Watch Out, It's Poetry Month!!

April's Fool
C.K. Armistead 4/1/2016

And I wonder
Sometimes
If I am the only one
Who isn't paying attention
And missing the joke.
Everyone else is laughing,
And I wonder why.
Sometimes
I am afraid they are
Laughing
AT me,
Which I feel bad about,
IF you laugh WITH me,
I don't mind a bit.
My heart isn't exactly
On my sleeve,
But I can still be
Hurt.
Pretty deeply
When you're not looking
I cry all over the
Pages
And rain words
Like tears
Until I feel
Well again.

The Stuff Of Life
C.K. Armistead
4/2/2016

"Do not squander time,
It is the stuff Life
Is made of"
Or some similar thing
Said the sundial
Shown on
Gone With The Wind
I have always wondered
About that.
Time is such a fickle commodity.
Running fast as Spring storm water
Or as slowly as the proverbial
Molasses.
Slowly, and wearily
Ticking by
When life is hard upon us,
When we are sad,
Or waiting for news
Rushing and roaring
Right past us
When there are things
We need to do,
When we are with the ones
We love and do not
Often get to see.
There never seems to be enough time
To just hug the stuffing out
Of the ones you love so much
That are usually far away
Never enough time
To stop and say
I love you,
I really do.
My life would be SO much less
Without you in it,
Even if you are usually
So far away
 Physically.
 So, all of you
That I rarely see,
But who mean
So much to me,
(And I hope by now
you all KNOW who you are.)
I love you, I really do
My life would be SO much less
Without you in it.
Really.
Please know that it is true.

The Thief
C.K.Armistead
4/2/16

Time is a thief
We all know this.
You look up  one day
And the face staring back at you
Has wrinkles
And your hair is grey.
You think about things,
And it seems they happened
Only yesterday.
But it's been more
Than 30 years.
You aren't that old yet?
Don't feel too cocky.
Time's stealing your life away, too.
You just haven't noticed yet.
Why all this musing on time today?
Well,
Thirty years ago today
My Pop died.
He's been gone now
Longer than I had him with me in my life.
I was 26 years old.
Already married,
Already not living at home,
But still his Baby Girl.
His Sugar Foot.
Katie Didder.
Only HE got to call me that.
Nobody else better try it.
No matter how much
Of life Time steals away,
That little girl
Who loves her Pop
Is still here.
Still trying
To make him proud.

Spring
C.K.Armistead
4/3/2016

Warm inviting sunshine
But the breeze still has an edge
Trees still not quite leafed out
But daffodils blooming under the hedge.

Spirit yearning to stretch and grow
Yet flesh resistant to trust
That new, flickering, struggling glow
Afraid to stand and shake off the rust.

A season of such contradiction
Of profuse, expansive bloom
And sudden, freezing contraction
Of hope in the light,  but full consciousness of the gloom.

Lord of Springtime, Lord of love
Strengthen our trembling hearts
That we may show the world your love
And spread peace to all its parts.

And Do You Know?
C.K. Armistead 4/3/16

We speak so seldom
Hardly seems we could be
Friends.
Yet, I believe we are.
Your smile makes my heart happy
Your adventures are of interest
Even though you are not
Right here
In my everyday life.
So many of you,
Friends and family
Both.
That live in my heart
And always will
Though we don't often
Connect.
And do you know
That you are loved?
I hope you do
Because you are.
And do you know
It matters not
That we aren't close
You are still cared for.
Your presence matters
To me in this world.
Don't forget that
Please.
I've lost one who did forget
Who thought he was all alone
When he was surrounded by
Love.
Please remember
You are loved.
You are.
And do you know how dearly?
Do you?

Planting Dreams
C.K. Armistead
4/4/16

Spring air stirs the soul
Calls me outdoors,
Sets me to dreaming of beautiful
Flowers
Fragrant herbs,
And pleasant shady
Evenings
In the garden
With you.

Soil amended
New plants planted,
Prayers said for their
Prosperity.
Achy back and sore knees
Water bill going higher
All for the dream
Of fragrant beauties
Found in this garden
If Nature so pleases.

Brutus Waiting

C.K.Armistead 

4/5/16

He sits by Daddy's  chair

Ears up

Listening,

Bright eyes watching. 

He's always up to make a new friend,

But his eyes

Are watching 

For Mama.

He's  well behaved,

Quite polite,

Greeting all who greet him,

Never pestering those that don't

He always seems a happy boy

But oh, when Mama comes out,

You've never seen such joy!

If he could, he'd twist and shout

A Good Night For Sleeping
By C.K.Armistead
4/5/16

"It's so windy,
It's a good night for sleeping."
My Pop used to say.
I used to think he was nuts.
All I could hear
Was the old tree outside (and above)
My bedroom creaking, groaning,
And moaning like Marley's ghost
Thought it was coming for me
For sure.
But Pop loved the wild song of the wind
Loved the whispers of the places
It had been
The power in that invisible
Breeze
That could bend and even buckle
Mighty trees.
Even now,
When the wind is especially high,
I remember Pop
And his anticipation
Of being sung to sleep
By the song
Of the wind.

Awake 

By C.K. Armistead 

4/6/16

To wake up

To move, stretch,

Feel with your body

That your mind

Has come online again.

My body often resists,

Telling my brain 

To shut up,

I need more time.

Perhaps, rather, it is

My mind

That  seeks to stay

In the carefree realm

Of slumber, 

Where no demands are made, 

And no responses expected. 

