No holds bard

Mnemonic

2011-09-23T10:22:00.001-05:00

For you to go, have one "O".
"To", in use as a preposition, has only one "o".
Double, you add "W". Two.
"Two" is a very specific number.
Still more to come? One more wheel, too.
"Too" means "also" or "extra".

VERS SPAMBRE 3

2007-09-17T10:06:00.000-05:00

small cap sheet
vanquish
Medicare drift
cascade

flirtation eel
seventy blubber
unearthly crossbow
pliable barter
soundproof

ultimate pain
gloomy hair-raising
paramedic drunk

nonfat unbeaten

other as
blazer edible
Are burton at marrow
For no prove
Abashed Lenore

VERS SPAMBRE 2

2007-07-31T15:50:00.000-05:00

such summon
covetous espouse
of methods that send
as though looks
dainty life preserver

among deplete
nutshell shold always Writers
smarts plus sign
in termagant
without having save

pail
gas pedal prelude
paneling
procure up-and-coming

VERS SPAMBRE 1

2007-07-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

A collection of entries from the sidebar of Composite Drawlings, after they are replaced by new verses.

squad car speak
measures expert minded
one posted
just make sure has
return crossing

geopgraphy family
dutifully
try
televise sturdiness

inundation wrote
library brought wasnt
door San Francisco
interchangeably
louse
and he makeup

Monmouth Civic Orchestra: It's SHOWTIME, folks!

2007-04-02T17:56:00.000-05:00

How can I have a bee in my bonnet?

2007-01-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

How can I have a bee in my bonnet
When I have no bonnet to wear?
The top of my head has no hat or bow on it
But only a great knot of hair.

My sweet Cousin Sue sports a silken puggree,

Aunt Bess has a tile most sublime

Yet I have no mill'ner to make me less ugly --
The judges of style call it crime.

My sisters, all three, top their coifs with panache

But I let no elegance show
I'm lacking sombrero for want of spare cash
And that's why I'm feeling so low.

Dusk

2007-01-20T15:26:00.000-06:00

The sun sinks away and the earth
Becomes secret:
Baying hounds, barking dogs, echo each
One another.
The laughter of two lovers
The breath of a stranger where it
Does not belong.
Spanish moss a veil the
Bride moon
Hides behind,
She casts a bashful reflection upon
Silent waters
And whispers,
Dreams, dreams, dreams.

Electoral College

2006-11-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

I make my puny voice heard
I said
I vote!
Swing that curtain around behind me:
I’m somebody -
One of zillions forgotten until today
Yes!
I said
I am!
Pull those tiny switches
Slap the lever
Down, down, down
Choosing the one to speak for me
I’m protecting my tiny
Piece of pie
This box my room
My bed
My body
My name
My memory
Mine, all mine.

The sun will never set on me
Now I am immortal
Because I elected this man
I VOTE
We call for
A recount.

Monmouth Civic Orchestra plays another hand

2006-09-21T18:39:00.000-05:00

This poster will remain at the top of my blogs until the day of the concert.

For further information, please either leave a comment here, e-mail me via my blog link, or go to The MCO's Home Page. Right now, going through me is faster, though. The MCO's primary focus is on producing excellent musical performances, not on cyberstuff.

Please, support your community arts programs.

Rainbow Feet

2006-07-20T15:43:00.000-05:00

click image for larger view

THE EDDY

2006-06-21T17:48:00.000-05:00

It was nothing special
Just a spiral near the shore –
A place the lake forgot to water
Then the currents carried to it a
Fragment – flotsam –
From a weeping willow tree
Still green, recalling clearly
What it was to be with others
Alive in a family of tree.
Now independent,
The branch flirts
Spinning slowly
Leaves dipping and teasing
At the eddy's edge
Never allowing full embrace:
That would mean
Being devoured.
The eddy does not draw in
Its newfound companion
On pain of
Being choked, strangled,
Stifled into nothingness.

And so they spin
Together apart
Locked forever
In loving combat.

BIRTHDAYS

2006-04-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

God has a mule
He calls Time
Time plods
On and on
Without stopping
Without thinking
Without seeing
Treading
Sure-footed
The treacherous path of
Infinity.
Shackled,
Tied to Time's tail,
I follow.

Seeds

2006-03-20T14:03:00.000-06:00

Tree&Moon007
Originally uploaded by the NOB.

