Seventy degrees by dusk in central Arkansas

For the first time in several weeks, I took the old notebook, pen and newspaper outside to the porch swing. It was 50 degrees at 8 am.

HAIKU
sunny winter day
titmouse on the gutter sings
and doves call
~~~
a lone goose flies
into the sun's round brightness
this first day of Lent
~~~
broken branch dangles
and sways on the old oak tree
I hear spring peepers
~~~

RUSH HOUR
Mocker
on the high wire
tries to out-sing the noise
of passing cars this warm winter
morning
~~~

The wind kicked up as predicted, so I betook myself and my materials back inside to the dining table where I not only read/write, buy occasionally eat.
Later on toward dusk, I took the puzzles and once again sat in the swing.

HAIKU
warm winter dusk
the sounds of children outside
spawning memories
~~~
as dusk falls
my eyes and the newsprint
words fail to connect
~~~

c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press

Finally, a snow--of sorts

We in the heartland were thinking the snow gods were snubbing us, what with La Nina playing around again. Here it was mid-February and no snow during the new year's winter.
When the elements DID align so that the forecasters could finally predict snow, the weather people went at it with a vengeance. All sorts of winter chaos was predicted; some schools and even Henderson State University announced closings on Sunday night-- just in case.
Surely the snow gods were laughing boisterously when they spilled out a few soft, wet flakes on us poor packages of personhood. "Don't they know when they are well off?" one of the older gods surely said.
"But I remember when I was a kid god and frolicked in the snow. Let's give the troublesome tykes a little hope so they'll be assuaged and disappointed at the same time." (Talk about a troublesome tyke!)
Anyway, here are some snow poems written this week.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS?
Snowing--
the little birds
forage on the ground, not
worried that cats are probably
watching.

Aha!
A black cat spots
the birds and slithers toward
them. I bang the window."Birds, hie
away!"

GO HOME, FELLOWS
Snowing
and no cat food
for the five visitors
who've gathered--they think--for breakfast.
Sorry.
~~~

A FOUND SENRYU
You have S.A.D.?
Go outside: the winter whites
will chase winter blues
(from Hi & Lois comic, Brian & Greg Walker)
~~~
c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press

A Sonnet to my Valentines

by Pat Laster


T o celebrate this holiday, I’ll try
O utlining, crafting English sonnet form.

M y further, harder task will be to tie
Y et other undertakings to it: warm

V ernacular, like choc-o-late, plus rhyme
A nd meter (dull iambic, some folks think).
L a-bor-ious it may be, this winter. But,
E ach word must serve to build and fill a chink.
N eglectful, some folks overlook a “turn”
T he sonnet needs. For now, I’ll turn to snow,
I de-al during February. Spurn
N ot cold; delight in its short visit! Oh,
E lusive muse, Erato–– Valentine,
S tay with us, love us––snow or not. Be mine!

c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press

Groundhog Day 2012

If the little rodent had peeked out at Couchwood/Benton/Arkansas/USA, it would definitely have seen its shadow. Some of the things I saw or read are included in today's post.

TANKA
from the lowest branch
a squirrel watches the cat
on top of my car
at least, it's not
the other way around
~~~

CINQUAIN SEQUENCE
"Listen Up!"
Fellows,
be careful that
you give that ditzy wife
of yours the exact birthday gift
she wants.

"Boots!" she
said. "Not a book!"
She threw the birthday cake
and book at him, then choked the poor
devil.
(from "In the news," Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
~~~

TWO HAIKU
spring cleaning
on the warm winter day
early daffodils
~~~

six weeks
into winter, yet
the yellowbell blooms
~~~

TANKA
first scene this morning:
three fat-chested robins
rimming the birdbath
full of fresh rainwater
drinking ... drinking ... aah ... aah
~~~

SENRYU
"my cholesterol
is not where the doctor wants ..."
she eats an omelet
~~~

c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press