To be awake, aware of the world 

Around us

Implies a responsibility 

To interact with that world.

There are things We must do,

Responses we must make 

If we are to function properly 

In the world 

Both for our own comfort, 

And that of others.

If we seek to remain 

Asleep,

We don't fulfill our side

Of the bargain with

Society 

That allows us all to live 

With at least some degree

Of peace.

We must, therefore, 

Be awake and aware,

And do our share

Of the work

Of civilization. 

So that the agents of

Chaos

Are not allowed

To destroy those 

Who cannot defend 

Themselves

Those who need their rest

And trust the rest of us 

To watch over the safety 

Of their sleep.

The Cyclical Nature Of Time
C.K. Armistead 4/7/16

Birth.
Life.
Death.
Waking,
Doing,
Sleeping.
Childhood,
Adulthood,
Old age.
We begin with little
But potential
Add knowledge
And experience
Every day.
End up full
Of emotions
And knowledge
But out of time
To share them
The trick is
To make the most
Of the middle
Life
Doing
Adulthood
The time to collect knowledge
And experiences,
But also to share them
So that old age
May be spent
Relishing them.
And all those
Who we met
Along the way.

Peaceful  Place

By C. K. Armistead 

4/8/ 16

There is an astonishing 

Amount of peace

To be found in one's own

Garden.

Never mind the awful amount

Of work involved in establishing 

And maintaining it

The blooms

And the birdsong

Bring such balm

As offsets all the toil.

A "Good" Tired
By C.K.Armistead
 4/9/16

Achy,
But not sore.
Weary,
But capable of more.
Awake,
But not wired.
Satisfied -
It's a good tired.

Goals set
And accomplished
Challenges met
Feeling astonished
That the race is done,
Our tasks are complete
We have won
We rest replete.


Dark Is His Path
By C.K.Armistead
April 11, 2016

When the sky
Turns ugly
And the wind whispers
Of threats coming
I turn my eyes
To the horizon,
And see the storm
Approaching.
I remember then
A line from an old hymn
"And dark is his path
On the wings of the storm."
About God's nearness
Even in turbulent times.
Still
It seems he does have
A very rugged and dark
Path
To come to save us
Along the flanks
Of that boiling,
Dark,
Flashing,
Howling
Storm.

Hurry And Worry

C.K. Armistead  4/12/16

The phone rings incessantly. 

On more than one line.

No sooner dealt with,

And it rings again. 

Time I do not have, 

For I am due 

At the service desk

Where a line of customers  wait.

All afternoon, 

One question after another,

One smile after another. 

Often they come with worry,

And because of information we have,

They leave with a smile.

There have been enough of those today

To make the hurry worthwhile.


Writing
C.K.Armistead 4/13/1
When staring at a blank page
It seems time drags like the last ice age
When ideas finally pop
You write so fast your hand will drop
Lifeless into your lap
Before you run out of creative sap.
If you try to force the muse
She will pout and flatly refuse
No words will flow, none will fit
What you produce will sound like, well, Sh*t.
When at last the muse agrees,
Writing will become a breeze
Images and words will show it
You are and always have been a poet.


I suppose these next lines count as a poem.  I wrote them today in honor of a friend's birthday:

To my friend Ron:
I can't make collages or do video
 Words are the only art I know
 So from my heart I will say
 I wish you a very happy Birthday

Perhaps I should rather say
 Greetings and felicitations on your natal day!


Is That Me?
By C.K. Armistead
4/14/16
Sometimes the mirror
Startles me.
Who is that lady?
The one with grey hair
But a cute haircut,
And who is in better shape
Than I thought I was.
Is that me?
Really?
Because I feel
Clumsy and big
Even though I am
But little.
I feel like the awkward teen
Who wrote angst filled verse
And dreamed of making
A splash in the world
But was afraid
Of her own words.
Who is that confident
Woman
Looking back at me?


For The Birds
C.K.Armistead
4/14/16

Dear Starling in the pecan tree
Bleeping and clicking like
An electronic device at me
Please be so kind as to take a hike.
Your incessant noise is most unpleasant
And the St. Francis statue below you
Doesn't look good wearing your excrement
Kindly find another loo!

Dear Blue Jay creaking on the fence
I know you only want a bath, you see
Please know that I won't take offense
If you make use of our birdbath facility.
I only ask that you take care
And don't fling the water everywhere
I'm not sitting that far away,
And I must look presentable at work today.

Dear Mocking bird scolding the squirrel
Please realize that he doesn't care.
You can scold and dive and whirl
And he'll just stop and blankly stare.
Please take your loud shenanigans
Away, I fiercely plead
For I have to begin all over again
This page I've been trying to read.

Dear Robin singing from on high
You alone are welcome here
Your song so lovely makes me sigh
It is a pleasure to my ear
If those others would so pardon
Us, and be on their merry way
Joining the pigeon squadron
 Off to find the next full feeder of the day.

Dear Sparrows flitting everywhere,
You may stay as well, I guess.
Your merry play without care
Eases much of my stress.
Though most of you can be a pain,
The yard would be lonely without you
So please, come back and visit again
But don't use St. Francis for a loo!

