LIFE & DEATH & LIFE

Have you heard the story of Katie Ogg who received the news all mothers dread

When her premature babies were born she was told one of them was dead.

Emily and Jamie were to be the names they’d pin their hopes and dreams on

But in an instant Emily was alive and kicking while, Jamie, her twin, was gone.

I wonder if we can fully comprehend this moment, it’s dichotomy or its scope

One baby born alive and noisy the other silent...without hope.

Katie wanted to tell Jamie, that he was loved and blessed

So she unwrapped all 2 pounds of him and held him to her chest.

It’s called Kangaroo Care and is a technique many hospitals now apply

But Katie used it for another purpose...as a way to say goodbye

Katie’s husband, David, climbed in next to them, he wanted Jamie to feel his dad

If they had to say goodbye they were going to savor what little time they had.

The doctor and nurses who were in the room all quietly receded

Trying to give this grieving family the space and time it needed.

For 2 hours they held him close with Jamie and mommy skin-to-skin

They told him about his family, they stroked his little chin.

When Jamie made a little gasp Katie wondered if perhaps he wasn’t dead

“Please don’t get your hopes up, that’s a normal reflex.” Her doctor said.

Katie took some breast milk and placed it on her fingertips

Then, as is a mother’s nature, brought it to her baby’s lips.

“I think he’s breathing.” Katie said to everyone’s surprise

And the doctor finally believed her when Jamie opened up his eyes.

“It’s a miracle.” The doctor proclaimed...Jamie was breathing normally

And today Katie, David and the twins are a happy family.

Death looms around every corner, every bedroom, every hall

He’s never in a hurry for he knows eventually he’ll take us all.

In a world where we have no idea when death will next attack

Isn’t it nice to know, every now and then, death will give one back?

HELLO SELFIE, GOODBYE SNOLLYGOSTER

For anyone who admires words yesterday was epic...revolutionary

As Merriam-Webster announced the latest words added to its dictionary.

New words are added as they become popular like the Thanksgiving treat turducken

Eating three birds placed inside each other makes me want to add a new word- yucken!

Selfie made the list as did tweep and fracking and pho

You can now use Yoopers or hash tag to show you’re in the know.

Thank you Merriam-Webster your addition of new words always makes me glad

But this day also has a tendency to make me somewhat sad.

With the birth of all these new words the Merriam-Webster’s editors turn cold

You see, in order to make room for the new words they must retire some of the old.

Pocket handkerchief is gone, I believe my great grandfather wore one

Nethoscope, an instrument for measuring clouds, is also getting shunned.

Snollygoster, an unprincipled but shrewd person, becomes a new dictionary omission

Why use that word, I’m sure the editors thought, when we have a better one...politician?

Stylopodium and Hodad are now words in the dictionary you will no longer see

Riboflavin replaces a complex of B vitamins once knows as Vitamin G.

The world is constantly changing after all that’s how it’s designed

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some sadness for the words we leave behind.

Knowing there are words out there that we will no longer see

I guess in some way reminds us of our own mortality.

So welcome to all the new words as we watch our vocabulary grow

And as for all the old words...I’m sorry to see you go.

There is one consolation, however, if you, like me, are old-school literary

You will find both the old and new words in the unabridged dictionary.

HANDYMAN

I imagine most people like to think they’re handy, whether they’re single or a spouse

We all like to think we can competently complete those little projects around the house.

When something breaks at our house I say, “Deborah, have no fear!”

“Why call an electrician or a plumber when I’m already here?”

Deborah rolls her eyes and tries her best not to grumble or to grouse

“OK you can try to fix it, Jim...but please...don’t destroy the house.”

She remembers that little fire I started...it could happen to any man

When I connected the black wire to the white one installing our bedroom ceiling fan.

Or those tiny, little sparks that flew...it looked like a meteor shower

When, again working with electricity...I forgot to shut off the power.

Perhaps she’s thinking how our kitchen is unique and that is making her scoff.

To turn the lights on you flip the switch down and you flip it up to turn them off.

