gtag.js

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Resolution


New Year's Resolution


Dating sites don't bring relationships, the sea of attention fills a birdbath the size of the Pacific Ocean called a heart. No, that sounds bitter, there are nice people on there, I'm a crummy picker.


An adult relationship stalls when the one party fails to introduce their children or include holidays or is often sick at the last minute, too many rain checks is a bullhorn.

Years of caring wore my boots, soles have holes and stitches in the sides, they leak rose lake. Work boots need softening. Step on summer rocks and frozen puddles makes leather fit around your bad toes. The nail of the big toe becomes ingrown from repeated pounding. A heifer gave her hide for riding boots. It’s not the climb uphill that breaks a soul, it’s the down curves when sliding on clay kills.


It’s a spell arriving. Butterfly lighting is a trick to make a portrait flattering. Shade wrinkles with light. Recite poetry in the cabin, say the rosary to the cows bellowing on the hillside while I garden, and no longer wear makeup on the weekends or spend money on packaged beauty products. Rose petals, lavender pods and organic herbs are in my secret creams.


Haze grew after your infidelities. Stool too close to a pink sweater in the bar. Incoming nasty messages and hacked places I frequent.

You cried. Things warmed for a moment, then returned to amusement park physics. Everyone said to give it up. But I'm no quitter.


I lied to myself about the joy verses pain scale, then I decided your dip in dots were too expensive and I am cheap. I don’t feel better, the future this opens a place for a partner to come in who treasures me. Time doesn’t heal, don’t let them tell you that garbage. Our minds play tricks to create new wiring and life circuits are busy. I'd pray for wisdom; but, the God I believe in doesn't get involved in changing events in our lives on earth. Free will to love, free will to miss, free to hike on.

 I hold you in highest regard and wish you well.

New Year is a clean start. Time for me to care for myself.









Carole Stevenson

 -  Shared publicly
I know this man. As a woman I am so sorry. It took me 12 years to move Paul McCarthy  on. Eclipse Messenger   You must know there is a third and fourth woman involved - lookup Mary Joe or M J Stackhouse 

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Kindness Passes Lightening




Kindness Passes Lightning

Noah works strong, until the blitz
Armageddon shrivels souls in bits

Dose palms of oxy pills hide the pain
Snowflakes shards melt on black coat
Wool  recalls odor of a calf in the rain
Dreams become lost papers on a note.

Megiddo's a hill built upon graves
kindness opportunity rushes silent
lines in the highway flow in waves
holidays forgotten without hot riot.


Linear time  wipes out the past
Drips wear the wonder of crust
Aroma of rising bread  lost fast
A lover's necklace turns to dust.

Witness death of your child
sun on back, ashes apathetic
When nights thin mind wild
bitter peel shrivels lethargic.

Prism reflects from the river
Daily battles keep from seeing
What matters: is being a giver
All religions, good souls being.

Noah works strong  until the blitz
Armageddon shrivels souls in bits


Kindness passes lightening storms

Copyright 12/29/2016 Caroline Gerardo
poetry and photographs all rights 






Saturday, December 24, 2016

Holiday Cheer





Get rid of holiday blues
Be simple
Be kind


Make 
wreaths
fir branches, collect 
pine cones, eucalyptus, 
no poison ivy Toyon holly thornless
cactus is gorgeous but succulents are easy
green / red plants, wire, hangers, gloves, fishing line
bunches work same as cooking raw spinach, shrinks down.
Spruce, juniper berry, marjoram, pine essential oils no diffuser?
few drops on a plate cheer your soul
Be simple
Be kind

Hot soup - 
roast pumpkin cut in half 
(seeds removed skin on, soft face up to moon) 
generous olive oil in the pan, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg
bake until the flesh is caramel brown and the house smells yummy
No pumpkin? Use butternut squash, fine chop: onion and garlic
portions unmentioned, saute in olive oil in big pot until clear 
add stock, salt, pepper, curry, add roasted gourd in the pot 
and simmer. Check and smash as it steams
To put in bowls use a spoon
of Greek yogurt
or go ahead
add heavy 
whipping
 cream 
Share 
with 
great 
bread




Melting Hat Story

Woman waits for her ride,
brown bag covers white hair.
Sorrel melts in the rain.
Linda asks, "You need a lift?"
"No, my friend is in route."
Inside the Pack and Ship store
lights shine on bubble wrap.
Linda enters, buzzer rings.
She's on camera overhead.
"May I ask a favor?" 
Man looks up from his T. V.
"No." he answers.
"See the lady out front?"
"Yeah, she sent a package."
"May she wait inside from the storm?
He looks up queerly, "Sure, You know her?"
"No but thank you kindly, really thank you."
Linda returns to the barrage, shouting over noise
of traffic and hail.
"Come inside. I'll wait for out here your friend."
"She might miss me?"
Linda insists, the old woman explains 
the make and model of the driver's car.
Windshield wipers of Linda's car keep
time with music on the radio. 
The woman now inside the store, 
with the man,
he  leans forward over the counter.
They smile.