Come With Me!
C.K.Armistead
4/15/16

Come with me!
Look!
See?
It's all here in a
Book.
Adventures galore
Trips to a faraway shore
Rich and satisfying lore
Will leave you begging for more
Just one more
Story.
Please?
I'll go right to sleep,
I promise,
Just one more story
Too help me keep
My dreams alive tonight?
Please?
Listen...
Once upon a time
In a kingdom bright
A little dragon
Wouldn't say goodnight
He began to weep...
Because he didn't
Want to go
To sleep.
Sleep, little dragon
Don't you know?
All of us will watch
Over you
And wait for tomorrow
To hear your stories anew.
Away with sorrow,
Away with fear,
Sleep, little dragon,
You have friends here.

Symmetry 

By C.K.Armistead 

4/17/16

Symmetry  is supposed to be 

Attractive to the human mind

But it is evident to me

That my face is not

The symmetrical kind

My left eye is at a tiny bit

Of an angle

My dimples seem to sit

In something of a tangle.

It makes my smile quirk

With a twinkling sort of grace

And so it seems to work

For my particular face.

Spring Rain
By C.K. Armistead
4/18/16

And the rain came
And the waters rose
I feared for the safety
Of the new plants
Those not yet anchored
In the newly placed soil.
But they seem fine
Growing and prospering
In spite of the rain.
Perhaps because of it.
Just as we dread the dreary
Stormy times
Fearing for the safety
Of our tenuous connection
To this life
Yet they seem to bring
Deep nourishment
To our souls
Helping us flourish
In the end.

Remembrance
C.K.Armistead
4/20/16

Every year
April 19th brings
The sounds, the sights,
The feelings
Back.
The shock
The hurt
The tears.

Even now, sometimes
I see the ruin
Of that building
In my mind
And I remember
Families torn apart,
Our community's heart broken.

The day brings back
So much sadness
Those injured,
Those lost
Especially the children
Who never  had a
Chance to grow up.

It also brought gifts
The gift of love
In the face of  hatred
The gift of courage
In the face of terror,
The gift of healing
In the midst of broken hearts.

That day showed us all
Both how awful humans can be
And also how marvelous,
How loving and sacrificing
Humans can be.
That day taught me
That I, too, was now
An Oklahoman.

(In honor of the 21st anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown OKC.)

A Very Special Gift

By C.K.Armistead 

4/20/16

Perhaps the best gift

To come all unexpected  from

That sorrowful April  day

Is the musical gift

We have found

Since becoming a part

Of the choir.

In truth and in symbol

The harmonies 

We partake in 

Are a gift of fellowship 

And worship 

A wonderful unity

Found in that blend

Our individual voices

Into one.

Every week since

That awful day

We have been safe

In the midst of that

Harmony 

In the midst of our family 

Of faith.

Which if not for tragedy 

We might never

Have truly found.

Music is both worship

And prayer

Giving blessing

To both listeners

And singers.

A beautiful expression 

Of our love for God

And one another.


2016
By C.K. Armistead
4/22/16

I sit and stare at the screen
Sadness everywhere, it would seem.
So much loss, I want to scream
I truly wonder what it all means.

Once upon a time, Don McLean
Sang about the Day the Music Died
This year, to me, it seems,
Is the YEAR the artists died.

So many sad losses, one after another,
And on a personal note, we lost my mother.
Is there a plot out there to smother
Creativity?  Big Brother?

We will survive this year, I hope
Without losing anyone else so dear,
I don't know if I could cope
And despair is what I fear.



The Payoff
By C.K.Armistead
4/23/16

Now all the hard work
Of mowing and weeding
Is done.
We can relax
And maybe have
A little fun.
Sitting with a drink in hand
Surveying the beauty
Our efforts command.



Beware
By C.K.Armistead
4/25/16

The clouds are massing
To the Southwest
The teams are out tracking
The weather's brewing a mess.
Let us pray with all our might
That the Tornado monsters
Pass us by tonight.
With the ice balls they fling
And their terrible teeth
They destroy everything
That falls beneath.
This is one little town
That's had more than it's share
Of toothy tornadoes
And ice-ball filled air.
We've seen this misery all before
So tornadoes, just take yourselves
Right away from Moore.


Muses
By C.K.Armistead
4/25/16

Whimsical and inconsistent,
Oh, wordy spirits,
Hear my complaint!
You lead me on
Keep me awake all night,
Only to vanish
When I need you,
When I have time to write.
All night I hear poems,
Or clever dialog,
Interesting plot diversions,
But by morning, they are gone.
Trying to write them down at night
Is worse than trying to catch a sprite.
Whenever paper, pencil  or screen are close by
Those beautiful words and images fly.
And will not return until once more
I lie trying to sleep and listening
To my husband snore.

Calm Restored
By C.K. Armistead
4/26/16

The noisy meteorological show
Has finished it's bluster,
Gone somewhere else to rumble and blow.
And I  have my tidy world again
Where all is well and safe
Where nothing can harm
Or scare me
My happy place.
For you are here,
Your arms enfold me
There is no fear
When you hold me.


Happy Birthday, Mom
By C.K.Armistead
4/27/16

You aren't here anymore
Where I can send you things
Or call you up and say
I hope your day was wonderful
And I love you.
So,
Happy Birthday, Mom,
I miss you.
I survived another round of
Bad weather last night
Matt's doing well,
He sends his love.
I got to spend time with
Amy and her little girl
The last time I was
Back in California.
They are both well,
 And Amy's husband
Is a good man.
I went out there
To say goodbye to you
And to see where you and Pop
Are remembered formally
Upon this earth.
The place looks nice, all the trees
Are bigger, LOTS bigger than when
We said goodbye to Pop.
Not so easy to see downtown
From there anymore.
But the wind whispers stories
Through those trees,
And I bet Pop would love the place.
Mostly,
You are both remembered and loved
In our hearts,
All four of us,
and anyone else who ever knew you.
I miss you both,
And I hope you are together,
Because someday,
I want to see you both again.
And I hope you'll be proud of me
Of all I am,
Of all I have done,
Even though it isn't for wealth or fame,
I have made lives better.
I DO make lives better,
One little bit at a time,
Every day,
Every time I go to work.
Sometimes in a very quiet way,
A lot like you did.
I learned a lot about
How to be kind
From you.
I really miss you,  Mommy-Mo.


