On The Bus

In the city

on a bus

stopped in traffic.

I look out the window.

A bird sits atop a parking meter

singing its best for

all those who would hear.

An unusual bird

perhaps a young goldfinch.

I feel a sense of wonder.

Such an urban place,

if I hadn't been on the bus

I never would have noticed it.

I felt blessed by its presence.

You see, I have this thing about birds:

some times they seem to appear to me

in the oddest places and times.

Like the ducklings playing in the water left

in muddy tire ruts-

in a city backyard.

Or the goslings taking their time

crossing the highway in front of my car

when I'm late for an important interview.

Birds come to me to as a sign

of reassurance or provide

a change in perspective.

To make me laugh-

to brighten my day.

To help me step out for a moment

and see things differently.

I turn to the person across the aisle and quip:

'I wonder if it put a quarter in the meter?'

He looked for a moment and replied:

'Or if someone put a quarter in the bird?'

Those around us laugh.

Thank you, God.

copyright 2010 thebloggedsink

Creative Writing, May 17, 2010

(note: I suggested a prompt, which was accepted by Meg, the wonderful teacher of the class)
Prompt: Youthful Exuberance
Where did the prompt 'Youthful Exuberance' come from? Well, bear with me while I digress a bit: During the morning art class someone remarked about getting a can of Coke out of the slot tagged Pepsi from the new pop machine. That brought back memories of a bottle-pop machine at a church I attended while young. This particular machine always had a slot labeled "surprise" with a note under the label advising it us this slot would be filled with a variety of selections: over stock of the major brands or the current specials in the supermarket. In short, we could put our 35 cents!! in and get a "SURPRISE"

Except what would usually happen is the other four slots would sell-out first, and if you had 35 cents after playing volleyball for two hours and were really thirsty and wanted a soda- you had to settle for a 'surprise.' Now, usually this turned out okay. You might get Bubble-Up, or Hire's Root Beer, or Tom Moore Strawberry soda. Then came the year Pepsi released the Slice brand. These were the front runners of 'healthier' soda pop: they contained 10% fruit juice and came in several flavors like lemon-lime, pineapple, mandarin orange-which weren't bad tasting. But Apple Slice I thought tasted like battery acid. And I ended up with 'surprise' Apple Slice for three weeks straight--as did everyone else in the volleyball league...:[

Now, back to 'youthful exuberance'. I related this tale to the art class, at which point someone asked, "How do you know what battery acid tastes like?"
I laughed and said, "as a kid, did you every take a transistor radio battery, one of those square-ish 9-volt ones-and lick it?" To this there was general laughter, and I knew I wasn't the only one who remembered doing that!

Meg had never heard of such a thing (she remarked that transistor radios didn't exist when she grew up--but we know she isn't that old). So I explained. The +/- electrodes are side-by-side on a 9-volt. When you licked it you would get a bitter, metallic taste. The water from your tongue would then 'charge' the battery, and you would then take the battery and place it on an unsuspecting persons arm or neck and they would get a minor zinger from it.

Ah yes, Youthful Exuberance indeed. This led to a general discussion of other misadventures of our youth. And I confessed to once--only once! sticking a table knife in to an electrical outlet. I was playing house with my brother at the time. Somehow I decided to pretend the outlet was a knife sharpener---Mom was about 10 feet away in the kitchen. She heard a buzz and a snapping noise, and turned just in time to see sparks arc-ing out of the outlet and the knife flying out of my hand. I wasn't hurt, at least not by the shock; but the spanking I received was another matter-- and the outlet bore a black mark until it was painted over a few years later. The knife tip had a little c-shaped area melted in the tip, a reminder for years to come: oh, this is the knife Judy put in the electrical outlet...

August's Claim to Fame

A Spring wind serves to push the cold away,

to bring warm breeze,

to melt the snow

make room for sunny days.

With thunder the heavens heave.

Rain and lightning bring forth Summer Leaves.

We find time to lolly-gag 'midst our helter-skelter,

From Summer's heat, beneath these leaves

we seek relief from the sun's swelter.

Autumn winds undo Spring's efforts,

its breezes swirling round

bring Spring's leaves and Summer's shelter

down to ground.

The trees stripped bare---

now Winter's breath chills the air.

Dead leaves beneath Winter's fallen snow,

waiting once more for Spring's wind to blow.

copyright 2010 thebloggedsink

Green Grapes

Every time I eat a grape, especially green ones, I think of my mom. In the mid-70s she had an intestional bypass done to facilitate weight loss. See this infomative link about the procedure, and why it is not done anymore. Afterwards there was a list of forbidden foods, some foods that were okay if some modifications were made. One of these involved grapes. She could eat grapes, and loved the green ones. The draw back was, before she could eat them, they had to be peeled. Have you ever peeled a grape? It is not easy. I remember sitting on the front porch, mom on the glider, and my brother and I peeling grapes...

Ocean Sigh

As the tide came in, like the thundering of applause,
the waves met the rocks on the beach. The gulls
called out sheer exuberance as they alternately
winged and soared, gliding on the rising air current,
calling ''ole'' and whistling their approach.

Farther down the shore, the ocean smoothly arrived
on the sandy beach. It seemed as though the sand
was thirsty somehow...it seemed to reach out to
the water as if to say, "More, more, give me more!"

The ocean repeatedly tried to slake that thirst. It
seemed the sand issued a long, sighing "AHH"
when the ocean covered it, then would fall silent
when the the water receded.

Slowly, the tide calmed, and the sand cooled with
the setting of the sun.
copyright 2009 thebloggedsink

Trail-Blazer

I walk
trampling down
the grass, on
a wet dewy
morning.

My sneakers
are soaked
and squishy
with cold water.
I look back
at the trail
I’ve left.
My foot prints
distinctly mark
where I have
passed.

The trodden grass
will recover, and
the dew soon
evaporate in
the hot sun of
a summer day.

When these tracks dry to sight,
will they remain-
anywhere?

If I were to go on a journey where
no one has ever been,
and no one follows behind me-
am I still a trail-blazer?

Invisible
I know there is
another set of
footprints besides mine.

He who has led me here
has blazed a trail in my heart-
it is enough.
copyright the Blogged Sink 2009

Lime Jello

creative writing 03/02/09

Lime Jello

hospital cafeteria
and masquerading as dessert
we have jello
usually red, but I have seen green.
Cut into cubes, so thick you can
bounce it across the floor.
Hospital jello: leave it out for 3 days
and it's still solid,
never melting.
Hospital jello
you can bounce it across the floor.