Addictive

I like pre-shriveled raisins,

Otherwise known as grapes. 

They come in various colors,

And a number of curious shapes. 

I’m not sure why I like them. 

I guess it doesn’t matter. 

I fear they’re loaded with fructose,

And might just make me fatter!

I fear, but keep on munching. 

I tell myself they’re healthy. 

Their price is shooting upward

So I may soon be less wealthy!

Other Side

The moon does not have a side that’s always dark. 

It simply has a face it does not show 

To people who are firmly planet-parked. 

When I was a child, we simply did not know 

This other side, admittedly harsh and stark, 

But part of the place providing that friendly glow.

Like Keeping Them Home For More Than A Year

People keep saying that children are very resilient. 

Are they? Were you? Or are they rather susceptible? 

I don't have an answer that's crisp or especially brilliant, 

But worry some things should not have been acceptable.

Calendar

An examination of history, 

Even one that’s fairly cursory, 

Reveals that every date

Is a major anniversary. 

The calendar is too crowded!

The solution is simple and clear:

We need to stop using the same months 

Over and over each year!

Second Opinion

If you talk to two physicians 

About the same condition 

Let's say... the chickenpox, 

But you find they disagree 

That's no big deal - you see, 

It's just a paradox.

Twelfth, Fifth or Sixth?

My friend Denise reminds me it’s the twelfth day of Christmas.
And I’m glad for the reminder because it’s so easy to miss,
Especially with the abandonment of the business
Of giving people rings and birds to match the day it is!

In Darkness

Tonight I saw a blind young woman walking 

The busy sidewalks of downtown Chicago. 

Her cane came into contact with a pile 

Of shoveled ice. I told her what it was. 

She just said yes, and stepped around the ice 

And waited at the curb while cars sped by. 

I told her when the light had changed to green 

And walked beside her while she crossed the street. 

Ahead of us a truck rushed through its turn, 

Cutting a corner right across our path, 

Impatient to be on its looming way.

I found it slightly frightening but the woman 

Seemed totally oblivious and I thought 

What bravery, what trust, coursed through her veins.

I Visited The Nearest Beach

I visited the nearest beach. 

I take some comfort in large bodies of water. 

I feel they put infinity within my reach. 

I like the way they seem to yawn on forever. 

I hear no mermaids calling each to each,

And yet I hear something magic in the drumming 

Of wave upon wave, as if they were trying to teach 

A song about days gone by and still to come.