Another poem in response to poetry...Judith Viorst "If I were in Charge of the World"



If I were in charge of the world
I'd cancel washing dishes
Oversleeping
brussel sprouts, and also "time for bed."

If I were in charge of the world
There'd be longer summers
Honest politicians
and friends that never leave.

If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn't have selfish
You wouldn't have bullies
You wouldn't have beets or sardines
Or even booster shots.

If I were in charge of the world
Chips and salsa would be considered breakfast food
All reading would be for pleasure,
And a person who sometimes felt real mad,
And sometimes felt real sad,
Would still be allowed to be
In charge of the world.

This is a tribute to Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Color by Mary Lee O'Neill. The Scouts reference is to the mascot of the school where I taught when I wrote this. Alamo Junior High in Midland, Texas. School Colors/ Red and Gray.

What is Gray?

Gray is a cold, rainy day sky
The feeling when you say goodbye
Smoke curling upward
And a dove’s soft wings
Gray is a city’s concrete buildings
Lumpy oatmeal is gray
And being sick on your birthday
The velvet fur of a Persian cat
A child’s pony with an old straw hat
Gray is the color of Grandpa’s beard;
The ominous clouds of a thunderstorm feared.
Melancholy is gray
Deep down inside.
Losing love when you can’t decide.
Elephants, Mondays, and
Pencil lead.
The color of the Scouts,
Paired with red.
Gray is a game, not quite won-
Black and white
Swirled into one…
Gray is the space between
Wrong and right
Dropping your ice cream after
Only one bite.
On gray days we curl up
With our nose in a book
And don’t give the gray world
A second look.

Just finished New Moon by Stefanie Meyer in record time. I think I am going to pick up Eclipse tomorrow. I was tutoring a student today, and we talked about how a story can be real without being non-fiction. . . felt that truly reading New Moon and Twilight. The emotion of it, and the introvertedness of Bella- I can see the attraction for the intended audience.

On another note, I need some good suggestions for book gifts for a 4th grade boy, who reads above grade level. Want to get him something he will really like, and I don't see him really liking any fantasy-type stories. Mysteries, maybe.

Any suggestions?

Welcome, all! My name is Cynthia, and I am a writer. A secret writer for many years, but now I have decided that if I want to really write for more than myself, I need to do things a little differently. Let me say first that writing for myself worked for me, and I believe that first and foremost, writing is for the writer.

To keep yourself company
To say what is real for you
To live in a fantasy you may not see
To explore another side of yourself


But, I also like to write for others, specifically for the kids in my life, whether my nieces and nephews, or my kids at school.

SO....
Welcome to my musings about writing, my occasional story or poem, and the ups and downs of sharing your writing with others.