We lived in a city with many more just like us.
We were all very close to each other.
Then things began to change,
We knew we could no longer live in our homes.
Some rode off on great beasts.
Move on, move on, they called.
Rebuild, rebuild.
Some were carried off lightly on the winds.
Away, away, they whispered.
Rebuild, rebuild.
The rest of us were gathered into shelters where
We waited for a very long time.
When the waiting was over, we were taken from our shelter.
Where our city once had been, there was only cool, turned earth.
We looked at each other as we tumbled to the ground.
We smiled as we felt the moist dirt reach around us.
We stretched and danced beneath the warming sun.
Here, we sang.
Rebuild.

No rest

2006-02-18T12:36:00.000-06:00

Late hour, light's out
Even God's asleep
Bone is sword and muscle stone
As day takes its toll.
Flames flicker on ceiling above
They are my eyes and they will not close
As angels and demons clash within.
I beg myself sleep, rest
Try to stop thinking about work
About sleep
About anything
About everything.

A match is lit and
Dropped into a beehive.

Meadows Gold

2006-02-16T12:57:00.000-06:00

25 March, 2003
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you SO much for the lovely birthday presents! Who could have thought of so perfect a gift as plants for my yard! And, fruit trees, no less! I planted the apples and apricots the minute I got them, strategically flanking the house so that, when they grow, they will give a lovely prospect from the street. The blueberries will be fantastic on the far end of the back lot, blocking the view of the alley, and, since there is a chain link fence between them and the neighbors’ kids, I may actually be able to get a healthy harvest from them all, in just a few years.
I am so excited by the Dwarf Red Jonathans, though, I can hardly wait until they mature enough to bear fruit! Just think -- in a few years, I’ll be bringing home-grown, homemade pie to holiday dinners! This is so nifty, I am practically spinning! I can’t wait to show everybody!
All my love and many, many thanks,
Me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customerservice@e(plant company name).com

Subject: apple and apricot trees not growing (id#08-------)

This March I received, as a gift from my parents, a pair of Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees and a pair of Manchurian apricots, along with other plants and seeds. While the rest of the order is healthy and strong, even after our peculiar spring weather, my dormant trees seem permanently dormant. After waiting the advised six weeks, I am still seeing no change in the status of the sticks I put in my dirt. Please advise me: should I return the sticks postage due, will you send a return sticker with postage paid, or will you please simply send me replacement trees?

M
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: apple and apricot trees not growing (id#08-------)

We are sorry to hear of the problem you have had with your plants. In
accordance with our guarantee, simply return the ORIGINAL shipping label for
a free replacement or merchandise credit. Please be sure to specify in your
letter how many of which item is dead and your desire for a replacement or
credit. There is no need to return the dead plants when requesting
replacements.

We will keep the shipping label on file in our office for the year the
warranty is good for. In the event you need additional replacements for
other items included on this label, simply write to us and indicate that we
have the label on file due to a previous replacement and we will process
your request.

Remember to always keep any label attached to a shipment.

Thank You
Customer Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name here
My address
small town, State, Zip+four
e-mail: m----@------.com
10 May, 2003

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
Attn: Customer Service

Re: pkg ID # 08------

To Whom It May Concern

Please find enclosed the shipping label for the package received in late March, as advised in your e-mail instructions to me.

As I said in my internet communique, the 2 Manchurian Apricot trees and the 2 Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple Trees have not returned from dormancy. It appears to be a lost cause, as I had not intended to fill my yard with sticks in dirt. I would very much prefer replacement of the same plants, if it is possible at this late date in the season. If replacement trees are no longer an option, I will be happy to accept a credit for other merchandise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
M
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Replacement trees arrived: questions

The replacements you sent for my Manchurian apricot and Dwarf Red Jonathan
Apple trees have arrived, thank you!

With them, however, I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer:

(1) The package's shipping label indicated it contained the 2 Dwarf
Jonathans I requested, but the labels on the trees say "7753 12
IMPROVED GOLDN SEDUM 12
and MEDIUM GOLDN SEDUM, respectively. Is this a substitution,
because you no longer have any Dwarf Red Jonathans, or was this a packing
error? I don't know enough about the goldens, but I'm hoping that
they are tart pie-style, if they're a substitution.

