Sunday, April 28, 2024

The Feeling That Shall Not Be Named

the brain holds the archive
of all the stories lived,
and daily shuffles through them
randomly projecting a memory,
in whispers, shadows and echoes
that manifest in the body,
as the physical state of anxiety
all of the fear, but none of the context,
only waves of existential dread

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The Name Game

So many of us want nom de plumes,
not as in-disguise authors
or shielded government witnesses,
just a cutesy handle for social media
with a wink and a nod to some inside joke.
Nick-names from high school
your mom’s pet name for you
Some adult language that makes you laugh -
until someone quotes you in a serious forum
And your double entendre falls flat.
So if you just want to avoid hackers and pests
use your middle name.
Then when it is quoted as your last name
it just ends up looking like someone else
has stolen your wisdom,
but saved you from meme-dom.

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Decades Unfinished

the twenty-year old book

just an exercise in vanity

a collection of words

around daily complaints

and adventures

memorializing a landmark year

that never solved the issue of

asking myself, “Now What?”

Sunday, April 21, 2024

A Nod to Robert Frost

that less-traveled path we’re encouraged to trod

requires packing and planning and sensible shoes

sharp eyesight and balance for uneven terrain

while modulating expectations and understanding

the difference made is unknown

measures of success unsure

turning back impossible

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Plan-O-Rama

In the planning of a plan it happens

that unplanned plan considerations

often brought up in the planning

are rejected in the final plan

as not necessary to the success of the plan

while the unplanned considerations arise

to reveal the lack of planning

built into construction of the plan.

Friday, April 19, 2024

In the Realm of Dark Poetry

when the Poetess of Darkness calls,

she kneels before my feet

extending open arms to me,

silently beckoning

awaiting my gifts

my words of burden, pain, and loss,

given to her dawnless world

where regret is free to fly, hurt is free to cry

she takes her pen and forms the words,

pulling gently from my mind

then retreating to her shadows,

as the light returns

Friday, April 12, 2024

Nanny Days

welcome little one

messenger from the future

courier of dreams

healer of distress

bringer of joy

reminder of possibilities

keeper of time

and hearts

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Baby Day

This poem is more

than a mandatory verse

during a month

demanding daily lines

even when events

conspire to distract

such as happened today

commemorated here

while we wait

Monday, April 8, 2024

In a Week of Ancient Signs

when ancestors read the signs

inherent in weather, stars and trees

an intersection of earthquake and eclipse

sent as warning to those who followed the Romans

merited fires built in secret

while today descendants with celtic blood

track the moon and tectonic plates

rationality instead of superstition

safety glasses and timetables

still

behind their eyes in their ancient brains

they remember the gods from the wood

holding their breath until the ground stops shaking

and the fire above returns

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Burnt Offerings

incendiary words build flames

that never die down

remaining in sleeping embers

waiting only for wind and warmth

the slightest spark falling from lips

creates a conflagration

that scorches all

Birthdays Bashed

The signatory yearly event

remembrance of first breaths of life

adding up the time

congratulating achievements

and regretting missteps

especially as life lengthens the past

and reduces time for the future

so many candles reduced to ash.

Rumination on Realities

A found poem

delusional

characterized by or holding

false beliefs or judgments

about external reality

that are held despite

incontrovertible evidence to the contrary

typically

as a symptom of a mental condition

see also: gaslighting

Friday, April 5, 2024

Here is another contemplative poem, published by Biz catalyst 360

Along The Road

Tremors Unexpected

When firmaments are not firm

and stable ground turns unstable

secure houses become insecure

steady footing is suddenly unstable

as Mother Earth acts unmotherly

shaking up the unshaken

leaving predictable balance

unpredictably unbalanced.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

NAPOWRIMO April 3,2024

Spring Contemplates Inundation in New Jersey

The rain fell

in sheets, buckets, torrents, downpours,

Alternately employing

cloudbursts, showers, thunderstorms, deluges

As trees bent to

gusts, gales, updrafts, headwinds,

While the tempest threw down

squalls, lightning strikes, flood stages, hail, precipitation shafts,

Creating a very busy day for meteorologists and wordsmiths.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

NAPOWRIMO - April 2, 2024

4-2-24

I haven’t done the taxes,

the taxes aren’t done.

Not a dollar reported,

Not a nickel paid.

I’ve got some time to do them,

Until the time runs out.

Meanwhile the poetry is due

Due every single day.

Priorities I haven’t made,

If having made them is important.

At least the list is written down,

written on today’s magic number day.

Monday, April 1, 2024

This year, I have given myself a theme, and a logo, for National Poetry Month and my annual participation in the National Poetry Writing Month part of it. Since it is also April Fool's Day, I present a poem to you, but, is it mine, or is it AI?

Contemplation

In the stillness of contemplation,

I find solace amidst life's chaotic symphony.

A moment to pause, to reflect,

To untangle the knots of my mind.

In this time of transition and change,

Contemplation is my anchor,

Guiding me through uncertain waters,

A steady hand on the rudder of my soul.

It is in these quiet moments,

That I find clarity and purpose,

A chance to listen to the whispers of my heart,

And to align my path with my truest self.

Contemplation is a gift I give myself,

A sacred space for growth and understanding,

A reminder that amidst the noise,

There is always room for silence.

In this season of my life,

Contemplation is not a luxury,

But a necessity,

A lifeline to my own inner wisdom.

Welcome to the Smile Side of Life

As your Strategic Humor Facilitator, I could say that laughter is my business, or at least my passion. Each day I learn how important laughter and humor is to our lives; how much it reflects our humanity and affects our physical and emotional well being. Unfortunately, most of us don't laugh enough to gain the wonderful health benefits. Perhaps we think life is too serious for daily laughter, or we can't find enough funny stuff to laugh about. We may not have been exposed to Laughter Wellness and the concept of laughing as an exercise; laughing for the health of it.

In this blog I will not only be looking for, and writing about, laughter and humor in daily life, but also what you can do to bring more of it into your own life. I will help you understand that opening up yourself to laughter and joy helps you through the times of disappointment and sorrow because those emotions represent both sides of the pendulum swing of life. Let's spend as much time as possible on life's Smile Side.

My web site: www.njlaughter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmileSideOfLife/
Twitter: @NoreenBLaughter