the wisdom of flowers
Lovely and cheerful
seeks cracks in the hard, and blooms.
So can we. Let’s bloom.
(c) Marie Elena Good 2026
pictured words
a simple pairing of pictures and poetry
Category: Uncategorized
June 10, 2026
June 7, 2026
But … (a haibun for Toledo’s Old West End)
Image is from Toledo’s Old West End site: The Old West End
But … (a haibun for Toledo’s Old West End)
Bullets spoke yesterday near the 53rd Annual Old West End Festival. Were you there to hear their voices pierce the annual exuberance? They say, “A picture paints a thousand words.” But the words of these bullets repainted the landscape of approximately 25 city blocks. They say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me.” But these words spilled blood. Tadeusz Borowski said, “What a curious power words have.” Bullets speak deafeningly, and their words hold power. Sometimes the power of life and death. But …
five-plus decades of
music, art, and inclusion
still have words to sing.
© Marie Elena Good 2026
Toledo’s Old West End
“America. The way it’s supposed to be: Toledo’s Old West End.” ~ American Bungalow Magazine
“Create and maintain a community atmosphere that encourages a harmonious neighborhood that celebrates diversity and inclusion and stands against racism and all other forms of discrimination.” ~ from the OWE’s Mission Statement
The 53rd annual Old West End Festival, June 6, 2026
“Gunfire erupted Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims.” ~ Associated Press report
Praying for our region, and especially our Old West End, those who were injured, and those who were traumatized.
OWE: Keep singing your song. ❤
May 18, 2026
They Say (several short poems made of clichés)
They say
justice is blind.
But,
the jury’s still out on that.
They say
it’s a waste of time,
which they say flies,
but also stands still.
They say
time heals all wounds.
But the writing’s on the wall.
(Read between the lines.)
They say
they just woke up
on the wrong side of the bed.
Only time will tell.
They say
what goes around,
comes around.
So be there,
or be square.
They say
it’s easy as pie
to make a long story short.
THAT’S one for the books!
They say
the icing’s on the cake.
But
it’s right on the tip of my tongue.
They say
if the shoe fits, wear it.
But if I were in their shoes,
I’d be head over heels.
They say
laughter’s the best medicine.
But
that’s a hard pill to swallow.
They say
you keep ‘em in stitches.
But,
you’re hanging by a thread.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
April 17, 2026
My Haiku Offering for National Haiku Day
We’re not asked to build
a bigger table. We’re asked
to join them for tea.
(c) Marie Elena Good 2026
March 30, 2026
Self-Portrait in Syllables
silver splatters on
dark construction-paper hair
of pulled ribbon curls
with eraser-rubbed
quarter-sized patch of almond
alopecia
now-sparce arches frame
uneven eyes colored with
loosely held crayon
trying to capture
the green for which there is no
Crayola pigment
but a fine black pen
and a steady hand capture
right-eye’s lopsided
cat-pupil-like shape:
a visual reminder
of eye surgery
thinner, aging lips
colored deep red. tempted to
draw outside the lines,
but she won’t bother
because a genuine smile
makes up for the lack
Sfumato technique?
No. Since this is her portrait,
she faces herself.
© Marie Elena Good 2026
(Sfumato is a technique for softening and blending.)
January 10, 2026
I am not there
I Am Not There
I am not there, where you are.
I try to understand through your eyes.
Through your heart.
But I am not there, where you are.
Sometimes I think, perhaps, maybe
we are experiencing life
in multiverse.
I am not convinced it even exists.
But
I am not there, where you are.
I look at what you look at,
but I don’t see what you see.
I listen to what you listen to,
but I don’t hear what you hear.
And you are not here, where I am.
You look at what I look at,
but you don’t see what I see.
You listen to what I listen to,
but you don’t hear what I hear.
You are not here, where I am.
And I am not there.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
November 30, 2025
ERIE’S GALE
Photo by David Corliss
Wind gusts at fifty
wreaked havoc on her for hours.
So she said, “Enough,”
and she up and left,
carrying all she calls hers
to Buffalo’s banks.
Her now-vacated
western shore gets foot traffic,
sans ruby slippers.
© Marie Elena Good, 2025
October 29, 2025
RED (sonnet for a cabin in the woods)
RED (sonnet for a cabin in the woods)
We’re back in Red, a cabin we once knew.
She was the first to which we came for rest.
But then we switched to one we know as Blue.
Both feel like home, and neither one is “best.”
Nostalgia here in Red, intense and deep,
returns us to our long-forgotten years
of risky hikes (both treacherous and steep).
Our younger selves don’t hear our future fears.
Inherent wisdom fills her ancient beams.
They’ve centuries of stories, as has she.
Her cozy manner begs us (so it seems):
Speak quiet love, relax, and be carefree.
Surrounded by strong hardwood and soft fir,
Red’s presence stirs up thoughts of who we were.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
October 28, 2025
LET’S BE OPEN
LET’S BE OPEN
Well, while our government remains shut down
and citizens debate who is at fault
and billionaires don’t lose one grain of ground,
*SNAP benefits are coming to a halt.
Our churches, mosques, and temples work to fill
the need our government’s left in its wake.
We’ll all step up to compensate — but still,
where will we find resources it will take?
We’ll find it in abundance we consume.
We’ll find the here and there that we can spare.
We’ll set our table, and we’ll make more room.
And even those themselves in need will share.
While left and right debate who is at fault,
the poor among us feel the full assault.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
*Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.” ~ Jesus of Nazareth
September 21, 2025
The Sound of English as a Second Language
The Sound of English as a Second Language
They come from situations we’ve only read about, and chosen to distance ourselves from. They’ve faced profound persecution, violence, starvation, and unfathomable humanitarian crises. They seek the simple: Clean water, food, education, a roof, a measure of safety, a measure of acceptance, a measure of stability. They listen. They strain. They try to understand us. They study to learn our language, so they might be able to communicate their needs. Desires. Gratitude. Humor. Life.
Some hear broken English.
I hear the flawless sound
of resilience.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
pictured words 