Sleep
By C.K. Armistead
4/28/16

Thou elusive sprite,
I'll catch thee yet!
My eyes shut tight,
The bedclothes my net.
Even though you do scorn
My company,
Long afore morn,
Mine ye shall be!
Leave off the aches that plague
Leave off the sniffling nose
I must fatigue assuage,
Before sanity goes.
Quiet,  thou clacking brain,
And peace, ye racing thoughts,
Let peaceful calm remain
And let sweet sleep be caught.



Escape
By C. K. Armistead
4/29/16

When reality is just a bit too much
I find a better place to look
For comfort, distraction, and such
I simply sit and read a book.
Doesn't have to be the paper kind,
Even though those are very nice
If it's electronic, I don't mind,
As long as there's power for the device.
Sometimes, I find myself dreaming
And making up my own tales
Instead of just reading,
Against harsh reality, writing prevails.
I crawl into my cozy world
And visit with old friends
Until my ennui is cured
And I can face life once again.


Seeking Sanctuary
(A poem based on Beauty and the Beast 1987)
By C.K. Armistead
4/26/16, edited 4/29/16

Catherine's thoughts one stormy night:

How I wish I  could go Below tonight. 

The wind is high,

The clouds are ripe, 

There's going to be

A storm up here.

I wish I could be 

Where candle flame

Glows cheerily

And everyone knows my name.

I wish I could go there

To my safest place where

I'll come to no harm 

When I  see his face

And rest in the safety

Of his arms.

Old Friends
By C.K.Armistead
4/30/16

I stumbled across an old friend today
An old TV show I used to love
When I was very young
And full of dreams.
This show, I should say,
Is not something girls are "supposed"
To have liked
In that era, when I was young.
It involved rockets and space ships
And rescues
And I am sure far more boys watched it.
But I adored it.
Never did I feel I could not
Be one of the daring crew
That went out and saved
People in need.
Not that I WANTED to,
But I felt I could have.
I just adored the machines
And the things they could do.
These old friends reminded me
Of a couple of other
Favorites.
One that I never let go of
And another I had almost forgotten.
One was a giant robot
Controlled by a young boy
The other was the crew of a Starship
Whose adventures I've followed
Forever after.
Because they made me dream
Gave me hope
Made me wonder how
We could get to a world
That much better than this one.
Yep. I was a geeky fangirl
LONG before it was cool.

Auld Lang Syne

Edinburgh's Hogmanay, or New Year's Celebration.

This song is used to ring in the New Year the world over, and few beyond the Scots have any real idea what it's talking about.  I know, because I love Burns' poetry and songs, and have studied, also I have some Scots blood in my veins.

This is a song about remembering.  About remembering old friends, and good times gone by.  It's about the passing of time, and how we can lose people, if we aren't awfully careful not to.
It is basically asking should we forget all the good times we had before?  Should we forget our old friends?  The answer the song gives in itself is no.  We should remember.  "We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne."  Basically, we'll drink a toast in honor of those times long since.

The whole gist of it is that we should remember the good times, the friendship, and be happy.  We'll be glad we're still friends, in spite of all the time and the life that has passed since the old days.

This New Year's Eve, as I hear the song again, and see many more than slightly inebriated people trying to sing it, I will hope that they are able to remember the good times and the good friends that make life worth living, as I remember mine.

So many of you,  some of you even read this blog!  I will remember you, and raise my glass in honor of and in thanksgiving for, your friendship.  I'm honored to know you!

I think of some I've known since high school, like Brenda, and Kathleen, and Patricia, and Liz.  There's even a guy out there who was really a friend of my brother's, so he's known me about ALL my life - Roy.  Then there are the church friends, the military friends,some of whom we still see, and some we only hear from once in a while.
All the friends from work, who have been through software changes, tornado procedures, new technology, and many, many Summer Reading Programs with me.  We have an awful lot of "auld lang syne" between us, and it's all been wonderful because of your dedication to the community and keeping our library a great resource for everyone.
Then, there are my fellow #PerlGirls.  Fi, Mary, Kelly, Jana, Mallory, Paulette, Patti, Brina, Linda, Marie, Anna, and Amy. (Almost forgot our "baby sister", Chloe!)  You ladies are  fabulous.  We don't have much "auld lang syne" between us yet, but we are gathering new memories daily!  Love you, girls, and we love The Man Himself, too,
 of course!!
SO much love tonight, as we look forward to a new year in which to keep our friendships stitched together through distance, time, work, and the cares of life.  May you always remember the fun times when you need a smile, and remember I'm here if you need a shoulder to lean on.  Friendship is the greatest gift there is, and I have been given some wonderful gifts over the years!
God Bless, and may 2015 be better and brighter than you could have imagined.

Auld Lang Syne
By Robert Burns

chorus : Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the brae,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fitt,
Sin auld lang syne

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd.
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my tursty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
For auld lang syne.

