A Word:

(To those "Born Agains" who think

that they are the only ones

who are going to heaven.)

Consider

if you will

who did Jesus scorn

when He was here with us?

Was it the poor, the meek, the sinner?

Or perhaps was it the

Temple priests

the righteous Scribes

and Pharisees who

received the disapproving glance.

So

when you smugly tell me that

you are "Saved"

And I must think and "Be" like

you

Consider who it was that

Jesus scorned -

The folks like me or ?

Photo by Bob Kelly

I hate hypocrisy and to me the self-righteous so-called Christians who are described here are just awful (I was going to say despicable but wasn't sure I could spell it.)

Poised for tomorrow

Photo by Ihsan Zaatari - used with permission

Poised for tomorrow

There she stands
Just starting her journey
All dressed up in her flowered dress
and pretty pink hat

Looking forward to the future.
There are shadows on her path -
dark things which obscure
the brightness of her being

But she can see ahead
there just at the curve
the path is bright and clear
unobscured - ready for her

ready for her as she starts out
her world is getting broader
brighter, less limited
for her and her sisters
all of them

Poised for the future
ready for what tomorrow will bring
embracing the full rich life
that awaits her.

Jay Cole Simser

June 24, 2012

First the extremities

       Toes

Fingers

  Slowly intruding on the sound

              Of a male Cardinal searching for a mate.

Awareness moves

   I hear the cars driving

    To work.   It was so nice to sleep with the windows open

Cars filled with those who have to be someplace

Stretching – get the blood flowing

          Muscles wake up more slowly than the ears

I smell the coffee waiting in the Kitchen

           Mr. Coffee has done his duty once again.

Dry – thirsty,  there is still ice in the glass

                                              Lovely cold taste,

Mr. Cardinal still calling -  He is very eager,

OK, time to open my eyes – Light

         Soft, muted the sun is up but it is a foggy day

Pressure – I guess I need to move. 

Good Morning World, I am glad you are still here.

Routine

Waking up to the sound of coffee
being brewed in the automatic pot...

A delicious aroma permeates the atmosphere...
I luxuriate in knowing I do not have to be anywhere today.

Eventually I get up from my chair (where I have slept) and stumble to the kitchen,  Carafe and cup in hand..

I turned on the computer and as I go it tells me I have mail...
Turns out to be mostly spam but there are a couple of conversations
that need completion from the night before.

The dog gets let out and comes right back in (it is starting to be cold outside)
I bring the coffee back to the chair and pick up the lap top.
Must check with my peeps.

another day, jumpstarted.

I love being retired.

Routine

Another Monday morning
The "boys" are out back checking
to see if the yard is still there.

Peeing in the grass
sniffing around
The big puppy wants to play
the older dog not so much
He is somewhat senile and arthritic
now
sort of like me

15 years for him is 105 you know

A whisper bumps up against my leg
Kitty cat wants me to recognize that she
also is awake.

The older dog comes in he has had enough play.
now he has to check out the house to see if IT is
still there. Have breakfast and take the first of his
naps.

Puppy stays out to play

Yep just another Monday.

Damn

There is a damn little fly in my house

(worse than a mouse)

He likes to buzz around and land on me

It is driving me nuts.

Not only that but the dog is whining to go out

(twenty five times a day)

That is probably how the damn little fly got in

when I opened the door for my senile dog.

I really shouldn’t complain

He is not the biting kind that harassed me

on past vacations at the lake

I have misquotes for that thank you

(they got me last night and I spent the whole

evening scratching)

But he is annoying

this damn little fly

And besides landing on my skin and walking around

he is too fast for me

Flies away before I can swat him.

Don't worry I will get him

or perhaps he will leave when I let the dog out again

Damn little (annoying) fly.

Spam Poetry

My Spam folder has taken to writing poetry. This is the first offering.

Congratulations you have won £ 1,000,000,00 pounds sterling form the Uk National Lottery

Visitor Jaycole’s personal 80% off (this from VIAGRA best supplier.

It is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Final Notice)

to

Get Cash out of you house….

and

To get ED relief.

Then we have

Notification From Bank of America account

“”Complement of the Seasons”

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?URGENT ATTENTION NEED…

Your MyLife Profile Has Been Enhanced

From: Miss Angela Bamba

Contact my secretary urgent

Order to Australia.

Gullible I may be - but not stupid.

I deleted them all.


Now (October 3, 2011) I find out about Spoetry

Don't You

For today's prompt, I want you to take the phrase "Don't you (blank)," fill in the blank with a word or words, and make that the title of your poem. Then, write a poem using that title. Example titles could be "Don't you forget to turn off the lights," "Don't you tell me what to do," and "Don't you laugh." There are many, many, many possibilities with this one.

Don’t you think?
Don’t you dare!
Don’t you want?
Don't you agree?

Don't you believe it!

No, I don’t!

Don’t you come in here!
Don’t you go there!
Don’t you watch that!

Don't you talk back to me!

OK, I won’t

Don’t you tell me not to
Because I will.

Don't you forget it.

Don't you just love it!

Spring

For today's prompt, I want you to write a spring-related poem. This will probably be easier for people (like myself) who live in the Northern Hemisphere, since spring is now in full swing in most places. When you're dealing with a subject as big as an entire season, it's probably best to focus in on something very specific and use spring as the background. But you do what you gotta do.

How to begin?
Begin with a seed
warm sunshine
rain
slowly awakening
It begins
the world is born anew

Renewal time
Growing time
waiting time
Spring time!

Farewell Poem

For today's prompt, I want you to write a farewell poem. After all, we are saying farewell to another wonderful National Poetry Month. Say farewell to this month; say farewell to a vacation spot; say farewell to a bad relationship; say farewell to work; say farewell to school; say farewell to saying farewell even. Hopefully, I won't be saying farewell to you; please stay in touch and let me know of your successes as we keep poeming toward the horizon.


I will never say good-bye
only au revoir
or “So Long”

Good-bye is so final
I don’t like it!
For we are friends
and friends, true friends
never part.

We will meet again
and it will be a joyous
occasion.
For we are friends, true friends
and we can never be separated

Good-bye does not resonate
with what we have.
Our friendship is more
like family
more than friends
something much, much more

So I will never say good-bye\
only au revoir
or “So Long”
or maybe “See you soon.”
Good night Sweet Prince –
Farewell!

April 29, 2009

For today's prompt, I want you to title your poems "Never (blank)" with you filling in the blank with a word or phrase. Then, write a poem based off your title, which could be "Never look both ways when crossing the street" or "Never blush in public" or "Never ever" or "Never write a poem with the word never in the title." You get the idea, right?


Never ____________

I am supposed to write a poem
and fill in the blank..
But you know I can’t think of a thing
that goes with never.

I could say Never again but there
is always a chance that it will repeat itself.
I could say Never go there but
as soon as I do that is just where I want to go.

My friends tell me Never trust that person
but I always want to see the good and trust
so I get hurt.
That is not fun but I don’t seem to learn.

Some folks say Never say Never
but there are things I will Never do –
Climb a mountain, dance the tango
write a book ( I suppose I could do that)
or win the lottery – (I hear you have to buy a ticket)

So while I have thought about several things I will Never
I guess the main thing is to write a poem.
I think I just did it.
"Quoth the Raven, Nevermore."

Never mind.

Sestina

For today's prompt, I want you to write a sestina. (Click here to find out the rules for sestinas.) So start figuring out your 6 end words and get writing.
But wait! Today is Tuesday, so you have one other option. You can write a poem about the sestina (your love, hate, frustration with, etc.).
Whether you decide to write a sestina or write about sestinas, remember to have fun. We're almost done!


A -rescue
B - magic
C - predict
D - house
E - computer
F - fathers

Last week I needed a rescue
It was going to take a lot of magic
and it would be hard to predict
if I could get off the roof of the house
I had my pocket computer
but did not have the numbers of my fathers.

Mother was married twice so I have two fathers
surely they would save me with a rescue
and it wouldn’t take any magic
but I could not predict
if they could find the house
after I dropped my computer

No one could predict
if I could even contact the fathers
and it was an enormous house
from which I needed a rescue
perhaps I could use some magic
to recall my fallen computer

I looked down to spot my computer
I was indeed in a predict(iment)
And I needed something besides magic
to get in touch with my mundane fathers
so at least one of them would come to my rescue
and get me off the roof of this damn house

This enormous big crummy house
where I had climbed to the top with my computer
and now we both needed a rescue
How will it end do you want to predict
will they come do you think, the fathers
or will it take some major magic


I began to conjure some minor magic
I inched slowly down to the side of the house
I looked below and saw them – the fathers
one of them held the computer
But no one could predict
If I would be saved and no longer need a rescue

For the-rescue didn’t need any magic
And you could not predict that a fall from the house
would cause the computer to signal the fathers


II

Not to crazy about this prompt but I finally did it. Whatever!
I got it written but will not try a sestina again - never!

April 27, 2009

For today's prompt, I want you to write a poem of longing. You or someone (or something) else should be pining for someone or something. Maybe a cat is longing to get outside the house. Maybe a teenager is longing to get away from his or her small town. And, of course, there's always the longing poem of love.
*****************************************************

I cannot tell you for what I long
it’s a secret
Having something to desire
is what keeps me going

but if I told you for what I yearn
you might think me silly
or foolish
or worse
you might laugh

So I will keep it close
in my heart
and maybe someday
it will be mine.

April 26, 2009

For today's prompt, I want you to write a poem involving miscommunication. It can be miscommunication between two people or misinterpretation of some sort. I will leave it up to you guys to deal with it however you want.

I guess I misunderstood
I thought you wanted to be friends
But your actions have proven otherwise
So, I guess I was wrong.

Friendship works both ways
It is a give and take
but take is all you do
I guess I am through giving

Goodbye.

April 25, 2009

For today's prompt I want you to pick an event and make that event the title of your poem.

Hello Jay!

The little one made it an event
I was coming for a visit.
She spotted me
all of a sudden
running from the flower bed/garden
yelling my name
Jaaaaaaaaaay.
I was greeted and it was an event!
An event I look forward to repeating
over and over
and the Hi-fives when she got to me
weren’t too bad either!

