A long-ago Abecedarian poem by Billy Paulus

 Christmas, 2020. Pat and millennial Billy

VIDEO GAMES

(A)ny time you have nothing to do.

(B)ecause they're really fun to play.

(C)an be a great way to make new friends.

(D)oes not let you give up.

(E)xcellent way to spend the day.

(F)orgives you when you die in the game.

(G)ives you hope for an extra life.

(H)elps your thumbs get stronger.

(I) can't stop playing them.

(J)ust keeps me going at night.

(K)indly gives power ups when you need them.

(L)ets you work out your frustrations on aliens.

(M)akes you look before you jump that gorge.

(N)ever take your eyes off the screen.

(O)ffers a short cut to the end of the level.

(P)uts up with you yelling at it.

(Q)uiets you down as you play through.

(R)eminds you to always to succeed.

(S)tops you from having to be active.

(T)eaches you life lessons, like never trust aliens.

(U)nderstands yout plight.

(V)arys from game to game.

(W)ants you to win.

(X)-pects you to play . . . forever!!!

(Y)ea!! I beat that level!!!

(Z)jfguyeweriug is what the aliens say.

--Billy Paulus, Block 2, January 23, 2008. [senior, age 17]

In April Counts' English class, Benton (AR) High School

 ~ ~ ~ ~

Pat here: I only discovered this when going through papers saved, as writers do. Billy (whom I raised) gave his permission for me to use it here.

I first wrote an alphabet poem in 1984 [age 48] as part of "Writing Across the Curriculum" course taught during the summer at BHS, from OBU.

Last year as part of an MFA poetry course, [age 83] one of our assignments was an Abecedarian poem. 

Of course, I was delighted to come across this poem. Billy loved Ms. Counts enough to tell me he wanted to give her a gift since she had taught him so much. I, too, thank you, April Counts.

c 2021, Billy Paulus/ Pat Laster dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

Poems for January 1 from 1997 - 2021

 New Year's morning

quiet after the light snow

except for the creek

--1997

January first

each dated tree ornament

a year older

--2003

replacing

old calendar with new

full of things to do

--2005

New Year's project:

finding the stuff I stashed away

before Christmas

--2006

23 degrees

first day of the year, I read

Season's spring haiku

(Carolyn Thomas)

--2008

New Year's morning

just like any others

at least at daybreak

--2009

first day of new year

two inches of snow

and no birds

--2017

first day of new year

reading all eight earlier 

haiku booklets

--2021

c 2021, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR UA

Blogging: Poems from December 11's haiku booklets/ calendar

From an earlier year

 

hidden under hosta/ till after the freeze/ --Easter egg -  Connecting Our Houses

took no hostess gift--/ she thanked me with a bottle/ of homemade wine - poems for December

blowing bubbles/ at primary school corner/ balding policeman - dynamic December

picking up/ everything on my list/ even without it - in front of the moon

a year later/ tossing the holiday card/ from a former friend - a branch of red leaves

a Greek connection/ 3 students die & 5 hurt/ over alcohol - rising to the top

one more comic strip/ has slipped into the archives/ Bill Keane's passing - where to set the tree

fall cleaning/ taking the rake/ to his room - breaking the ice

2020 one of two rooms with plants overwintering

c 2020, PL, dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

Autumn: Theme and Variations - poems

THEME AND VARIATIONS

Theme
A TRAVELER'S MEDITATION
(Amphion pattern)

God's handiwork is all around:
        Bright red leaves,
        Wheat in sheaves,
Fertile farms where flock abound;
        Shaded cows
       chew and drowse;
Mountains' multi-colored dress;
        Thunderclouds
        draped in shrouds:
God's bounteous works are limitless.

Variation 1

        HIGHWAY 23 IN AUTUMN
                Neville pattern

God's handiwork is all around:
 in scarlet, yellow leaves
and golden wheat in sheaves.
Sun-burnished pasturelands abound;
leafy groves shading cows
that switch and chew and drowse.
God's goodness--in all life--profound.

