Tag: NaPoWriMo

Sailing

We should be on a ship,
Sailing across the sea.
Yet, we’re stuck at home,
Bored as we can be.

The living room’s our Lido Deck,
But there isn’t much to do.
We don’t have any contests,
There isn’t any pool.

Our buffet is open all day long,
It’s called the kitchen here.
There’s not a wide selection,
And bars don’t have any beer.

We can go out on excursions,
Just like on any cruise.
It’s now a bit like gambling,
With just your life to lose.

The back porch is our balcony,
The back yard’s our open sea,
The view just never changes,
We’re docked at Homestead Quay.


Dog Talk

We have a very vocal puppy.
Her name is Katie.
She talks all the time.
(She gets it from her Mom.)

The problem with a vocal puppy,
Is that nobody in the house speaks Dog.
With the exception of the Chihuahua,
And nobody speaks Spanish, either.

Katie howls at the front window.
This means, “Mail’s here.”
Unless, “The yard man is mowing.”
Sometimes, “A leaf blew in the street.”

Katie whimpers by the bed.
(Only in the middle of the night.)
This means, “I must go outside.”
Or, “Daddy’s sleeping in my spot.”
Sometimes, “Can you get me a snack?”

Katie whines in the kitchen.
This means, “Feed me now.”
Perhaps, “I would like some attention.”
Rarely, “My goodness, I am full.”

Katie cries by the back door.
This means, “Potty, please.”
Unless it means, “The neighbors are loud.”
Maybe, “There is noise out front, but this door has a window.”

Katie moans by the bedroom door.
On the outside, “Let me in!”
On the inside, “Let me out!”
That one, we understand.

Progress

Two weeks in a splint.
Don’t touch the ground!
Don’t breathe on it!
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Three weeks in a cast.
Don’t touch the ground!
Don’t scratch inside it!
The time will go by fast.

Four weeks in a boot.
Don’t touch the ground!
Don’t get it wet!
You’ve really learned to scoot.

One final week in the boot.
You may walk, if you please.
Please wash it!
You smell of old coot.

Ten weeks later,
It’s just a foot again.
(Still limping a bit.)


Ouch

My whining dogs both had to pee.
So I got up to set them free.
I felt my little foot go snap.
I said a loud and painful “Crap!”

In all the years that I have grown,
I never had a broken bone.
Now, I think that I have four.
It may be that or even more.

We had to skip our Springtime cruise.
Because my foot was full of screws.
To think that one little slip
Made me miss a weeklong trip.

A Couple in Quarantine

So, I’m waiting in the ER tonight.
I got the feeling that something ain’t right.
I’m so scared I have a fever and cough.
I’m hoping drugs can just get me off.

Coughs to the left of me,
Fever to the right.
Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

Well, I’m stuck in the middle with you.
And I’m hoping that it’s not Wuhan flu.
It’s so hard to keep my hands from my face.
And I want to puke all over the place.

Coughs to the left of me,
Fever to the right.
Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

Well, you started out with nothing,
Till you took a cruise ship to Japan.
Now, the doctors all come calling,
Slap you on the back and say,
Breathe.
Breathe.

Trying to make some sense of it all.
My wife shows no symptoms at all.
Is it cool to just pass out on the floor?
‘Cause I don’t that I can take any more.

Coughs to the left of me.
Fever to the right.
Here I am stuck in the middle with flu.

(with deepest apologies to Stealer’s Wheel)

A Bird’s Saga

Daddy said, “It’s time to fly!”
I did not know it’s do or die.
I heard the coffee start to perk,
Then he and Mom went off to work.

Today, I left my little bed.
I fell and cracked my little head.
As I tried to clear my brain,
Help appeared to stop my pain.

A Chihuahua stopped to render aid.
He picked me up from where I laid.
I heard his Dad yell, “Rocky, NO!”
Why won’t he let him help me so?

Ouch. I feel teeth upon my back.
I think I may become a snack.
Wait. He dropped me on the grass.
His Dad just saved my feathered ass.

Some lady put me in a box.
She took me quickly, like a fox.
Wait. Fox is not the best example.
Foxes also like a bird to sample.

The lady put me outside the fence.
I’m starting to regain my sense.
I wonder how I get back home.
I should fly and not just roam.

I don’t know where I go from here.
At least there is no dog to fear.
I have a pain all through my head.
The lesson? Don’t get out of bed.


That’s a Wrap

Editor’s Note: And so another edition of NaPoWriMo comes to a close. Thirty days, thirty poems. No guarantees on quality. If my wife likes three of them, it’s a good year – which is why so many were about our Chihuahua.

Another year is closing down,
I think I may head out of town.
Thirty days of writing poems.
I hope they all will find good homes.
Some I thought were pretty good.
Some (like this) are just dead wood.
I hope to see you all next year.
If you miss me, shed a tear.

Turkey!
Ham!
Mayo!
Pickles!
Onions!
Pita!
That’s a wrap!

Katie’s Blues

I want it heard across the nation!
I am dying of starvation!
And I only had sixteen hours of sleep.

My parents say they need me,
But they never seem to feed me.
At least never more than twice a day.

I’m lying softly on their bed,
Waiting desperately to be fed.
And now, I think I have to pee.

I need this door unlocked.
I’ve knocked and knocked and knocked.
My paws can’t turn this stupid handle.

I’ll just go back to sleep.
I won’t even make a peep.
No-one knows the pain I’m in.

Sigh.

The Owl’s Song

Editor’s Note: Blind John Ellsworth is dedicated to animal welfare, and wants all pets to be safe. So, it pains him to see reports of neighbors “losing” pets because they are left outside unattended — or worse, are “outside” pets. So, here’s a reminder.

There is a majestic old owl.
He patrols when the skies are black.
I thought he was looking for Tootsie-Pops,
But I think he’s looking for a snack.

When the wind is low,
Behind my bungalow.
I can hear the owl’s song.
If you know it, sing along.

Who let the dogs out?
Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
Burp.