National Poetry Month

People ask when I met you,
The question always confuses me.
Don’t they know?
You were there. All the time.
From my first breath of life.

You whispered in my ear,
Introducing me to beauty
And calming me when afraid.
You explained the secrets of life,
But left some unknown to ponder.

Faith doesn’t seem enough,
To describe our bond,
You seem more tangible, more sure,
My trust in you pure from experiencing your presence,
Your strength supports me as I lean into you companionably.

None of the great doctors, Have found that place inside of me where you reside…

100 Words

She smiled. Every time I saw her she smiled. I’m a smiler, and I warmed to her immediately. It wasn’t just her smile, but the quality of it. The slight sarcasm. The deep caring. The radar if someone wasn’t genuine.

She would put someone in their place when they needed to be put there but would soften it with a smile.

That smile is gone. COVID. From healthy to lifeless. I didn’t know she was sick.

The world is sadder and missing that smile.

She was almost eligible for vaccination.

We are fragile. It is not a conspiracy. I promise.

…

50 words

They are everywhere. If you’re not paying attention, they would gladly consume your brains.

We call them leaders, teachers, family, friends, bosses, partners, writers, and pundits. They are a danger because we value their opinions more than our own. Freely. Without reason.

We forget they are human. Or are they?

Thanks to Jonica Bradley and The Bad Influence for the prompt zombies. Definitely a fun one and an excuse to use one of my favorite pictures!

Kim McKinney still has her brain intact — and she is a worthy opponent to all zombies. Some call her stubborn and pig-headed but…

I’m about to sell my house and it is time to declutter. It has been 14 years. Well, that’s how long it has been since I have been in this house. Some of the boxes never got unpacked from a move or ten ago. I used to move a lot. Five times in five years during one stint.

And no, I was never in the military. Back in the day companies used to move you where they wanted you – and paid for moving companies to pack you up and get you there.

They often paid for unpacking, too, but…

100 Words

My apartment has been available since November. I still haven’t sold my house.

It needs to happen, and finally, I am on my way. One person hired, friends and family allowed to help.

It’s not that I am lazy. I blame ADHD. I get overwhelmed by things others find simple.

What do you do with the paper? Do I file that insurance policy under Insurance, Car, Auto, Camry, the insurance company’s name, or throw it away? I think for an hour or so, then leave it and give up.

Sometimes you need the strength of others. They get things hopping.

…

You didn’t look at me in anger, or appear threatening to me in any way. The wrinkles around your eyes showed that in your life you have laughed often. Your face also showed your life probably has not been easy.

For some reason, it amused you I was wearing a mask. I think you may have pitied me. Maybe for being what you would call a sheep?

I couldn’t hear exactly what you said, unfortunately, because your Southern accent was strong and your voice fairly quiet. Maybe you thought a mask wasn’t needed because I was outside, maybe because no…

Writing Prompt Pandemic Reflections

It’s been an odd year. Not just the pandemic, but with life in general.

COVID Hits My World

He’s a cousin of mine, but not a first cousin. He’s the grandson of my mother’s cousin, actually. Still, when you were raised in the United States and half your family lives in Wales, the family members you spend time with when you visit are the ones you hold most dear.

When his grandparents were alive and I was in my late twenties, they were who I stayed with when I visited. He was still a teenager and was always around checking in on them. …