Hiding

The dark chocolate candy bar
must be carefully placed
between the other items
so that none of it shows through the grocery bag.
Then it must be smuggled to the bedroom
with an air of nonchalance --
Just putting away the toothpaste,
Nothing to see here.
Then I lock the door.

I do not want to share.
I am tired of sharing.

So I eat my chocolate
like a jealous, greedy sneak,
listening for footsteps
and hurrying through the last bites in case I get caught.
It is delicious.

I hide the wrapper way down in the trash,
unlock the door and emerge,
guilty but not sorry,
to answer the calls of "Where's Mom?"


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(From a prompt at Poetic Asides to write a hiding poem.)

Spring

The calendar says
the first day of spring
came and went without
my noticing.

Just weeks ago
when I searched the ground
for an insect (school project)
not one could be found.

But on the way out
to the car today
I looked around
and I was amazed:

Hum and chirp
and bud and sprout,
grass needs mowing,
hornets are out.

I'm glad I happened
to see all this
because spring is brief
and easily missed.


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(From a prompt at NaPoWriMo to write a "first day" poem.)

Biology student blues

My cytoplasm's tired and my mitochondria are weak
I say, my cytoplasm's tired and my mitochondria are weak
But I've got three more chapters to study before I can sleep.

My cellular respiration's not proceeding efficiently
No, my cellular respiration's not proceeding efficiently
I swear I'm getting none of that glucose energy.

My cranium is drooping and I keep losing consciousness
Well, well, my cranium is drooping and I keep losing consciousness
That ol' levator palpebrae superioris just wants to rest.

I'll be full of serotonin when this final exam is passed
Oh, I'll have so much serotonin when this final exam is passed
Then drop straight to delta wave sleep and stay there for a day and a half.


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(From a prompt at NaPoWriMo to write a blues. The effect isn't quite the same without the music. Good thing these aren't being graded.)

Apology

Sorry, self,
again,
for spending too much,
flossing too little,
speaking before thinking,
staying up too late,
and waiting till the last minute to do things.
Just to name a few irritating habits.
Frankly
I don't see us changing anytime soon
And a trial separation won't really work
So I guess the best solution
Is to learn to live with ourself
And try to be a little more considerate.


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(From a prompt at Poetic Asides to write an apology poem.)

The First Mosquito of Spring

A familiar faint whine past the ear
Told us we had an unwelcome guest.
Now the children can't sleep for their fear
They'll be snacked on all night while they rest.


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(From a prompt at Poetic Asides to write a poem about a visitor.)

Seize the Day

You talk with her and watch for that rare word that brings the light.
Catch hold and savor with her any memory still bright.
You see what she has lost, years lost; she only sees the day.

Try not to mourn too much what slips away in her forgetting.
Look closer. You will see that she does not waste time regretting.
Live now. Be here with who she still is to you; seize the day.


~ Tamary Shoemaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Response to NaPoWriMo prompt to write a "carpe diem" or "seize the day" poem, after spending a day with a close relative suffering from Alzheimer's.)

Nectarine

A ripe nectarine
demands your full attention.
The first bite might be taken
one-handed, eyes on the newspaper,
thinking about the day ahead,
but then juice starts dripping
and both hands are required
and before you know it,
all senses are focused
on one moment of sweetness.


~ Tamary Shoemaker