It could be she’s thinking about when I redid that wall and my skill she is dismissing

She had to admit the wall looked great in spite of the 3 tools I’m still missing.

Or maybe it’s that drawer in the kitchen filled with my left over parts collection

In my defense have you ever tried to make sense of those crazy IKEA directions?

No, I’m sure she’s thinking about the day she was away and I hung that bedroom door. 

It has gone down into the history of my household project lore.

I worked all day while she was out.  I measured, I cut and I drilled

I was going to win back her confidence and show her I could build.

The door was hanging when she came home, she looked at it, then with a slight frown

Kissed my cheek, turned and walked away saying, “You’ve hung it upside down.”

Experience has been my teacher...sure I’ve endured some pains and aches

But look around my house and you’ll see...I’ve learned from my mistakes.

That door is still hanging upside down as a reminder how anyone can...

If they persevere...if they work long and hard...become a handy man.

GRANDMA'S TREE

The year was 1992, Deborah’s mother had recently passed

She was taken from us too soon...her life over much too fast.

Our family was having lunch at McDonalds talking about how death is funny that way.

It must have been synchronicity that it was also Arbor Day.

While we were discussing the end of life...all its puzzles and mysteries

McDonalds was celebrating the beginning of life by handing out pine trees.

They came in little green cups and stood about 4 inches high

“I’m going to plant mine on Grandma’s grave.” Bryan said.  I was curious and asked him why. 

I must admit I was quite impressed with the wisdom he displayed

“Because her grave is sitting in the sun,” he said, “and Grandma loved the shade.”

I mentioned how that little plant won’t provide much shade and his answer gave me a thrill.

“Maybe not today, Dad,” he said, “but one day...I know it will.”

So we took that cup to the cemetery and in a spot that Bryan found

We dug a hole and he gently placed that seedling in the ground.

Every day for one month religiously we’d take water from the sink

Head out to the cemetery and give that tree a drink.

It’s been 22 years since we planted her and that tree is no longer small

From her humble beginning in that little green cup she’s now 35 feet tall.

Last time we visited the cemetery...this memory I shall save

The sun was shining brightly but there was shade on Grandma’s grave.

A tree has no knowledge of where it will end up, of where it will one day grow

Will it bask in the southern sunshine or weather the winter snow?

Will it look out over the ocean or an island in the 7 seas?

Will it stand on top of a mountain and sway gently in the breeze?

If it’s lucky perhaps a young boy will see something none of us could see

And give it a chance to shade one grandma throughout eternity.

MISTAKES

I’ve made a few mistakes in my life. I can say that with aplomb

I wore a blue brocade tux with a top hat and cane to my junior/senior prom.

I once let a beautician curl my hair...now that was really astute!

It seems I thought a curly head of hair would go great with my leisure suit.

She said a perm would make my baldness seem fuller and my love life it would prolong.

When it was over, it took but one look in the mirror to know that she was wrong.

My hair looked like a rebellious Brillo pad and I’m not being indiscreet

When I say the only female attracted to me was a French Poodle down the street!

In college while out drinking with friends I pretty much sealed my fate

When I cozied up to a pretty cheerleader and asked her for a date.

Was it the alcohol or was it love that made me forget I’d have to contend

With the boyfriend sitting next to her...was he the quarterback or a tight end?

I’m not sure, but I know my distilled confidence made me feel bold and brave and brash

What happened next is a bit blurry...I woke up face down in the trash.

The point here is we all make mistakes they await us around every turn

We shouldn’t be afraid to make them because from them we’ve so much to learn.

Without mistakes we wouldn’t have the chocolate chip cookies so many of us crave.

The slinky would have never been invented...no post it notes or microwaves.

There would be no penicillin, no fireworks would ever be seen

Without mistakes we’d see a straight tower in Pisa and miss that beautiful lean.

We will try and fail many times in our life, sometimes we’ll crash...sometimes we’ll fly

But the biggest mistake we will ever make...is when we fail to even try.