(2) If it was a simple substitution, are they dwarf fruit trees, or
should I worry about planting them in my smaller, contained side
yard? (I can certainly espalier or cordon them, if full-sized, but
the aim was for lower maintenance with dwarfs).

(3) One of the apple trees seems to have a heavy coating of white
fungal growth right at the point of grafting.

Should I be concerned about any or all of these questions? I will appreciate any help you might offer me.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours,
M

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: Replacement trees arrived: questions

I believe this was an error. That is a creeping perennial type flower.
Please send back that shipping label and your correct replacements can be
sent.

Thank You
Customer Service

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name here
My address
small town, State, Zip+four
e-mail: m----@------.com
22 June, 2003

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
Attn: Customer Service

Re: pkg ID # 08------

To Whom It May Concern

Please find enclosed the shipping label for the replacement package received last week, as advised in your e-mail instructions to me. The sticks marked “Manchurian Apricot” seem healthy and show early signs of greenery, for which I am pleased.

As it seems that the trees (whose slender trunks, by the way, do smell like apple trees) were labeled as Golden Sedum, apparently a creeping flower not known for its tree-like growth habit, we are in doubt as to their positive identification. Further, one of them appears to have a dense, white, hairy fungal growth at the point of graft, and it seems to have expanded in the past twenty hours since I opened the package. Could this be the creeping Golden Sedum? I will be grateful if you would please instruct, and send appropriate replacements as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
M

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Customer:

Thank you for your letter regarding some merchandise you have received from us.

In your letter you state that part of the merchandise arrived in bad condition of has not yet started to bud and leaf out. Much of our nursery stock is shipped in a dormant, bare root condition or in starter pots that require transplanting. Many times, this type of stock may look “dead” or droopy upon arrival, may lose leaves in shipment or may leaf out later than established plants. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLANT ALL PLANTS AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE. Plant as directed and water regularly. The plants will almost certainly revive.

However, if your plants do not begin to leaf out after six weeks just return all correspondence and the shipping label and we will be happy to send you a replacement. If necessary advise how many of which plants have died at that time.

Thank you again for your letter and we are certain that if given more time your plants will develop into beautiful and satisfactory specimens.

Sincerely yours,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name here
My address
small town, State, Zip+four
e-mail: m----@------.com
30 June, 2003

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
Attn: Customer Service

Re: pkg ID # 08------

To Whom It May Concern

Please find enclosed copies of all prior correspondences regarding aforementioned package, ID # 08-----.

Your most recent response seems to have been directed toward the problem with the first set of plants you shipped to me, which, as I mentioned in my first letter, I had waited well-past the six week demarcation as suggested, before I contacted you about their apparent permanent state of dormancy. As directed in your response, I mailed to you my shipping label and a list of those plants which had failed to thrive.

As I mentioned in my more recent correspondence, the second set of trees -- the replacement Dwarf Red Jonathan Apples --that I had requested came, labeled as Improved Golden Sedum, and one of the pair fully was encrusted in a wooly, white fungal growth (covering an area several inches to either side and including the graft) I was reluctant to place in my garden. Nevertheless, I have planted these small tree starts, as advised, in approximately the locale I would choose for my replacement Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees when they arrive.

If replacement Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees are no longer an option, I will be happy to accept a credit for other merchandise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
M
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name here
My address
small town, State, Zip+four
e-mail: m----@------.com
28 June, 2003

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
Attn: Customer Service

Re: pkg ID # 08------

To Whom It May Concern:

I am beginning to think that the white growth can not be Golden Sedum, be it medium, or improved, or other. There appear to be (a) no golden anythings about it, and (b) no flowers. I do not mean to say merely that there are no flowers upon the white growth, but rather, no flowers remaining in my garden. As a matter of fact, I seem to have no pests, either. While, normally, I find the absence of aphids and other arthropods to be encouraging, I am not so comforted to watch this growth outrun and swallow whole a family of rabbits and the neighbor’s dog. Well, I suppose I AM happy about the dog. It has been marvelously quiet, this afternoon.

Nevertheless, I believe I need to ask advice as to whether or not I should allow this white growth any more room to grow, and, if not, what sort of treatment you would recommend I use to curtail its expansion. I am sending you a sealed sample of it, so you might gauge for yourselves.

Also, how soon can I expect my replacement Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees to arrive?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
M
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Customer:

Thank you for your letter regarding some merchandise you have received from us.

