herbiehancock

Max was voted the favorite in my last post, so here is a poem about him for you as promised.  For those of you who voted for something else, I will also write a poem about the pool fence and perhaps eventually some of the other pictures I posted, so stay tuned, if you are interested.   Thanks to all of you for voting! Max the Poodle With a well-aimed snout, arranging the pillows;  rooting. Tugging, lifting, scratching, scooting. Max the poodle makes a nest of throw pillows on the couch. Max the poodle needs to rest He's a worker, not a slouch. Finally, with them placed just so, he climbs up to the top. Gives a sigh, stretches out,  lies down with a flop. Max the poodle makes a nest of throw pillows on the couch. Max the poodle needs to rest. He's a worker, not a slouch. A quick three hour nap, and then, ready to go again. Time to bark! "Mailman's here!"  Max always tells us when. Max the poodle makes a nest of throw pillows on the couch. Max the poodle needs to...

The Yard Bunny The yard bunny is lying lazily on the ground, because he can, on a whim, when there's no one around. I like the way he lets his legs stretch out behind him. I envy him there basking in the sun. No demands on his time. No work to be done. Simplicity divine.  Peace so sublime. New grass and violets poke amidst the gravel all around. Soaking up the sun is where you'll find him. *   *   *   *   * Lilac Birds Lilac birds perch in purple clumps flocking together at the top of the bush. Feathers or flowers? Purple plumes? or purple blooms? It's hard to say sometimes when shove comes to push .

My dear friend, Graciel, who writes the blog, Evenstar Art , has tagged me for a photo meme, and I have taken up her challenge.  These are the rules of the meme: 1. Open your first photo folder. 2. Scroll down to your 10th photo. 3. Post the photo and the story behind it. 4. Tag 5 people to play along.   My tenth photo happened to be a picture I took in my front yard of a dragonfly sitting on a green maple tree leaf.  Obviously, this photo was taken during the summer.     You won't see ANY leaves outside in my yard right now--especially not green ones hanging on a tree.  You might find an old, dried, shriveled-up, brown one, but you'd have to dig for it.  We woke up this morning to two more inches of new snow   from over night last night.  It is definitely not summer out there, but anyway, back to the dragonfly picture. I have no real story to tell about the picture, so I wrote a poem to go along with it. I hope you enjoy it....

 Peppermint Sunset Black tree branches streak  across the swirls of pink and white sky of the winter sunset like chocolate sauce drizzled  over ribbons of peppermint in a candy cane ice cream sundae. The cold  takes my breath away.

Did You Hear the Shout? WOOT WOOT WAHOO! Did you hear the shout? School's been canceled. No one's going out. The report is in from the morning scout. The kids are cheering without a doubt. Freezing rain  has iced the roads. Go back to bed now.   School is closed. No buses will travel on that icy route. Too much risk  of sliding about. WOOT WOOT WAHOO! Did you hear the shout? School's been canceled. No one's going out.

Well, the beetle invasion is over. No, not THAT Beatle invasion . I'm talking about those little red bugs with the black spots. I call them ladybugs, but they are more properly known as Asian Lady Beetles. The ladybugs that were here last week have finally gone. They come here every fall for a few days in a big swarm and land on the outside of our house, on the doors, and around the windows. They also land all over any humans that happen to be walking about in the area where they are swarming. Although they aren't poisonous and don't inject venom into your skin, they do "bite" sometimes when they land on you. It feels like a tiny little pinch. It's not much, but it is just enough for you to go, "Hey!" and to react by trying to brush the creatures off of you. Supposedly, when they give you those little nibbles, they are "taste testing" you to see if you would be good to eat. Although I didn't get any pictures or videos of the swa...

No Spaghetti Just two red socks remained hanging on the line. The old farmer lady took in all the rest. Not quite dry in the toe and the heel, they were left behind by an overnight guest. She found them balled up in a corner of the room. The smell? Mercy! It was the worst she ever knew! She threw them in with the Wednesday wash, and hung them out against the sky so blue. She also found, left behind by her guest, some restaurant spaghetti and bread. She tossed it outside for the squirrels to eat dumping it in a heap by the flower bed. Flying overhead a hungry blackbird saw the pile of spaghetti and bread below. Came swooping by for a closer look, dipping and circling and moving slow. A sudden gust of wind caught the bird off guard. He was flying too close to the socks hung to dry. The wind blew a sock loose from its pin, whirled it into the face of the bird going by. Down out of the air, the old blackbird tumbled. Squawking loud raucous complaints. He didn't like getting his feathe...

Good for This Soul of Mine As soon as I wash the dishes, and mop the floor, call the dentist, and answer the door, Then I will sit down and write a rhyme. I'll write a poem when I have the time. The phone keeps ringing. The dog has muddy feet. I'm hemming some pants for the kid down the street. When I get those other things done, THEN, I'll paint with my words. I'll write about dirty red socks, and spaghetti and grouchy old birds. But first I have to exercise. It's an important way to stay healthy. Then it's time to go to work. Helps pay the bills---won't make me wealthy. I'd much rather spend my time creating a poem or two. I want to write a limerick, a sonnet, a song lyric, or maybe some haiku. There are groceries to buy and birthday cakes to bake. Someone needs to pull some weeds and get busy with a rake. There's no money in writing verse. No riches in simile and hyberbole. Poetry editors pay for your words with four copies of their quarterly. Som...

My husband left very early Monday morning for his annual three day golfing trip with several of his friends. They go to a different golf course every summer at the end of July. This year they are visiting a golf course in Michigan. Luckily for me, though, he left the camera behind for this trip. He will be too busy golfing to have time to take any pictures. That made it possible for me to take this picture of the first bloom on my morning glories which appeared today . (The half eaten leaf below the bloom is compliments of my dog, Max, who has been chewing on them whenever he goes past.) * * * * * Sweet Morning Delight I'm just a morning glory, wanting to wrap you in vine hugs, wanting to hold you close to me, wanting to hold you tight. Whispering my love for you, through lips of soft pink petals, wearing my hearts on my leaves for you, sharing with you, sweet morning delight.