All too soon the event has passed and
she goes back to watering the flowers.
Not knowing that she is the most beautiful
flower in that garden.

April 24, 2009

For today's prompt, I want you to write a travel-related poem. It can be human travel, the migration of swallows, the trafficking of drugs, etc. Some sort of movement from point A to point B.

Every year it is the same
Planning starts in the dead of winter
Lists are made
The reservation was made last year as we left
You can feel the excitement as we get closer to the day

We migrate to Minnesota in the summer
There is a lake there where our friends gather
Family is there also.

Mother lives for the one week, then two and finally three
weeks amid the pines and birches
on the shores of Leech Lake

You can see the far away look in her eyes
as she contemplates sleeping on the porch
raising up to look out at the lake
listening to the loons.

I collect a lot of books to take. Paperbacks and
there is a visit to the library to take some more out.
The car is prepared. Sometimes we take a friend along with us
but it is always my mom and my sister and me.
(Once we waited until sunrise so my sister’s girlfriend could see the
scenery – she spent the entire trip reading comic books)

We have the route memorized but I still get a Triptic
I need to get some benefit from my AAA membership.

We drive past farms (with white cows that my mother and sister think are sheep)
and a myriad of lakes (but they are not “our lake” )
Through the twin cities – that is the time Mother always starts to mess with the paper
and read it. Thus making me even more nervous as I navigate the always heavy traffic

The closer we get the more excited. Mother starts to sing “We’re on vacation, in the summer time!” She is happiest on the way up to the lake

and at the lake

Then, all to soon it is over and we have to retrace our trip.
This time the scenery is viewed through tears.
Except for me. I am usually ready to get back home.
Gradually we think about the air conditioning we have done without
the comfort of our own beds
and the friends we have left behind.
We “post-mortem” the vacation all the way home
and for weeks afterwards. And yes – the reservations were made
before we left
so we would be able to do it all over again.

It seems like it is always the same
but it isn’t. It is warm and comfortable and cozy
just like an old slipper
We like it that way.

April 23, 2009

For today's prompt, I want you to write a poem of regret. Get creative with this one, but there should be some form of regret either expressed or hinted at (even if ever so slightly). You do NOT have to use the word "regret" in the poem, though it's fine if you do.

It’s going to be on my mind for a very long time
The fact that what I said hurt you
It was not to make you feel bad
I would not cause you pain
I just didn’t think
So now when you cross my thoughts
A feeling I don’t enjoy
permeates my being
It’s going to be on my mind for a very long time.

Work

For today's prompt, I want you to write a work-related poem. Work doesn't have to be the main feature of the poem, but I want you to "work" it in somehow. And remember: There are different types of work. Of course, there are the activities that gain you fortune and fame (or not), but then, there's also housework, exercise, volunteering, etc. I'm sure you'll "work" it out.

“What do you do?”
Someone always asks me that.
I tell them “Nothing, I am retired.”
(Actually I am just tired)
Then they want to know what I did.
Well I did lots of things; I traveled, I went on vacation
But I understand that what they want is to know how I made my living.

“Well,” I said, “I was a teacher.,
an elementary teacher.”

Immediately I am hear;
“Oh, wow, you are brave.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”

What they don’t know is that I should be thanking them
for sharing their kids with me.
You see I don’t have any of my own.
But over the years I have had hundreds of them

I was a tough teacher, because I wanted my “kids” prepared to do their best
“The Middle School is a snap once you’ve had Simser.” said one boy.
That was a high compliment
(Though he might not have meant it that way.)
That told me I was doing my job, my work.
But it really wasn’t work - It was a joy.
I will always be grateful that I was allowed to be a teacher.
My work.

Haiku

Here are the two prompts for the day (you only need to choose one, unless you're all about pushing yourself to the limit):
1. Write a haiku. The haiku is not just a form but a genre of poetry. (Click here to read more about the haiku.) People sometimes go into writing a haiku and end up with a senryu or a faux-ku, but it's all good (and all poetry).
2. Write about the haiku. I know there are some poets (in this very group even) who are anti-form. So, I'm giving them the option to write their anti-haiku manifestos. Of course, if you pay attention to this 2nd prompt, it doesn't need to be anti-haiku; your poem could be questioning or even praising the haiku. Or something.


Warm sun on my face
Gentle rain falling slowly today
Daffodils are blooming

Poem of Rebirth

For today's prompt, I want you to write a poem of rebirth. There are many different types of rebirth available, including the changing of the seasons, the beginning of the day, religious or spiritual rebirth, a reconfirmation of good in people, re-learning how to love, etc. So think on it a bit, and create a stellar rebirth poem.


If you plant a seed it grows
Life flows

But is it a rebirth or something new
That grew

Renewal is constant – but it’s not rebirth
Even so it proves its worth

A change but not the same thing new
It is different – that’s true

But a rebirth must change me
to sluff off the old and set me free

So now I sit and contemplate
Rebirth – Renewal, which is my fate

I want to be better, I want to do good
To try for the best is what I should

But if I can’t accomplish that
Karma will return me as a cat.