In your letter you state that part of the merchandise arrived in bad condition of has not yet started to bud and leaf out. Much of our nursery stock is shipped in a dormant, bare root condition or in starter pots that require transplanting. Many times, this type of stock may look “dead” or droopy upon arrival, may lose leaves in shipment or may leaf out later than established plants. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLANT ALL PLANTS AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE. Plant as directed and water regularly. The plants will almost certainly revive.

However, if your plants do not begin to leaf out after six weeks just return all correspondence and the shipping label and we will be happy to send you a replacement. If necessary advise how many of which plants have died at that time.

Thank you again for your letter and we are certain that if given more time your plants will develop into beautiful and satisfactory specimens.

Sincerely yours,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name here
My address
small town, State, Zip+four
e-mail: m----@------.com
30 June, 2003

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
Attn: Customer Service

Re: pkg ID # 08------

To Whom It May Concern:

Perhaps you might postpone the shipment of my replacement Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees.

The white Golden Sedum has indeed shown itself to be a creeping variety of plant. It has wrapped itself nicely around the power lines and interrupted my electronic communications.

Please excuse the peculiar folds in the envelope containing this letter. I will have to form it into a paper airplane and toss it from my attic window in order to get it to the mailman, today. He shouted to me that he will not take the risk again, tomorrow.

Please advise. Please. Please.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
M
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18 July, 2003
B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four
pkg ID # 08------ returned, undeliverable at given address

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B--- Seed And Plant Co.
Their address
somewhat larger town, State, Zip+four

Mr. And Mrs. M., Sr.
Their address
Smallish town, State, Zip+four

Re: pkg ID # 08------
July 19, 2003

We are sorry that the gift plants you ordered from us were viewed as unsatisfactory. Please accept our credit for the full value of the Dwarf Red Jonathan Apple trees, at $--.-- total, including shipping.

Should you have any questions or comments for us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Customer Service

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

30 July, 2003
Dear M,
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like the trees we sent you, after all. You know we only want for you to be happy. Apparently, what we do is never enough. Your sisters seemed to like their plants just fine! If you had just told us you didn’t like the trees and plants, we’d have found something else for you. Unfortunately, we had to find out the hard way, when we received the refund credit notice. Sometimes, I just don’t understand you!
Your loving mother,
Mom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22 October, 2003
Dear M,
Mom says you haven’t acknowledged her letter to you about the nice trees she sent you and you didn’t like. Are you still sulking because you didn’t get Grandma’s clock and table? I can’t believe how spoiled you are! I can’t believe you and I came from the same womb!
Grow up!
Your sister,
J
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

29 December, 2003
Dear M.
Thanks for making Mom miserable on Christmas Day! She stayed in the kitchen, crying over the gravy, because you couldn’t even be bothered to give her a call. And my kids say thanks for nothing. Literally. Now I know why nobody married you.
I hope you rot in hell.
Your sister,
L
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 9, 2005
Inter-office Memo:

...Kudos to Roger and Mose, of the R&D section here at B---Seed and Plant Co., for all the work they put into the project, and for the patent on the new food crop they’ve developed as a result. White Gold will surely be the answer to the world’s hunger problem, with its rapid growth and minimal requirements, and the high level of protein and fiber. We were so very lucky when we decided just over two years ago to transfer Mose over from Customer service.

Infinity

2006-02-16T12:20:00.000-06:00

Just beyond those cold stones
Where you can catch a glimpse
If you work hard to see it
Is the place where earth and sea and sky
Become one
And that One
Is the laughter and the waves of grace
At the end of the world.

Pen & Ink Pompeii
Originally uploaded by the NOB.

Bus Riders

2006-01-31T16:11:00.000-06:00

Chatter and laughter from each cluster
But the singles come
Not alone:
They sing and nod,
Bounce back and forth in their seats
Mumble to
Argue with
Others less visible even
Than they.

He
In his lucid moments
Sings a little
And mostly listens in awe when
The chattering stops.

She
Touches the ground less and less
Arguing with Angels
And stands and stomps away when
He sits near her.

He
Hears them talk again inside his head
About things unreal
And wonders if she’s one of them
Or one of THEM.