Dougie MacLean singing Auld Lang Syne

Christmas Eve Ruminations

I'm awake!  Got a late start because I finally go to sleep after 2 when the pie finally got cool enough to go into the refrigerator. 
I've gotta make a list of what I need to get done.
Gotta make a list for Matt who is going out to get last minute stuff.
Little patters of squirrel feet on my roof make me smile in the middle of everything.  I'll go out and refill the feeders.  Merry Christmas, Squirrely Whirly, and birdies.

Almost 4 pm.  Chores done, presents wrapped, still some cooking to do.  We'll eat our first feast this evening, then nibble tomorrow, and on Friday, have the Feast of the Festive Leftovers with our good friends.  (There may be a few things made fresh for the "leftovers" feast.  All depends on how things go...)

Joys of the day:  A dog joyfully playing ball with his human as I passed by on my walk.  The neighbor dogs who stop barking and wag their tails as soon as I say hi and tell them how pretty and what good doggies they are.

Dinner eaten and almost all cleaned up. Soup was excellent, beef was good, beans need a little work... but they'll be OK before the Feast of the Festive Leftovers!

A tweet out of the blue yesterday really made my day!  Nice to be remembered, and a very nice thing so close to Christmas.  Still smiling.

Time now to recoup a little before getting ready and heading for church.  This late service makes for a long day for us, but we'd be up late anyway...

The service seemed  longer than usual, and boy, did we sing a LOT of carols!  Only three anthems, but LOTS of carols!  And they let us have lit candles in the loft for the end of "Silent Night".  They're either brave or crazy. 

Sermon was called "The Light Must Change Us".  About how now that the Light of the World has come to us, we should live more like we've seen that light.  Share that light by our deeds, not by preaching and trying to convert people, but by touching people's lives and hearts the way Jesus did.  It was a good sermon. 
And so, to bed.  A long day, since I stayed up so late last night. It is almost as late now.  Christmas Eve is always a bit this way.  Now that I've had some of each kind of pie (both came out well, yay!)  and some hot chocolate, time to wash up and clean my teeth and head for zzzzzzz.

The light of love does change us. It lightens and warms all those upon whom it shines.  May the Light of  Love shine in our hearts and into the lives of those we encounter, may we all be changed for the better, made more loving, by that light. 
Peace to you, and Merry Christmas!!

Poetry Happens

In The Dead of Winter
By C.K. Armistead
December 21, 2014

Even in the dead of winter
There is warmth
In the smile of a friend,
The hug of a loved one,
The laughter of children.

Even in the dark of despair
There is light.
Prayers heard and answered,
A kind word when needed,
A smile from a stranger.

Even on the longest night,
There is hope
Of dawn's coming
Of the return of warmth,
The return of light.

Even on the coldest day,
There is the reminder
That we are each other's warmth
We are each other's hope,
We are each other's light.



Carried On The Wind
By C.K. Armistead
December 23, 2014

Today as I was walking
The wind was strong and cold
And sounded like the talking
Of the wise ones of old.
Telling tales of mystery
Tales of wonder and joy
Tales we know of history
Of the fate of a special baby boy.
And also on that insistent wind
I heard the old songs so sweet
Sung low and soft from around the bend
Their glad tidings to repeat.
And upon the wind was borne
The scent of woodsmoke and memory
Of places and faces that make you warm
In spite of the world's harsh harmony.
Then the wind made my mouth water
With scents it carried past me
Of sugar, flour and butter
Becoming cookies and candy.
Tomorrow night the wind will bring
The sound of many bells a ringing
And my voice among thousands will sing
Songs of hope and joy fit for a King.
So today, as I was wandering
I was thankful for the wind's wild voice
That set me to pondering
The many reasons we have to rejoice.


That's about all the poetry I've got right now.  Time now to bake the pies.  Time to put some flour, sugar, butter, eggs and other good things to work becoming Christmas treats to share with friends.  May you all have a joyful and beautiful Christmas, whether you celebrate or not, you are wished a day of love and joy. 

Poems From My Travels

Ruminations on A Storm
By C.K.Armistead
Oct. 2014


Rumbledy thumps
Bumps and crackles
Mutter, moans, and
Ghostly cackles
The storm is getting
Some practice in
Before Halloween
Comes again.




Cloud music
Static crackling
Low grumbling
On it goes
A symphony of
Noise and light
Lasting all night.






Grumbling thunder
Flashes of light
An Oklahoma melody
On an Alabama night.
So it kept you awake,
and anxious perhaps:
But I slept just fine
Though the sky was alive
The song that it sang
An Oklahoma Lullaby.






How I Felt After I Read Your Book
(For Ron Perlman, on his book, Easy Street (the Hard Way)


C.K. Armistead Oct. 2014


Searching now for ways
To share the love,
The care I've received
From others
Back into the world
To help the world
Be a little better, kinder,
Easier for others.


Because that's what you do
You give back more than you know.
Have made days brighter
Hearts lighter
Just by doing what you always do
Making fictional people come alive
And making us care about them
Giving back the love
Your fans give you.
Cause love just grows
The more you give it away!






Inspiration
By C.K. Armistead
October, 2014


And so sleep once again
Proves an elusive beast.
Just when I think my brain will give in,
Words come in a poetic feast.


The loud clamoring words
Demanding to be put down
Saying rest is for cowards
Writing the way to win the crown.

Birthday Week Part II: The Birthday Itself

The morning started off sunny, but cold.  Had a nice stiff north wind all through my walk.  By the time I got done with my walk and my elliptical time, the clouds had moved in, and it was still cold.  I had to go out to Tinker for a follow up appointment at the clinic.  No big deal, took awhile, though, because the doc gave me a longer prescription for the Muscinex to get me through the allergy season without losing my voice (we hope) or going broke buying Muscinex over the counter.  (More ecologically sound, too, as the prescription variety doesn't have all the foil and paper packaging.)

While I was at the base, I stopped at the BX and found a couple of nice tops and a jacket on sale! Jacket is a bit snug for a medium, but then I realized it's a junior's size, not a misses.  It DOES fit, though, just can't wear sweaters under it like I can my other "motorcycle" jacket.

After I got home, I went out to check the mail and found flowers and a balloon on the porch!

They were from my dear friend Fiona, who lives in Australia!  Now, Fi and I have never met face to face, but we "clicked" right away on Twitter.  We are both Ron Perlman fans, and like a lot of the same music, and have a similar sense of humor.  She has an adorable little boy.  She's kind of like the little sister I never had.  Hayden,her little boy, calls me Auntie Katie.

 I had to make sure he had the right t-shirt and some gluten-free cookies.

I love Fi so much, it seems strange that we have never met in person, because it really feels like we've known each other a long time.  She really made my birthday special with her very thoughtful gift.

I also talked to my Mom today.  Had to let her know what I bought with the birthday money.  Also it's good to check in with your Mom from time to time, you know.  Even when you're as old as I am, your Mom still worries about you.

Our dear friends Mike and Nancy Rogers came over to share the home cured corned beef that Matt made for my birthday dinner.  Always a blessing to have the company of our very dear friends.  They are true friends, been through hell and back with us, and we've tried to be there for them, too.  They brought thoughtful gifts, but the best was their company.

I have here all my cards and gifts (except the Pink Martini concert tickets, which are put away safe until next month.)  I also celebrated by downloading Pink Martini's Sympathique album from Amazon.  I really enjoy their music, and I am looking forward to the concert next month.

There have been many greetings from my Facebook and Twitter friends all day.  It means a lot to know that people think of me and take the time to let me know.  It's been a beautiful day!
Most especially nice to hear from the #Perlgirls on Twitter, and from The Man Himself.  He is good to his fans, especially those of us who've followed since the 80's.  My fellow #Perlgirls are some really special people.  They are funny, supportive, and reliable.  Ladies, I love you all!
Michael Ornstein, you are also loved, and I adore your art.
Ron Perlman, it goes without saying that you are loved, my friend.  So glad to have met you! You are a class act, Mister!

Looking forward to the rest of Birthday week, wherein there will be a committee meeting at work, a little more shopping, and a lot more fun!

Thursday Night Thoughts

Another Thursday night, another long shift (for me) at the library.  Got a lot accomplished, and always enjoy my coworkers and our customers, but it's a LONG day for me when I start before 8 am with errands and appointments like I did today.  Surprised I still feel human. 
Maybe the respiratory goodness I had last week is finally completely gone.  (Or the cedar pollen has dropped way off...)
Have found a group I really enjoy listening to.  Pink Martini.  LOTS of good stuff, and not all the same.  Their music makes me feel good!
Here's a recording of What'll I Do made live in 2012.

Here's Get Happy recorded live in NYC

Ich Dich Liebe

Here's a gorgeous one: Yo Te Quiero Siempre


I just love listening to this group, as I said, the music makes me feel good.  They have some pieces that make you want to dance, too.
Una Notte A Napoli


In other news, there is a plot afoot, hatched by my oldest brother, to get all four of us kids together in Andalusia for Mom's 90th birthday in April.  That should be fun, I hope.  Haven't seen my brothers in forever, and only get to my sister and my Mom once a year when my sister and I go to do Mom's yard work.  This trip should be less work and more visit, I hope.

Got some random poem thoughts rambling around in my brain.  I may see if they'll come out to play.
Song Of Hope
By CK Armistead
January 23, 2014

The winter wind
Is trying to bite again
The cold has sharp fingers
To tug at our coats and scarves
It's bitterness lingers
And leaves us with scars.

Yet there is warmth to beguile
In the sweetness of your smile
Drives the dark away
Gives me a smile of my own
Makes the world less grey
Keeps my heart warm.

Your friendship is a gift
That helps the balance shift
From cold and lonely sadness
To warm and happy sharing
With laughter and gladness
Generosity and caring.

So though the wind is sere
And winter is still here
In my heart the song
Is reminiscent of Spring
And the warmth goes on
As long as we sing.



That's as polished as it gets tonight.  Mayhap I'll work on it another time. 
Thanks for staying around this long!

A Couple Of Poems

As the TV weather people have been barking again about the freezing rain, thought I'd record the words floating around in my head.  Also a little meditation about this "connected" world of ours.

 Here's hoping the ice leaves town quickly.  Many people have things to do and places to go this weekend, and I have a voice recital Sunday night!


Ice Storm Warning
By CK Armistead
12/20/13

With stealth
And menace
This precipitation
Falls and freezes
Silently coating
Roads
Tree limbs
Power lines
Hearts.
Turning some
Into hoarders
Of bread
Milk
Toilet paper
Booze.
Making many
Lose their
Holiday Spirit
Making many more
Slip, slide, fall,
Crash.
The only way
To fight ice
Is to resist
The chill,
Stay off of it,
Keep your heart warm
And  ice will
Melt.