Tamale Share Story

Rose waits in line at the mercado for masa. 
Grandmother's gone, but she holds 
 traditions of preparing tamales for 
Christmas Eve. 
The opportunity gathers teenage children 
as a binding party before the holiday. 

Ten dozen tamales 
pork, chicken, and pineapple
The recipe takes 120 ojas (cornhusks) and 
fifteen pounds of prepared masa. 
Rather than mix cornmeal, shortening oil, 
baking powder, and salt by
hand she orders pre-made dough. 
Braised and pulled meats steam at home. 
Daughter stirs the fillings and juices.


The mercado cannot locate the woman in front of Rosa's order. 
"Sold out, perhaps tomorrow, after six, we'll have extra to sell."
The woman ahead of Rosa looks down as if to cry.
"The bus doesn't run tomorrow, I planned to make these
tonight for my Bisabuela in the rest home with extra for nurses."
"Sorry, tomorrow, next in line."
Rosa interjects,"how many pounds do you need?"
"Five, it's okay, I'll buy the dry ingredients and start right away, maybe
I'll have them ready for lunch tomorrow.
"Cut a third off my order." Rosa says.


Caroline Gerardo copyright 12/25/2016

Friday, December 23, 2016

Get Christmas Lights

Get Christmas Lights

Give hope now. 
Generator moans
Girlfriend harass
Good god where?
 Jesus wraps presents
Gentle storage boxes
Gift me Target crates
Gadflies of plastic fills
Greet strangers with joys
Gems of sapphire lights
Golly snap your negatives
Glue of one day remains
Get galactic Grinch gone 
Gadgets waste of dollars
Greet every cell with smile


Caroline Gerardo Copyright 12/23/2016 poem and images 


Monday, December 19, 2016

Gingerbread Man Guards

Eucalyptus, pine and succulent wreaths on gates,
fancy up the chain link stairs to my cabin.
Rains did their best to melt down grosgrain ribbons.
Bobcat tore under the side to try at one of the sultans;
but ginger bread men act as soldiers in the kitchen.

Grandfather's elaborate trains in the basement 
sold off boxes before we made it to the souq.
Did the Shiite militia keep the tracks?
A tunnel appeared to barrel bomb cars.
It's somewhere in rubble now.

Missing days of believers at home.
Mailing letters to Santa, 
tucked under comforter prayers.
This too is passage.
Entropy wears on cells.
.
Noble fir stands tall with
whole ornaments from
calamity of puppies of the past
knocking over trees.

Missing that dog's tail.
A cross guards 
over her in the meadow.
Mother always says, 
"I'm doing my best!"
With and exclamation point, yes.
This too is passage.
Holding heart with cheers.
 Days before Christmas.

Copyright Caroline Gerardo 12/19/2016



Sunday, December 18, 2016

Moon and Back






My 2016 Moons

Don't observe full moon celestial orbs
Occultation of Aldebaran, gibbous moon
Wane shrinks and wax build up absorbs
Cross brightest star in the sky, we swoon 

Stellar eclipse allows lovers to pass
Full hunger wolf moon helps in hunt
Snow sifts after Yule melts the grass
Umbral shadow puts darkness front

Worm Moon comes round back gate 
Fields muddy crystaline calls robins
with earthworms miracle invigorate
The Crow Moon hears your sobs

Death of winter, Crust moon thaws
Brings Sap Moon forsythia gold
Aching breath from layers of gauze
Paschal Moon syncs stories told

Plant fields of crimson phlox
Pink Moon sprouts rose
Salmon opens tribal locks 
Dianthus upstream prose

Brood for the lovers lost
Flower or Milk is spring moon
Blue moon marks the costs
Time for corn, not to prune

Full Harvest autumn equinox
Leaves to ground, deer is fat
At dawn and dusk spot the fox
steal under the watch of the cat

Beaver moon moves ocean tides
Frosty light makes hearts swoon
Clouds of memory take rides
upon winter's lonely moon.


Caroline Gerardo copyright 12/18/2016
Moon and Back Poem




Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Christmas


DSC_0055

Solar garden lights out.
Elaborate expense,
ladder extensions,
tree scaling, 
critics saying the
LED blue / gold  
mis-match, batteries die.
Crystal drop TERRO,
herd of ants wipe out.