Variation 2

        SAME TIME EACH YEAR
                Neville

The autumn beauty's everywhere--

magenta, scarlet leaves,
bronzed stands of wheat in sheaves;
sun-burnished pastures, fragrant air;
umbrellaed groves whose boughs
shade drowsy brindle cows--
creation's annual fall affair.

Variation 3

AUTUMN SONG (a Pantoum)

God's handiwork is all around,

Magenta, scarlet, yellow leaves;

sun-burnished pasturelands abound,

cut, ripened wheat stands bronzed in sheaves.

Magenta, scarlet, yellow leaves,

umbrella groves of sassafras,

cut, ripened wheat stands bronzed in sheaves--

a visual banquet unsurpassed.

Umbrella groves of sassafras,

a camouflage for brindle cows,

(a visual banquet unsurpassed)

which nonchalantly chew and drowse.

Like Garland's fresh-shaved stubble, gold,

sun-burnished pasturelands abound,

and I sing with the oriole,

"God's handiwork is all around."

Variation 4

AN AUTUMN MINUTE

Minute pattern

The autumn beauty's everywhere--

in fragrant air,

magenta leaves,

bronzed wheat in sheaves.

Sun-burnished pastures stubbled gold,

lone oriole,

umbrellaed groves

--bovine alcoves--

a visual banquet unsurpassed,

a rich repast.

All senses share

fall's love affair.

--poems from my book, Variations, 1994

c 2020, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

Blogging: Poems about nature's animal and bird beings

 Blackcap

the only one

to visit the feeder

while I'm sitting near by social

distanced.

~ ~ ~ ~

OH, NO YOU DON'T!

The long-

unseen chipmunk

accesses the steep steps

of the south porch. From the swing, I

dissuade.

~ ~ ~ ~

A squirrel

heads this way till

I call "nyah!" It turns back

and disappears, waiting till I

go in.

~ ~ ~ ~

When I

notice a bird

bathing, I smile. Living

with respect and care for nature's

beauties.

~ ~ ~ ~

a crow

carrying off

the thrown-out corncob

~ ~ ~ ~

WATCHING? WAITING?

Not quite

back in the house

from filling the feeder

when I see a gray chickadee

fly in.

~ ~ ~ ~

SLEEPY?

A long

time between sips--

What does the robin think,

see, wonder about, cogitate

over?

~ ~ ~ ~

Ah! Pool

all to myself.

Though it's cooler today

than it has been, it's okay, says

blackcap.

~ ~ ~ ~

c 2020, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

Already September? Where has this year gone? POEMS

Son's hanging pot of summer plants

IN COMES SEPTEMBER

Quiet--
inside and out,
cloudy, rainy, humid.
Early September; seasonal
changes.

Quiet
disturbed by sounds
of rain on gardenia
leaves outside the open window:
darkness.
~ ~ ~

opening
before my eyes--
pot of purslane
~ ~ ~

More of son's gardening results

A BATTLE

The fly

and I fighting:

it has speed & I have

a plastic, floppy flyswatter.

Fly wins.

~ ~ ~

Cooler

outside than in

this fifth of September,

even in the sun on the swing.

Quiet.

~ ~ ~

c 2020, PL, dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

NOTE: A September Cinquain monthly booklet is now available. If you want one, IM your mailing address.

Poems: Untitled Cinquains for August

Shadows of Summer

At dusk,

a firefly joins

me on the porch as I

cool off from yardwork. Is it a 

"Peace!" sign?

~ ~ ~

A squirrel

chirrs forlornly--

its nesting tree was trimmed

and its life-long homeplace was hauled

away.

~ ~ ~ 

Branches

of the "shoe tree"

cut back to lose burden

now that the roadside has a new

owner.

~ ~ ~ 

Foliage

shades the rocky

roads to the riverbank.

A cold spring feeds the swimming hole:

childhood.

~ ~ ~

Impressed

or chagrined that

I gave the right answer

to a riddle the collegian

offered?

~ ~ ~

Grandpa

shows his grandson

an old-timey shoe horn.

"Can you play me something on it,

Grandpa?"

Slight breeze--

slight tinkles from

wind chimes this cool morning

in early August. Has summer

broken?

c 2020, PL, dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA