Lines

Sharon Vander Meer

earth and sky

4

SEASONS

Spring days bring renewal,which thrives in Summer sun,flaming into Autumn change,when Winter calms us into cozy quiet.

Laughter weaves it all together,treasured moment blessed and dear.

COLOR CALLING

Mauve shifting intoGold and pink,Slashes of purpleSkimming across the skyTugging toward day

Get up! Get up!The colors singAwakening heart And soulTo the beautyOf God’s array.

FIRST LIGHT

The day arrives Am I ready? NOT.Good to go,Oh what rot.More to doThan I can takeLess time to do itI’m barely awake!

5

FIRST LIGHT II

From incandescent redShot through with lightYellow orange brightFlaming across the dark of dawnFirst light pierced with an errant rayChanging hues, surging into day.Morning comes.Breathtaking.Awesome.Spectacular.Humbling.Invigorating.Inspiring.I breathe anew.Today is mine.

SEASON OF CHANGE

Is it good, this thing called change?Yesterday I was free,today caught in somedark void neither one thingor another.Waiting.

Change comes.Light. Air.Stretching.Unfolding.Free, flying into the daywing color likejewels in the sun.

Yes, this thing called changeis good.

6

SUN UP

Gold shot with color,broke the horizonrising slowlywashing the worldwith new light

ONE

One was a sanctuary for birds and little boys;Another sprouted up, a shady spot in the yard. And then there were three, where children and pets frolicked and played.

The farmer planted more,a windbreak, protection.The one became a woodland , drawing wildlife large and smallexpanding, flourishing,sprouting a forest spreading here and there.

And then a flicker! A flash!Flames danced,burning and churning driving everything outuntil there is only, the lonelyonecharred and scared,a sanctuary for none.

life

8

CAUGHT!

Step up, but do not jumpelsewise you’ll end up on your rump.A cautious step will get you over the hump.Don’t rush! Don’t be a chump!A tentative toe will avoid a lump.

One step forward and two steps back,don’t rush or you’ll get off track.Don’t let your brain get out of whack,tentative thinking keeps you from being a hack,makes it certain you’ll lead the pack.

Every carefully determined thoughtmakes sure you do just what you aughtso none of your plans come to naught.Boring you, say this battle you’ve fought?Tentative stinks, yet in its web I am caught!

ECHOES

Today fades into tomorrow.Meanings, experiences, lies and truthsall blend into the gray matter ofthe past, the present and the future.Disappearing into forgotten moments,shaded and faded, gone forever,never to be relived, only rememberedechoing like fading sound in the maw of life.

9

TODAY

Every day a giftEven in the tidal riftThat changes from good to badHave no intention of staying sad.

Yesterday may have been drearFilling you with abject fearToday is bright and newSparkling as morning dew.

May your every dayBe full of life so gayWhen it is not so grandRemembrance is found in the shifting sand

Changing from one moment to the nextFrom being angry and vexedTo happy times that make you grinCertain in everything you will win.

THE TROUBLE BEHIND THE DOOR

Life is good, smiles all roundand then I hear an eerie sound.A bump, a thump! Something fell.What it was I could not tell.I wait and fret, what could it be,this fearful thing coming after me?The door eased open and my heart grew light,It was the cat and dog in a playful fight.

10

EBB AND FLO

Smart as a whip,cliché though it may be,children amaze with theirquick minds and easy chatter,fearless and directhonest to the core.No one has taught themto lie, hedge, monitor their words,yet,but it will come.

The bright eyes and easy banterwill be tarnished, dimmed by life,cut down by political correctnessthat robs them of originalityand the integrity of innocence.Until one day they are old,aged by the ebb and flow of daysthe bright light of honesty returnsif only for a time.

GIVE IT A TRY

Doom and gloomDidn’t hang the moonOr put stars in the sky.

Scratch doomsday talk!If you don’t want me to balk.Facts tell me why

Each day is true,It means something to you.Get up. Give it a try.

New ideas, give ‘em a spin,you’re bound to winIf you don’t sit around and sigh.

11

CONFETTI

The day is warm and I am cool.Not the cool cool,but the cool that jivesletting me know I’m alive,full of vinegar and spit.

Life’s in my control, so I think,I’m at the top of my game and ready for fame,not hiding behind fear. I’m looking for cheerhoping someone knows I am here.

The confetti of lifejumbles my fate,a little of this,too much of that,too afraid to have courage but having it anyway.

PLUS AND PLUSH

I used to be a size 4, back when size 4meant something. With vanity sizingI can squeeze into a 12, but really I’m a plus and petite 16.Lush in the hips and bosom.It doesn’t look as good on me as it does on Sophia Loren.I’m only 5 foot tall, she’s 5 foot 9.Sophia at 78 looks elegant and sexy,I at 68 look like my grandmother.

12

GROWING OLD GRATEFULLY

You dither and fretabout how old you get,worry and stewabout hairs that are few,I just smileknowing all the while,I’m grateful we’re here,and for that I cheer.

IN CASE OF DROWSINESS

The lecture was long,without graceor style.Dreary.Lessons hiding in –words,phrases, paragraphsand pages – lost ina boring diatribe aboutsomethinguninteresting, uninspiring.

In case of drowsinessI took another sipof Starbucksand called it good.

13

THE HUNT

The hunt begins,I see it in his eyes,though he can’t say itnot without a lot of trouble.Too old. That’s what he’s thinking,she’s ancient; all that gray hair and attitude.

I am not young,That part is so true,but I’m smart and capable,willing to work, have credentials galore.This clueless HR guy may smirk and grumble,but I won’t stop. The hunt continues. I will overcome.

SHADES OF GRAY

Twice toldA story oldYet newWith each retelling.Shades of redIn your headWhatever is he selling?You smileAnd think a whileAnd tears start to welling.You recallYou knew it allColor shades to gray as bells begin their knelling.

14

NO SUCH THING

The luck of the drawSticks in my craw.

Luck’s not badOr good to be had,A mere quirk of fateNow that I’d hate!

Unlucky for meMay be lucky for thee.

Don’t tell me of lossLife gave you a toss,Get on your feetAnd be upbeat!

CAN DO ATTITUDE

You can’t, they said,Don’t even tryYou’re past your primeGone is your timeNew blood is needed,New ideas seeded.Sit on the shelf,Behave yourself!When the jobDidn’t get doneWhere did they go?I think you know.

faith and family

16

LOST AND FOUND

I lost my lifeto Grace’s gift,no longer alone am I.

Known, rememberedand redeemedmy Lord, my Master heard my cry.

Found now onGlory’s shoreseeing Christ I'm lost no more.

I AM NEW

I wake up newhappy to be aliveand be me.

Ups and downs,smiles and frowns;it matters notrich or poor,I’m blessedeach day – to be new.

Leave behindyesterday’s goofsToday – Today I am new.

17

WATCHED

I am a Christian,one who believesyet one who is flawed,acting in ways that otherscan say,A Christian, is that how they behave?

Under the eyesof judges who smirkpraying for guidanceand knowing God is at workI try to be "good"and am grateful I'm sureto know the heavenly Watcher knows I'm not pure.

By Him I am watchedand forgiven by turnsA Christian not perfectwhose care for all yearns.I ask your forbearancein my imperfect state.The world's watchers judge, God seals my fate.

18

MY CHILD

Beautiful. My heart poundedat the sight of him.Nothing I had ever seen took my breath awaylike this gift of heaven.Wrapped in a yellow receiving blanket,something I would discardand replace with one I had boughtfor the day when my prayerswere answeredand he was placed in my arms.He was not borne in my bodybut he took residencein my heart.My child.

THE CIRCLE

Birth,deathand everything in between,leads to celebrationof life,joy,you,me,and our unpredictablefamily.

19

GRANDFATHER PERALTA

I never knew you, Grandpa.Your life ended long beforemy mother met my father,yet because of Mom’smemories of life with you,you are as real as anyoneI have ever known.I see you herding sheepin the high Arizona mountains,bringing them into the fold.I see you laughing with your children.I see you running for sheriffand serving faithfully afteryou were elected.I see you worn out,not with age, but with work,struggling to feed your familyof fourteen children from two dead wiveskilled by time and childbirth,cancerand hard labor.Your legacy is alive though Mom is goneand so is the man she married,he who was like you,hard working,hard living,hard loving,and nowgone.

20

love in the real world

22

TO MY HUSBAND

Time tells on everyone,in the night and in the sun.You remain my heart’s desire,my love for you a warming fire.Age and shifting sands of timeadd to our love oh so sublime.Growing always with our smiles,bonding forever in our trials.You for me and me for you,our marriage remains strong and true.We will part when one enters heaven’s door,rejoined when the other’s life is no more.For now we walk and share this life,I am so glad to be your wife.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION

All we ever had was animal attraction.You had a schnauzerI, a Pekinese.Too stuck upboth of us,or too shy to speak.We passed on the trail, a pat to the petsand wandered on,but you looked backand so did I.

23

DIRTY SOCKS

They call it a stiff upper lipthis moment of furycontained behind a smilewhile I fume and fuss all the while.

He sits at the tablecoffee cup to his lipsthinking all is wellwhen it truth I’m mad as hell!

Is it too much to ask, I think,to expect such a foxto put away yesterday’s socks?

He lifts his eyesand the twinkle is therea love still aglowhits me in the heart and I know

Dirty socks on the floor?A minor infraction,in days filled with caringand a life full of sharing.

UNSPOKEN

You touch my cheek,Or give me a hug in passing.I look up from my book,You smile,And it warms my heart.You take my handWhen we walk along,Never speakingYour gesture is our song.

24

HAPPINESS

Hold that happiness!Hard won in this chaotic worldwhere challenge, anger, expectation,war, gridlock, disappointment, fear, obstaclesrule the day and too often, far into the night.

Hold that happiness!Joyfully attained through momentsinfused with laughter, family, kindness,compassion, mercy, love, trust, and faith.

Hold that happiness!No one can take it unless you let them.It is yours to hold, enjoy, embrace, bestow,experience, invest, contain, and share.Hold that happiness.

CRAZY LOVE

You said you didn’t Want to talk about it dearAnd yet if we didn’t How would you ever hearThe very thing I need So awfully much to say.If you think to hide from meOn this our wedding day.

This dialogue from 30 years agoStill rings the empty knellOf words left unspoken A dully thumping bell.And yet our lives have been Full and joyous too,Your silences never kept meFrom crazily loving you.

25

BROKEN CIRCLE

One plus one is twoand yet life never adds up the way you want it to.You say it’s all whitewhen I know it’s truly blue.Problems stem from your white liesand me saying what’s true.You won’t listen to me,why should I listen to you?And your insistence, and this you do,that if I don’t agree then I don’t have clue.After all this time togetherthrough my head this flew,there is no point in all of this and in the sand a line I drew.Honey, we’re over Baby, I’m done, we’re through.

the writing life

28

WORD SEARCH

Who gets my clever turns of phrase,words that have hunted me into the nightbegging to be strung together in a work that will delight?

Hunted by those errant thoughtsto make a story strong and true and new.Will it be original enough to appeal to you, and you, and you?

HIDDEN STORIES

Hidden hopes,Hidden dreams,Like the nightIn hidden streams.

Thoughts aboundWild and freeHidden storiesBurning deep in me.

Out they comeFrom some hidden wellThose hidden talesOnly I can tell.

PERFECT PITCH

On the hunt for the perfect pitch,Brilliant in every way,That grabs an agent by the throatSo she will take my prose into the fray.

29

REJECTION’S PAIN

you dirty skunkyou wretched drunkinto you my life was sunk.

look at you, mean and crueljumping into the shallow pool,i can't believe i'm such a fool!

i thought a poem i could writeand really tried with all my mightbut it's given me such a fright.

someone else will look and sigh,can anyone tell us whyshe even made the try?

drunk on trying to be smartfor this moment I did my partand worked at it with all my heart.

now the judge will take a lookdoes he get my clever hook?i'm not a poet, i'm a crook.

stealing thoughts from some other brainwhile another yeas or nays my refrainwinching, shuddering with mental pain.

WRITE TIGHTLet it flyslash those words,button up your prose,don’t mask the truth,strap it to hope let it fly like a balloon.

30

A SEVENLING POEM Three more days to the moment of truthshe waited without words

Fearless in her meditationfrantic when she stopped,at peace in silence.

She would wear the yellow dress.

THE SWORD OF TRUTH

Sizzling with fireWrought in battleOver all and in allRendering truthDefeating alien lies.

THE QUEEN

Shades and shapes billowed and playedAround the queen who ruled With power deep in the changeling’s keepTo hold her people schooled.She wove a web of truth and careAnd left none behind.On the trail naught would failNot in our collective mind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Vander Meer has a background in newspaper publishing, free-lance writing, public relations, and community building. She has writ-ten two novels, one book of daily inspirational readings, and count-less articles and essays. Links to her blogs and information about her can be found at www.vandermeerbooks.com She lives in picturesque Northern New Mexico with her husband, Bob.

LinesPoetry is that thing, which speaks to you as a writer, and hopefully will speak to people who read your words. Many of these poems were written as exercises in an online poetry challege conducted by Writer’s Digest poet extraordinare Robert Lee Brewer. I learned not to sweat too much about what “other people” think of my poetry and write in-stead about what appeals to me.

– Sharon Vander Meer

Sharon Vander Meer© 2014

IndiePublished

Price: $5.25