Community
By C.K. Armistead 12/20/13

Whether right next door
Or halfway 'round the world,
You have friends.
They don't have to be
Present physically
To be supportive
Friendship depends
On a meeting of minds,
Of hearts
Even more than
Meeting face to face.
Many who reach out
Across cyberspace
Are just as close
As those down the street.
A strange paradigm
Of these times
That words on a screen
Can bring people
Closer
Give them hope
Encouragement
Laughter
And love.
And when you do
Meet them face to face
It  makes the time
Together sweeter,
More companionable
Because you are not
Strangers
But friends.

Poetic Ramblings

A Reason To Smile
 By C.K. Armistead
November 1, 2013

So many reasons
To be sad
These last two
Seasons
Pets lost
Friends lost
A family member lost
Part of town
Eaten
By a storm
But in the midst
Of even the actual storm
I found reasons
To smile
To be grateful
To be humbled
To celebrate this life
Linked by a web
Of electronic signals
I had friends with me
Cheering me on
When things got tough
And in the midst of them
Was the one who
Brought us together,
Connected us
Also wishing me well,
Making me smile.
 At every turn
My friends have been there
Both those I know face to face
And those I have met only
In the ether.
When the chance came
To meet more of them
In person,
I grabbed it gladly.
And I am so grateful
To have had the chance
To spend time with
And hug
And thank in person
Some of those who
Have walked through
These sad seasons
With me.
Especially the one
Who brought us
Together
In the first place.
Thanks, Mr. P.
As you love,
So you are loved.
And I am still smiling.


Blues
By C.K. Armistead
November 2, 2013

The sky was so
Blue
This  morning
As blue as
My Pop's eyes were
As Richie's eyes are
As the eyes
Of my friend
Only seen in person
Once
But so very blue.
At twilight
The blue sky deepens
Deepest blue
Like the Pacific
Like Indigo
Like Matthew's
Eyes
When he looks
At me
True Blue.


Young Guardsmen
By C.K.Armistead
Nov. 3, 2013

When did they get to be so young?
These new recruits just out of basic
On their way to their specialty training.
They're just KIDS.
I have shoes older than these people!
Am I that old? Really?
Makes no sense to me that we
Are sending our children out
To fight the wars of others.
 Seems it's always been this way.
The young pay the price for those
Who stay safely at home.
My own husband
Gave 20 years of his life
To keep this nation free,
So many of us could stay safely home.
While he and his comrades flew repeatedly
Into some dicey situations
Sometimes for practice,
Sometimes with relief supplies,
Mostly just ordinary resupply
Making sure everybody everywhere
Had what they needed
In order to do the dangerous job
Of keeping America free.
They also carried mail. 
Made them really popular
At the more remote places they stopped.
Seems unreal to me that he and I were ever
So young as these kids I saw last month.
God keep them safe
Bless their families with strength and patience
And help all of us remember them
And keep them in our thoughts
And prayers
With gratitude
For their willingness
To do such a difficult job.

Updates On The Music List

Since I wrote my original post in August, I have added some things to the Cloud Player:
The Diving Board by Elton John (Old loyalties die hard.  I have always loved Elton.  Always will.)
Dog Train by Sandra Boynton (Kids music, but fun for grown ups, too.  Just love the words in these songs.)
Favorites and Rarities by Don McLean  (His Tapestry was one of the first LPs I ever owned.  Played it to death.  Love his style.)
Frog Trouble by Sandra Boynton (Another batch of kids music, but just as funny as ever, and not annoying to listen to.)
Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits  (Listened to a lot of his music on Pandora, and decided I really liked it.  This was the album that I decided I wanted to own.)
Highwayman 2 by Willie Nelson, Kris Kristopherson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings  (Liked the first one,  the second one is pretty good as well.)
Platinum and Gold by Lou Reed  (When I realized how many of the artists I liked over the years he had influenced, I decided to go to the source.  Listened a lot on Pandora and then chose the collection.)
Ponder the Mystery by William Shatner (What can I say?  Old loyalties die hard.  :)  )
Time Passages by Al Stewart (Had to get it when so many of the songs kept turning up on Pandora and I realized I still liked them)
Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 (Just had to get it, I had it on cassette once upon a time...)
Traveling Wilburys Vol 3 (Had to complete the set.  Love these guys.)

So many of the songs I listen to speak more to me now than they did when I first heard them, much like some poetry and some art means more, strikes me differently than it would have even 10 years ago.  Things happen in life, we learn things, feel new things, see new things, and it changes us.  Makes us appreciate some things and some people more. 
I am finding as I go along, that it isn't the things themselves that matter, but the people behind them, the memories and emotions they evoke, that make them worth something.  It has been my privilege over the last year or so to meet some very worthwhile people online.  I have also gotten to meet a few of them in person.  The love, laughter and caring that we have shared online is also present when we are together face to face.  Nice to know that this world is not the big, cold, lonely place it was just a few years ago.  Technology has made it possible to find friends all over the world.  So blessed to know you, my online friends, and doubly blessed to have met some of you in "real" life.

That's enough from me for now. 