The lesson

2006-01-31T14:38:00.000-06:00

In each painting is a poem
In each poem is a painting
So the Chinese teach.
Where speak cummings, Frost, and Donne
But in Mondrian, Curry, Rembrandt?
O'Keeffe sings Dickinson once again
As if those attic dreams were never hidden.
Turn pages in the gallery
I lift my brush to paper
Heart beating India ink
Spilling onto the page.
Begin, it says:
Haiku
Couplet, Sonnet
Ode to Epic
Then the mind's shears trim the edges
Pare away the lies:
Epic, Ode, Couplet
Haiku, Word.
Sigh.

The Noisy Pillow

2006-01-31T14:31:00.000-06:00

Noisy Pillow 001
Originally uploaded by the NOB.

Mom has posted the entire of another of my children's stories, the series I began for my brother's sons, at her photoblog, for all to see.
This picture is the title page, and I hope it's sufficiently enticing to lure you into it...

Now, I'm taking a nap. ;-)

Update, 20 Jul.2006: I've decided to lock in thumbnails for the rest of the pages, for when Mom's Flickr photoblog reaches maximum capacity. Click for larger views:

Corrections

2006-01-03T12:42:00.000-06:00

I drove past a wall of stone and barbed wire marked by a sign
Which proclaimed CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION in bold white letters
Over a sky-blue field.
I wondered aloud why the sign said CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
When they meant PRISON?
They are not free, I said, inside those walls –
No promises are made to these men that they will survive
No guarantees can be made that society will accept them back
Or that they will be complete and intact in the end
No pun intended.
The crimes for which they are interned
Are the stripes on their sleeves, the medals on their chests
Their battle zone will leave youth twisted, wisdom destroyed
Beatified broken.

I shuddered.

PRISON, I said, pressing hard against the gas.

At the next city I stopped.
I checked into a motel, my wares in hand.
I stepped into my room, with its dead-bolt locks
With its shatter-proof windows
With its bed bolted to the wall
With the remote control chained to the bedpost
Like Gideon's Samson.

Turning on the Evening News to learn of the world outside,
I stood CORRECTED.

Squall Lines

2005-12-31T14:07:00.000-06:00

Who brought that hurricane into my home?
It rumpled the rugs and my curtains are gone
It knocked over chairs and it dirtied my plates
Emptied my cupboards and broke all the gates.
Kitty just hid in the wall with the mice
For her warm cozy bed got filled with crushed ice.
My pup comes home later, in a week, if he dares
For now, though, he's safer asleep with the bears.
The violets in the garden have all turned fully white
And thistles hide their prickles, in whopping great fright.
Who let that hurricane into my home?
The pudgy round face makes it look like a gnome
Its shrieks can pierce armor from ten miles away –
Oh, it's just my nephew coming over to play.
Come, have a cookie, some candy, my sweet...
We still have your grandma and grandpa to meet.

HOW THE TRACKS REALLY GOT THERE

2005-12-28T14:58:00.000-06:00

Right next to the patch of ferns
They had put in a fresh new sidewalk.
A fiddlehead was pressed by summer wind
Into the soft cement
And I saw suddenly a dinosaur
With more tail visible than is decent
Bending over to put his trowel away
behind him T. Rex and Apatosaur
Pitter-pat across and
Turn to sign their names
Tee-hee he didn't see us
Bobby '88 Tsquared hot4U.

A quick riddle (dedicated to Dad)

2005-12-28T14:55:00.000-06:00

Q: Why did the chicken cross the Moebius strip?

A: To get to the same side!

What’s the Commotion?

2005-12-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

When you have a notion, you note.
When you take motion, you move.
When you apply lotion...do you lote?
And is using a potion to pote or pove?

How can I prove without a protion?
What can I glove when I've no glotion?
I dock in a cove without a cotion...
Hiding away from the storm-tossed otion.

Escape hatch open

2005-12-26T23:57:00.000-06:00

I hope to use this blog as the occasional outlet for the fiction and poetry (okay, mostly doggerel.. or is it bloggerel?) that I can't place in my other blogs, for whatever reason.

I may post daily, or it may be a number of days, even weeks going by between posts. Still, think of this as my brain's brambly hedge, catching all the fattest bunnies trying to race through it. Or, if that doesn't work for you, try seeing it as a greenhouse full of weeds, one of which might give bloom to something rare and colorful. I'll tend it when I'm good and ready.

Everybody needs an outside interest, no?