Today I submitted 5 poems for publication. Here they are for your reading pleasure, I hope.
Immanuel
The
folk invoke their god:
Immanuel,
Immanuel God be with us!
Oprah,
Oprah, the Barbies exult.
They
wait for Judge Judy,
Then
quiver in rapture
When
Judge and Bird emerge.
Tyra,
Tyra, the Thumbelinas praise!
On
another stage Ellen conjures
The
Believers' spirits,
Then
they arise and rejoice.
Each
time the floor director gives
The
cue, the people go to a
Perfect
world, riding My
Little
Pony to Eden.
Life
begins by pulling a string
Grounded
in a memory chip.
The Show
Grover,
Sparky, Lefty and Cap.
Ernie,
Yogi, Ducky and Nap.
Hit
it where they ain't.
Jesse,
Happy, Mickey and Whitey,
Eddie,
Charlie, Jocko and Rollie.
Good
pitchers master the feint.
Dizzy,
Dazzy, Daffy and Ted.
Reggie,
Sandy, Jackie and Red.
Ball
fans worship Rita the Saint.
Next of Kin
You're
asked to name your next of kin
Should
an accident call and find you in;
For
assurance, for insurance, or even worse:
Who's
going to pay for the funereal hearse,
The
plot, the burial crew, and the obit?
Your
mother, father or brother could be it.
Or,
your next of kin could be.
Maybe
a cousin who's free
At
the time. A nephew, niece or sister,
An
uncle or an aunt, or any Mister
With
the same last name as yours.
It
could be one of your mentors
Who
helped you become you;
You
know, your own personal guru.
Next
of kin isn't only determined
By
blood but also love, well-fashioned.
The Duck
Like
a shoe in the socks drawer,
Or
a tuxedo on a wild boar,
A
duck scrunched on our front porch,
As
apt as a Christmas tiki torch.
The
duck wasn't expected
And
seemed disconnected.
It's
not difficult, though, to devine
His
surprise was greater than mine.
Family Circle
At
a round rest stop table
The
usual can of pork
And
beans, with nothing added
To
make them seem more than
They
were, was the only side.
The
mother prepared simple
Cold
cut sandwiches, neat,
Without
mayo or lettuce,
And
the ordinary meal
Became
a summer picnic.
It
evolved into a meal of love
And
they were like some
Westward
pioneers who stopped
Someplace
near here to be
In
a family way.