Another Friday Night

This Friday night, I was sitting here tired, and too warm, and I thought, well, I'll have a drink.  So, I made myself a Tequila Sunrise.  I like them occasionally.  This is the second one I've had this week.  Tuesday afternoon at the library was INSANE.  There were too many things to check in, the phone was going crazy, and we had the world's loudest collection of kids and parents waiting for a program. All things we've dealt with before, but this was the first time this summer.  Wow.  I was exhausted Tuesday evening.  So, I had a Sunrise then.  Helped.  I don't make them strong enough to really feel them, and I only ever have ONE in an evening.
There are a few things to comment on in the week past.  My life is pretty dull overall, but sometimes the very mundane nature of it is reassuring, and when something unusual happens, it either makes me happy, knocks me for a loop, or makes me mad.  (As in angry.  I'm a Celt, already a wee bit daft.)  So, after Monday that I blogged about, we had library insanity on Tuesday, and my friends took their cats back this week.  Huzzah!  I love my friends, and I love their cats, but I really, really am glad not to clean that litter box every morning! (And afternoon.  And evening.  And right before bed...) 
Wednesday was a very productive and good day for me.  I got a blog post done that I have been wanting to write for a long time, and lacked the nerve to write.  I got a lot of clerical chores done, and got the air conditioner its annual check up.  I had my usual four hours at the library, and it was pretty good, not too busy and not too slow.    I also got followed on Twitter by one of my favorite celebrities.  (Kinda silly, I know, but it made me feel good.  I smiled all day Thursday with no effort at all...)  Thursday at the library was kinda slow, but I got a lot done, including all the outstanding Inter Library Loan books.  My shift on the desk was the last one, and it was kinda slow.  Quiet in there, for once.  After Tuesday afternoon, it was rather nice.  When someone did need my help, it was easier to give them my entire attention and make sure they had exactly what they needed.
Today I spent my morning booking various appointments and getting some bread dough ready.  Then another 1 to 5 at the library.  There were lots of things to check in, so working in the back went quickly, but my shift on desk was slower than usual for the 3 to 5.  Still, I was able to spend more time with the customers I did have, and that makes it easier to make sure they get what they came for, and leave happy. 
And almost a month ago, on a Friday night like this, I was once again hunkered in the closet, this time with Matt AND with Julie and Ralph's two cats.  None of us were happy about being in there.  Once again, we were lucky.  We did lose our electricity for about 24 hours, but we have a generator, so the fridge and the wi-fi were still available.  (As well as a way to charge the small electronics.)   It is unreal to me how often we have been fortunate during storms around here.  This subdivision has been spared major damage in all of the large tornado episodes that have occurred since we've been here.  We moved here in June of 1993, so we've been here 20 years now.  We have decided that we will stop tempting fate, though.  We are going to get a shelter as soon as the current backlog on them clears a bit. 
I think back on all the things that have happened this last two months, and I am so grateful.  Grateful for the good fortune and the protection that kept us and our house safe from the storms, and grateful for the friends near and far who expressed their concern for us.  How good it is to know that as we love, so we are loved.  Also very grateful that we can help our friends when they need our help.   Truly, the atmosphere around these events in Oklahoma has been an amazing gathering of strength and love pouring from and into our community.  People are a little kinder, perhaps a little less short with each other.  Neighbors are precious again.  All little children are looked upon with affection by the rest of the community, because we could have lost them, too.  Our lives are really so very, very fragile.  Storms like this bring that  home all too clearly.  They also bring the response straight from the hearts of so many who came to help, and are still coming. 
Yes, nothing like a little perspective.  I am once again very grateful that on this "Friday Night In The Big Town" as Gary England would say, I am safe in my own house, with my husband, and I know my friends are safe, and I can sit here with my nice drink and my computer and have the luxury of contemplating my life. 
Truly, some of the smallest things, the littlest gestures mean a lot.  So thanks, my friends, just for being there & giving me a hard time once in a  while.  Love you all.
As Ever,
Katie

Some More Poems - Written This Evening

Cast Upon The Waters
By C.K. Armistead
5/7/13


A word awing on the ether,
A thought carried thousands of miles.
Friendship given, if you're a believer
In the beauty of Cyberspace smiles.

Shared laughter resounds on the net
Appreciation of what others have found
The best friends you've never met
Always there when you need someone around.

A song heard faintly from a distance
An image to gladden the eye
Affinities formed in an instance
A shoulder upon which to cry.

Many hide behind a mask
But others' true hearts do shine
It might be too much to ask
But I consider those true friends of mine.



Songs In The Night
By C.K. Armistead
5/7/13
As sleep eluded
The snare of my eyes
I heard the sad song
Of a train passing by.
How mournful,
How lonely
That diesel horn blew
The only one awake
For all he knew.
The evensong
Of the robin
Has long since hushed
The rushing of traffic
Quiets too.
But the winsome song
Of the diesel train
Plays on
The whole night through.


Inside My Head
By Carolyn Kay Armistead 5/7/13

The far off call of the bagpipe
Haunting and drawing me on
The words of a half forgotten song
Ringing through the fog.
The sound and smell of the ocean
The whisper of the wind.
The crunch of leaves underfoot
The warmth of sun on my skin.
The incessant murmur of the freeway
Sounds of childhood come again.
Some days I still hear the cattle
The ones from the old dairy
Lowing and crying
As the truck carried them away
Before houses were built
On their pasture.
Or I hear the goats complaining
At being left out in the rain
As I walked by their pen
At University.
How long ago that's been.
Or the calls of the bulls
On the German farm
Where we were loved like family
Only there for four years,
But they are still in our hearts.
The song of that old train
Carrying freight south in the night
Both annoying and comforting
Familiar but not taken for granted
Like the love I find around me,
In places I'd least expect.
From near and far,
Ahead of and behind me
My heart caught in its net.
All this and endless words
Running through my head.


These have been written just as I sat here at the keyboard, over perhaps the last hour.  They are not perfect, of course, but they are honest.
The pictures are just for fun.