GO COUGIES!

A peom--my one and only

Cutting Down Christmas Trees the Day after Thanksgiving

I roll out of the car
looking like a marshmallow
on a short flimsy stick,
ready for roasting.

one pair wool gloves
one pair work gloves
blue ski beanie
one thermal shirt
two coats
denim jeans—too small
soggy wool socks
running shoes

Everyone else wears boots and
I didn’t want to bring mine. Ugly boots.
When I take off my shoes I am afraid
I will find ten shriveled raisins, no toes.

Dad’s red ball cap could be a bird
flitting through the trees
but it’s too see-your-breath-cold for birds
and flitting.

Jubilant, Marie yells—“I Found It!”
Her words trudge towards us
or maybe it’s just my steps
that feel like trudging.

We weave clumsily over under
around the woods,
we surround the spruce.
Stunning slender spruce.

The chainsaw burps and grumbles until
high on its own fumes it roars and guffaws.
Dad smiles wicked
and in his eyes gleam red glass balls, a shining star…

the aspens whisper like neighborhood women
they condemn us
we drag our prize over logs to the road

a wake of pine needles trails behind

Stand up for what you believe in!

I would like to start a petition to get Liz Hansen blogging.

Need I say more?

Sign your name in comments if you would like to see Liz enter the blog scene. Be aware that signing your name commits you to harass Liz endlessly about starting a blog.

In Tribute, Part Trois

Happy Birthday Joni Mitchell.

Some day I might have more interesting things to post about, like a husband or child, or even a dog! But for now, I can only expand my blog's wall of influence. Today, Joni, is your day. Favorite lines:

I am a lonely painter, I live in a box of paints. I'm frightened by the devil and I'm drawn to those that ain't afraid.
I remember that time you told me, you said love is touching souls. Well surely you've touched mine cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time.

Tears and fears and feeling proud, To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, Ive looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, They shake their heads, they say Ive changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained, In living evry day.

I met a redneck on a grecian isle who did the goat dance very well,
he gave me back my smile but he kept my camera to sell.

Born with the moon in cancer, choose her a name she will answer to.
Call her green and the winter cannot fade her.

I am on a lonely road and I am traveling
Traveling, traveling, traveling
Looking for something, what can it be
Oh I hate you some, I hate you some
I love you some
Oh I love you when I forget about me
I want to be strong I want to laugh along
I want to belong to the living
Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive
I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive
Do you want - do you want - do you want
To dance with me baby
Do you want to take a chance
On maybe finding some sweet romance with me baby
Well, come on


I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

A Grateful Heart

Why does the chilling winter's morn

Smile, like a field beset with corn?

Or smell like a meadow newly shorn

Thus on the sudden? Come and see

The cause, why things thus fragrant be:

'Tis He is born, whose quick'ning birth

Gives life and lustre, public mirth,

To heaven and the underneath.

We see Him come, and know Him ours,

Who, with His sunshine and His show'rs,

Turns all the patient ground to flow'rs.

The Darling of the world is come,

And fit it is, we find a room

To welcome Him, to welcome Him.

The nobler part of all the house here, is the heart,

Which we will give him...

-excerpt from "What Sweeter Music", Robert Herrick

When sundown pales the sky I wanna hide awhile, behind your smile,
And everywhere I'd look, your eyes I'd find.

When rain has hung the leaves with tears I want you near
To kill my fears-- to help me to leave all my blues behind.