

"Well, it could have been a construction worker making plans
or wait, there is no construction planned.
Or maybe there was a school teacher who brought her class here,
but wait – wouldn’t we have seen them?
I bet it was dropped from a survey helicopter
or maybe it was a pencil delivering drone who dropped it by mistake!
Is there such a thing as pencil delivering drones?
Maybe late at night, when we are all sleeping, pencils come to life!
Maybe there is a whole world of pencils and pens and paper that are alive
and we just haven’t met them yet - oh my, that is an exciting idea!
I know! It was a ninja who stopped here on her way to a great adventure
and she was marking her map! Yes that has to be it!
Or wait - I’m sure this is it!! There must be a pencil salesman who is here
in our town and he was taking a shortcut and one of the pencils dropped from
his case! Yes yes, that has to be it!
Marigold, I think I solved it !!!"

"Oh Cody, I love you. And maybe you are right.
but we have to find some clues,
make your ideas airtight!"

Bernice looks quite annoyed,
but kindly says, in her owl-ey voice,
"hooowoo Cody, woowhere doo yoouu
get yyooouuur ideas? Toooooo many choooiicces!"

Maybe Cody is right
and he has solved the mystery.
But we won’t know until later
because for now, this story is history.

(Please close the book now,
you can come back later.
Also, I’m sorry Owl Speak is hard to read
but I’m sure you can manage if you try.)

marigold (part 2)

I will tell you a story now
of a bright Tuesday morning
when Marigold gathered the Detectives’ Club
without really much warning.

She had found a pencil
sitting on a stump
back in the back of the gardens
where there is mostly only leaf lumps.

"How does a pencil get here?
It can’t just come from the sky.
We have to investigate quickly.
We have to figure out why?"

Just as she was hatching her plan
along came Mildred and Mattie.
They were young little mouse twins -
Mildred was kind; Mattie could be bratty.

“Good Morning Marigold,” squeaked little Mildred.
“We are out exploring and how are you?”
Marigold knelt right down and spoke direct to both,
“I’m so glad you are here, we have so much to do!”

"I found this mysterious pencil, just lying right over there!
How did it get here? I see no real clues.
We have our first real mystery, we have to gather the club!!
Everyone is welcome, even if they haven’t paid dues!"

Mattie was very excited, her tail was practically quivering!
“Marigold, I will run and get Reginald. Mildred, you can get Stan.
Oh my this is so so exciting!!
Is this a very good plan?"

"Yes, it is perfect Mattie. That leaves Bernice and Cody.
I will go and find them now, I hope neither are out.
Just gather at the clubhouse and wait
and if you need anything just shout."

The twins scampered away and
Marigold quickly turned. Now making her way
towards the large grove of oak trees
where Bernice the Owl usually stayed.

For now perhaps we set this down
and leave a little tension
oh but one thing, I did forget to mention…

The title of this story is:

The Case of the Appearing Pencil

marigold (part 1)

Between two smallish hills
tucked between two big mountains
lived a young girl named Marigold
her house, it had a fountain.

The neighbors called it Flower House
because it was almost covered
by plants and flowers everywhere
paradise for bees when discovered.

Marigold was very bright
a clever sharp young girl
what most people didn’t know
her best friend was a squirrel.

Marigold had a ton of friends
who lived right in the gardens
and if you think this makes her silly
I would say, I beg your pardon.

For a clever young girl to make friends
with what lives around her
this may sound preposterous
but your judgment, do defer.

You may come to love them all
these creatures great and small
I will tell you a story now
the does describe them all.

