Hooray for our country! May it ever remain a democratic republic! Poems

Between/bursts of fireworks, /distant thunder rumbles. / At dusk--no matter what--night bugs/still sing. //

Our house/ surrounded by/ the loud sounds of fireworks. / I sit and read, the cat's hiding/ somewhere. //

Fireworks/ fading at ten-/ thirty. It's about time! / Surely these daddies have to go/ to work.

Only/ the animals/ hide from the booms & blats/ of fireworks. Feline Greye's under/ the couch. //

Untouched/ by either sound, / smell, colors, oohs-and aahs/ of fireworks' displays, the sky still / surrounds. //

c 2024, PL, dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

BEFORE MAY GETS AWAY . . . POEMS

 

HAIKU

windows blown out

but a glass lamp collection 

still on its shelf ('08)

~ ~  ~ 

cedar waxwing

feasting from a limb

of holly berries ('12)

~ ~ ~ ~

close to the wall

carrying their children

through rising waters ('99)

~ ~ ~ ~

rooster

adding to early morning

birdsong ('09)

~ ~ ~ ~

tornado takes all

except 

two of three kittens ('97)

~ ~ ~ ~

Memorial Day weekend

Sunday's paper comes

on Saturday night ('22)

c 2024, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

Mid-March poems

 saplings

standing

in violets

~ ~ ~ ~

woodpecker

at the feeder

chased off by a jay

~ ~ ~ ~

constant music:

windchimes

during March

~ ~ ~ ~

red petunias

in the daffodil bed

wintered over

~ ~ ~ ~

on the Ides of March

a day-long rain

washing away winter

~ ~ ~ ~

with the bulldozer

next door, it's hard to hear

the mockingbirds, jays 

~ ~ ~ ~

yard black with birds

leaving bird by bird

(some not yet ready)

~ ~ ~ ~

POST CHRISTMAS, 2023 - POEMS

 ecstatic grandchild

visiting from Florida

--an Arkansas snow

~ ~ ~ ~

sunny winter day

dust on the dark wood

of the rocking chair

~ ~ ~ ~

she "cut back" this year

baking only twenty

fruitcaakes

~ ~ ~ ~

power outage

wrapped in your

Christmas-gift shawl

~ ~ ~ ~

the bare gingko tree

its golden leaves allowed

to be undisturbed

~ ~ ~ ~

post-Christmas snowstorm

the sound of generators

all around

~ ~ ~ ~

lumberjack bolting

from Christmas celebration

a second ice storm

~ ~ ~ ~

c 2023 PL dba lovepat press, Benton Arkansas USA

AND THE SEASON HAS CHANGED - POEMS

 

windy fall morning--

wispy cloud layer

across a gibbous moon

~ ~ ~ ~

the church garage sale

on the mourners' bench

old pocketbooks & porkpies

~ ~ ~ ~

a lone limb of green

on the yellow-leafed

tulip poplar

~ ~ ~ ~

staring through

indescribable colors

of sassafras

~ ~ ~ ~

from a tiny house

at the edge of the pond

he's fishing from the porch

~ ~ ~ ~

BEWARE

First day

of deer season . . .

Not a good day to drive

the narrow, wooded mountainous

highway.

~ ~ ~ ~

sun in my face

but with the autumn tilt

it doesn't bother

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

c 2023, Pat Laster dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

SUMMER POEMS

LATE

While I

transcribe poems,

darkness falls. Only spots

of sky visible through maple,

oak leaves.

~ ~ ~ ~

EACH YEAR

Friday

before Sunday's

birthday, Florida son

sends a local florist over with a

bouquet.

~ ~ ~ ~

WHAT A VIEW

Summer

sight: low--cannas;

medium--goldenrod;

taller than shed roof, the Rose-of-

Sharon.

~ ~ ~ ~

YARD WORK

Eric

weed-eated, mowed.

I also weed-eated,

cleaned leaves and Bermuda from east-

most beds. 

~ ~ ~ ~

BIG TASK

Must go

inside and work

more on the memoir, lest

editor calls asking "where's the

next batch?"

~ ~ ~ ~

c 2023 PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA

LONG TIME WITHOUT POSTING: June poems

 

HAIKU

successful short flight

from privet to windowsill

two young cardinals

~~

from the back pew

two older women chatting

during the sermon

~~

bereavement lily

its orange fallout

blessing me

~~

season's first melon

its aroma more luscious

than its taste

~~

CINQUAIN

Rhythm

and Bayous road

in southern Arkansas.

We head home from a week's trip to

the beach.

~~

Pulling

yellowed leaves from

a budding gardenia

bush, I discover this gorgeous

blossom.

~~

TANKA

daughter-in-law's

gifts from earlier

Mother's Days

   come out of the closet

   each Sunday of spring

~~

c 2023, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA