pictured words

a simple pairing of pictures and poetry

Category: Uncategorized

My December Song, with Apologies to Sammy Cahn

Our Christmas Tree, 2024

My December Song, with Apologies to Sammy Cahn

Though the weather outside is frightful,
from my window, it’s delightful.
While sipping my steaming tea,
turn the thermostat up one degree.

While my husband clears off our driveway
on this high of only 5 day,
my kitchen’s warm sugar scent
made me weak – I confess!  I repent!

When he finally comes inside,
gets a whiff of the goodies I made,
sees the guilt that I just can’t hide –
think he’d believe they’re mislaid?                       

Oh the weather outside’s now icing,               
and our flannels’ so enticing.
Keith joins me for one last tea;
turns the thermostat down one degree.

While we gaze at our Christmas tree,
we hear winds howling outside our door.
Nestling close while we sip Chablis,
I feel the draft on our floor.                                                

Though the temperature’s turning bitter,
here inside, the tree’s a-glitter,
and the fireplace is aglow.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Turns the thermostat up …

© Marie Elena Good 2024


Us

Us

We were all so close, growing up. And not that we didn’t remain so, but, you know, life. But now, we’ve made one another a priority.  We have monthly lunches, and in-between coffees that last three hours and feed our souls.  We laugh.  Reminisce. Talk current events. Encourage one another.  Speak truth in love as needed. Share one another’s lives. Fill gaps.

binding, fastening,
gathering, interfacing,
adhering, pinking

© Marie Elena Good, 2024

NOW WHAT?

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

NOW WHAT?

Now is the time to
not grow weary of planting
good, so good is reaped.

Now I ask my Lord
to show me the next right thing
and help me do it.

Now I sit down to
plan my English lesson for
sweet, eager women.

Now I spend time with
my granddaughters, letting them
talk.  Lifting them up.

Now I look out my
window at the colors, and
see the hand of God.

Now I think on how
a king’s heart is in God’s hand,
and He can guide it.

Now I make calls, and
receive calls, and get in touch
with those God gives me.

Now I eat good food,
and share good food with those who
are in need of it.

Now I look to the
church, to do what the church should
to welcome strangers.

Now I look forward
to seeing how God will grow
little kindnesses.

Now I don’t complain
(help me, Lord!) about things, but
choose a grateful heart.

Now I walk with God,
asking Him for eyes to see
and ears to hear Him.

Now I learn to seek
forgiveness, and to forgive
those who have wronged me.

Now I ask not what
my country can do for me,
but I for others.

Now I choose to look
for the good in those who see
with different eyes.

Now I will seek to
learn how to better display
the love of Jesus.

Now I endeavor
to stand up, speak truth in love,
or sit still and hushed.

Now I will listen
raptly for the still, small voice
of my holy God.

Now I vow to care
for those God has placed in my
small, humble corner.

Now I understand
each of us has our corner.
Corners shape the whole.

Now I am thankful
our God cannot be reduced
by the whims of man.

© Marie Elena Good, 2024

At Risk of Inconvenience

Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+ on Pexels.com

AT RISK OF INCONVENIENCE

When is the time to
ask, “From what are you fleeing?”
to decipher which
response sits well with
your belief system of what
is acceptable?

A conventional
distance between bombs fallen,
and their child’s bedroom?

Number of women
kidnapped for sexual gain?
Number of children?

The amount of food
unavailable to feed
themselves? Their children?

Are there adequate
words to set your mind at ease
that this person’s plight’s
perilous enough
to justify leaving home,
setting themselves at
risk in different ways
than what they feel forced to leave –
forced to escape – now?

To make certain their
endangerment matches your
own definition?

And when, in your thoughts,
is it acceptable to
bomb a hospital?

Perhaps when evil
lurks beneath? Then, innocents
are expendable?

What gives you enough
luxury of ease of mind
to give your thumbs up?

© Marie Elena Good 2024

BEGINNING TO END

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

The start of a war
isn’t the start of a war
nor the end, the end.


© Marie Elena Good 2024

SOUNDS LIKE ESL IS HARD!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com


Let’s take a trip down language lane.
Prepare yourself to tax your brain.

So: bike, and fyke, and seiche, and psych
aren’t spelled the same, but sound alike.

We’ve feign and vein and Maine, main, mane,
champagne, campaign … it’s all insane.

There’s there and they’re, and also their
and stare and stair, and ne’re, and prayer.

Too, to, and two, and you and ewe
and through and threw, and loo and lieu.

Let’s see … there’s sea, grand prix, esprit,
and Leigh, and Bea and bee and be.

And though there’s Leigh, there’s also weigh
(which sounds like way, whey, pray, and prey).

Clime, climb, time, thyme and Anaheim
I’m here to say all rhyme with rhyme.

Cent sounds like scent, assent, ascent,
descent, dissent, rent, rente, and meant.

Now cell and sell and bell and belle
all rhyme as well, as you can tell,

Like here and hear and deer and dear
and peer and pier and tier and tear,

Except when tear sounds just like pear
and wear like ware and ware like where.

We have these rules we break (not brake).
Like why rhyme stake, steak, and opaque??

It makes my head and stomach ache.

And I’d accept all this, except
it makes me feel vocab inept.

© Marie Elena Good 2024

UNCLE

UNCLE

I think I’ll cry uncle this time.
I’m not in the mood to make rhyme.
My feet are disjointed,
Iamb disappointed.
My meter’s demanding a dime.

My quatrain’s off track
What would it entail
To get it pulled back
So it won’t derail?

I’m a poor poet
can’t afford the syntax –
All my verse is free

I’m just in the mood
To sit here and brood.

An unassuming voice eerily orbits the tranquil moon: “Uncle.”

© Copyright Marie Elena Good – 2013

A limerick, followed by a quatrain, followed by the 5/7/5 of haiku, followed by a rhyming couplet, and ending with a monoku. Phew!

THE VIEW FROM HER EYES

My stunningly beautiful daughter. Photo by Steve Gertz

She sees through eyes that close,
that nobody knows how to fix.
And politics says there aren’t
enough of her to fund a cure. 

At one time, she was functionally blind;
mostly confined to her bed and
stuck inside her unwell head.

And though she tries,
it’s hard to be strong
when you long for the life
you once viewed as fate,
but now fear is too late.
 
She has multiple diagnoses.
Some fell away. Some chose to stay.
They, the predator.  She, the prey.

© Marie Elena Good, 2024

#mentalillness
#schizoaffective
#multiplepersonalitydisorder
#lymedisease
#anaplasmosis
#blepharospasm
#meigesyndrome

Nursery Rhymes with Built-in Crimes

1.

There once was a hideous thug
With an ugly and ominous mug
He’d threateningly prey
On sweet girls’ curds and whey
Then just sit there obnoxiously smug.

2.

Who’d rock their poor baby to sleep
From height that’s forebodingly steep
While singing a song
That’s in every way wrong
And just causes the baby to weep.

3.

There once was a farmer’s wife
Who wielded a carving knife
In nursery rhyme tales?
Oh, please spare the de-tails
Of blind mice who must run for their life!

(c) Marie Elena Good, 2013

Share the light.

Photo by Alex Azabache on Pexels.com

“A candle loses nothing by lighting another.”  ~ James Keller

Is there anyone who hasn’t heard
Or anyone who’s not been stirred
By this glowing, truthful quote
That light remains, as flame’s transferred.

Might sharing light extinguish shame?
Bring honor to another’s name?
In my mind, it is good to note
That light is light.  It’s all the same.

I cannot lose myself, it’s true,
By giving of myself to you.
The sharing is the antidote.
Let’s give, and watch the light accrue.

When sharing kindness, goodness, light,
We witness charity ignite.
This sentiment that Keller wrote
Shines hope into a troubled night.

© Marie Elena Good 2024