(A note to you dear reader: A new world we enter today. I’ve met Marigold before, in my imagination. The time has come for her to come out to play.)

a giant cake for an ogre

I want a giant cake !
Tom the Ogre screamed and yelled
he was know as the biggest brat
in this family of ogres who smelled

they lived under the bridge
between two smallish hills
they mostly kept to themselves
but today Tom’s voice rang shrill

people in the near villages
they could hear this wild sound
what in the world could make that noise?
was it coming from under the ground?

is there a storm coming?
is it a bird in the sky?
Tom just kept on yelling
and you may be asking why?

it was Tom’s birthday
he was turning six
and his mom had made him a special treat
of mud and dirt and sticks

(did you think ogre’s ate cake like ours?
well now, that would be silly
they don’t eat like us at all
although, I have to say they do like chili )

Tom was a spoiled bratty tot
he thought his cake was too small
even though you would be surprised
it was already 3 feet tall

Tom went on yelling
for a really really long time
his ogre family ignored him though
they stuffed their ears with slime

something funny happened now
it actually started to storm
and so the villagers they assumed
Tom’s screaming was really the norm

there are some folks who, to this day
will say this when it thunders
the ogres must be having a party
who wants more cake now I wonder?

Wizzelly won the race

Wizzelly won the race
he got the great big prize
his mom took him to get a treat
he got ice cream, oversized!

he got home and changed his clothes
and sat on the side of his bed
his mind starting bringing up some wonky thoughts
so he went downstairs instead

but he found himself real restless
couldn’t quite settle down
he was really quite a little grouch
and his mom said “what’s that frown?”

and Wizzelly blurted out
and the tears started to run
"Mom, mom I cheated!
I should not have won!!"

she sat down beside him
and asked what he had done
she told him he would have to tell
and it would not be too much fun

but here’s the thing she did
that might, maybe, surprise
instead of yelling at the him
she looked into his eyes

she said "I still love you Wizzelly.
I don’t like that you chose to cheat.
But you can work to fix that now,
but my love is still complete."

Wizzelly, he was sobbing
and he hugged his mom so tight
because he knew he had done wrong
but that he would be all right

it turns out we aren’t perfect
we all do make mistakes
it helps us learn our lessons
when our hugs and love aren’t at stake

the clear line

take a step
and a next step again
find your own path
the way that you wend

keep on going
and going indeed
no matter direction
no matter speed

the way that you go
it is yours to explore
no need to measure
no need to keep score

when you look back
you see a clear line
but walking forward
the clear way you must find

dear spider

Dear Spider,

I’ve been wanting to write.
I feel like, well… I feel I’ve been not so welcoming to you. I do understand that you have an important job to do but…

Here is where it gets tricky, I hate to say this but… I find you ugly and really quite creepy.
I look up and there you are on the wall. It is disconcerting.

And, please, don’t get me started with your messes. Clogging up the corners of things with your webs. Do you really need to take over so much in your quest for capture?

I understand you really don’t want to bother me. We could co-exist I suppose and you could just go about your low level policing efforts, keeping the space clear from other invaders.

The problem is I see you as an invader as well.

I can see in writing this we are at an impasse. I don’t expect you can comply but I am going to make my request.

Please keep your webs out of the corners. Keep yourself out of my view so I don’t see you creeping around. I’m happy to provide you a home but, please remember that out of sight equals out of mind and that is how I think our relationship will work best. Please also spread this word to your friends… because yes, I know they are gathering here. I don’t even want to think about that!

Thank you for your consideration,

the human who lives here

show off like a flower

a flower doesn’t care if you pay attention
she will show off and enjoy her time in the sun
no matter what
give me a patch of light and I will shine baby shine!

a tree doesn’t care if you notice him
he will stand tall and grow taller and wave wildly
in the wind and in the rain
give me time and let me show you what I can do!

the dirt doesn’t ask to be recognized
she will quietly and slowly do her work
always giving and working to replenish
give yourself to me and I will take all good care!

to shine, be stable, give care
perhaps we learn something here
from our earthly co-inhabitants
we don’t have to wait to be seen
to do our good work in the world

cheating

I think I cheated yesterday
I didn’t really mean to
I bent the rules to my mood
but today it seems quite true

the person hurt by cheating
is none other than yourself
the rules are meant for something
don’t just sit them on the shelf

some rules seem so silly
no reason for them to be
but if we make them for oursleves
we ought their rule to heed

maybe yesterday
was just a minor infraction
the good news is it gave my practice
some much needed traction