by edward | Apr 27, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Familiar
Were you really that small
At one time,
You silly Maine Coon?
I wonder, glancing at photos
Of a friend’s newly-gotcha
Kitten.
We gotcha-ed you
At almost four months,
You silly Main Coon
When a tiny furball
Would curl up in a lap.
Then your mane grew out,
And your bird-chirp started,
You silly Maine Coon,
Distinguishing you from the
Ginger kitty who came home
With you on the same day.
Any wistful thoughts of
Tiny kittens vanish,
As the internal motor winds up,
Volume increasing,
Chirping for attention.
Demands for cuddles require
Immediate response,
Reminding me that you are
My Familiar,
You silly Maine Coon.
©2020 Edward J. Branley
by edward | Apr 27, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Appropriation
Songs about gay sex,
Songs popular in discos,
Songs sung by a lesbian
To her partner.
All end up co-opted by
White conservatives
Blissfully unaware
Of their origins.’s
Sometimes it’s the tune,
Sometimes the lyrics, that
Transcend origins, sparking
Deep feelings
In people who would burn,
Lynch,
Destroy the songwriter,
Because they don’t live
Their life
In lockstep with them.
Striking the feels isn’t
Usually how it works.
Ofttimes, a song gets appropriated
By people so arrogant
They believe everything belongs to
Them and Theirs
Earlier generations of Americans
Called it,
“Manifest Destiny.”
by edward | Apr 26, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Writing Under the Q Flag
Get up.
Get out!
Fresh air on
The coffee shop patio.
Handshakes become
Elbow bumps, eventually
Turning into cautious waves
From six feet away.
The solitary runner
Continues her routine
But what of the writer,
Used to that particular table
On the coffee shop patio?
Sitting at the table
At home,
In the kitchen,
Making her own coffee.
The lack of activity,
Of cars,
Buses,
Trains,
Even the bloody garbage truck!
The quiet of the kitchen
Dries up
Inspiration and motivation.
TV off.
Computer goes to screen save.
Phone on desk
In the other room.
Chair by the window
Pen in hand.
Slow realization
There are things
In the neighborhood
Equally inspiring.
by edward | Apr 26, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Introverts
Seclusion and distance
Come easy for
The Introvert.
She doesn’t “People”
In Person
Preferring online engagement.
Even though her routine
Is not disrupted, she knows
To check in with her extroverted friends.
They make her cray, sometimes,
Insisting on brunch, on drinks,
Or the dreaded weekend party.
But they are her friends,
And she wants them back,
When it’s safe to hug once again.
by edward | Apr 26, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Slow Traveler
Downtown departure
At 7am.
No Stops,
No Encounters,
No Worries,
As the traveler settles in,
Maybe grab some breakfast
In the dining car
Before passing the Cemeteries?
The Crescent’s mission
Has not changed in over
A century:
Connect New Orleans with New York
Not everyone rides
The Crescent
All the way
To New York.
Maybe it’s just a day trip
To Atlanta.
The privacy of a
Small compartment
All to oneself,
Versus the crowds
At the airport,
Is often worth
The extra six hours.
A day spent away from
The stress of travel.
Writing,
Reflecting
Hoping,
As the cars click along
Through Mississippi.
by edward | Apr 26, 2020 | NaPoWriMo, Verse
Morning Ritual
Iced coffee, three sugars.
Barista sees her coming,
Grabs a cup, ice, and pitcher of coffee.
Order is ready when
She reaches the counter.
There is no concern
That she’ll change her mind.
It’s been the same
For three years, even on
The occasional Saturday.
Creatures of habit
Are easy to satisfy
If attention is paid
To their Rituals.