True I didn’t get a date with the cheerleader but I still think to this day

She gave me a wink and a smile as her huge boyfriend dragged me away.

I remember that moment with fondness...I know as a couple we would have been cute.

She, the beautiful cheerleader and me in my blue leisure suit.

HIEROGLYPHICS

Deborah and I recently helped Aden with a project his teacher assigned.

Was it our knowledge or creativity he desired to make his project shine?

Did he think we’d have some great ideas?  Did he think that we were wise?

His answer not only humbled us...but took us by surprise.

His project was on Hieroglyphics...(I swear you gotta love that kid.)

Turns out he wanted someone to help him who was as old as the Pyramids.

When I explained that would make us over 4000 years old, my nose got a bit out of joint

When he looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said...“So, Pop Pop...what’s your point?”

The rest of the project went just as smoothly...for try as I might I couldn’t see

How Aden, a mere 4th grader in Elementary School, could know so much more than me.

In my defense it’s not my fault I was feeling like such a fool.

According to Aden it’s been 4000 years since I attended school.

In the end the project came out great and our help was not a total waste.

But I’ll now offer three examples of the kind of problems we faced.

First off there’s those Egyptian words...I mean what in the world would compel them

To come up with such complicated words and make it impossible to spell them?

Who in the world can spell hieroglyphics, pharaohs, Ptolemy or Sphynx

I’m convinced those ancient Egyptians had far too much beer to drink!

Second, when Aden objected to making papyrus in a blender...I immediately diffused it.

“Don’t worry.” I said. “If the ancient Egyptians had a blender I’m sure they would have used it.”

Finally after Aden asked about the Cartouche...I sense he was displeased

When my answer was, “God Bless You”....for the life of me...I thought he sneezed.

In the end I had a secret weapon which allowed the seeds of creativity to be sewn

Turns out I didn’t have to remember a thing from school...I had Google on my phone.

If not, I’m sure this happy story would have ended quite differently.

And Aden’s hieroglyphics project...would have been nothing but Greek to me.

3 MARTINI HANGOVER

OK it’s official people...from Key West to the city of Gnome

If I go by the number of likes I received...3 martini’s is my most popular poem.

26 Likes and a host of comments has finally made me face up to the truth

I could write till I’m blue in the face but I can’t compete with gin and vermouth.

So I’ve come to the following conclusion..my original philosophy I shall now amend

I’ll follow Abe Lincoln’s advice and make my enemy into my friend.

I’ll combine my writing with drinking martinis...sure it may sound a bit hackneyed or trite.

But from now on, as God is my witness, I’ll drink martinis whenever I write.

The first problem I’ve run into already is a bit prickly...just like a spur or a thorn.

I do most of my writing not in the evening...but in the hours of the early morn.

It means I’ll have to be drinking quite early and I’m not sure if that’s very smart

But like most struggling writers I know, I’m willing to sacrifice for the sake of my art.

But not to worry, I have everything under control, I’m sure I will come out of this just fine.

I’ll keep my mind on my writing and not get distracted..Hey this stuff tastes really divine!

Where was I, oh yea, I was saying you needn’t be uneasy for you have nothing to fear

A martini or two won’t make a difference...Oh man...Is it getting hot in here?

OF courth it’s not getting warmER    I think I shoulD perHaps quith my GRIPING

WOW, Did wee just have an EARthquAke...I’m having difficulty sheeinG What I’m TYPING. 

But Earchquake or not...I’m sstill writing.........IN fact I’m typing ash fasht ass I can

I Told u eye can handle marteenies...but I haven’t told U how much I LOVE YOU MAN!

I’m Knot shure where I wass going with this poem..I’ll remember ...I jusht HAVE to think!

Did it halve to do with MARTIN scorsayzee or waz it something THAT’S stuck in my shink?

Oh hECk I’ll never remember...were WEE playing some kind of A Game?

It seems I can knOW longer BEE responsible 4 the poems I create...

AND U ONLY HALF YOUR SHELVES TO BLAME.........................