Sinus infection visits 
on darkest soot night.
Pain behind eyes 
and gums swell,
SNS stimulation.
Anxiety peaks alone
best at night.

OCD kicks covers off.
Steam nose, hunt 
for decongestant.
Sterilize surfaces
with bleached 
anti-microbial rags, 
get dust shards off.

In lack of light 
swollen eyes read.
Daughter texts, 
"What day we fly
to HAV?" Ignore the
question its too late
for an answer at 3 AM, 
look up the remaining
number Goodreads
goal of books to read.


Haven't booked trip to 
Cuba, flights
are six thousand 
dollars at Christmas. 
Clogged brain, 
a blinking sign says:
FAIL. 
Glass blown decorations
tenderly wait in storage,
arrange for CHRISTMAS.


Copyright 12/7/2016 Caroline Gerardo






Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Santa Pup


Retail Pet

Dogs sleep on the bed
chickens hatch in kitchen
plan in my head
listen pup
shoe you chewed up?
new retail spanking
 sizes back in racks
purses are absurd
Chloe YSL  Vuitton
sit in Saks
puppies for loves
Ducati or Blackbird
don't wear gloves
fly like lightening
wear Santa hat
run in
no sin
give away


silly morning poem for the pup who eats shoes
Copyright December 6 2016 Caroline Gerardo

Monday, December 5, 2016

Star Knight



Star Knight

Not 
Starry 
Night


star pulse. 
It's a plane, 
circle pattern. 
Sleep stranger 
on  the red  eye 
bones seat belted.
A boy in a smurf
 hat travels space. 
Me alone under covers.
He's not an unaccompanied minor,  college physics books rest in the overhead compartment.  In between a drooler and a smelly fat man. John Wayne shuts tower for Newport slumber. Rest apple buds in rows. Flaps down unaware that open eyes face swarms of bees, condor cauldron of five hundred endangered wingspans stretch on tightrope wires.  They teach vultures to clear lines with electric shock therapy because touching two worlds: heaven or grave burns Icarus. 
Comet above cabin winks.
Passing the sun during
hour the plane is given
permission to land  it
will out gas, shows a
tail to be read by a
soothsayer. I'm here
to reveal the story.
Give love, hunger
 for art, get up upon
failure, each second
goes faster, you fly
 condor with purpose
feel the sound of lift slapping 
your soul, make a picture in closed
eyes to recall on days when dark takes
longer and you think an
earthquake breaks you. 
Study and fly my son!
You can
You will.



Caroline Gerardo Copyright 12/5/2016 dedicated to my son who
has finals week in University of California. Work hard! Healthy snacks,
all night cram  isn't much sticky brain help but re- read text books and think
about connective culture and research the landscape of internet they call fake news.
Often I think paid news, and paid press writers who I once adored are influenced by circles.
 Just circles, end of sentence... be tolerant and read more.


Friday, December 2, 2016

Garden Loved Sestina




Garden Loved Winter Fruit

                    Sestina 


Day Linda writes zero degrees without attention.
His awful silence saws her spine as sinewy knife.
Despite prayers / absolution, superstitions grow.
Dig trenches for olive tree wind break in garden.
Does future Ouija press oil to help blisters heal?
"Do time in her wrinkles," says the cruel mirror.

Daybreak french braid tresses without mirror.
Sections combine, hold steady pays attention.
Sing over under olly olly return sunshine heal.
Sound echos pain, rubber band clangs a knife.
Sage drys, aloe bubbles, salves in the garden.
Seeds of forget me not's barb sanguine grow.

Scorpion grass hitch - hikes on souls to grow.
Don't turn your jaw look upon a winter mirror.
Damn ghosts steal prism light in zen garden.
Done recall the man's text detailing attention.
Dead memory on dry hands balances a knife.
Dregs starved, mud evaporates, tears to heal.

Nights crack because grief therapy can't heal.
Tendril connection bind, cease mind to grow.
Terror think to escape the love of your knife.
Teach Linda to sway joy angle for the mirror
Talk kind, become: don't care girl; attention.
Taste chocolate tomatoes warm in our garden.

Bury your discarded fire ashes in the garden.
Broken urine combines with nitrogen to heal.
Behold: circumnutation coils for attention.
Bold Coral Bells Passion Vine starts to grow.
Become Artesian well of citric acid in mirror.
Marigold pyretherum cores bugs with a knife.

They tell you its time to put down the knife..
They irrigate, pour chloramine on the garden.
To be you, ball gown gorgeous in that mirror.
Think about the steps the feet dance to heal.
Those corns, old blisters from work grow.
Touch her  heart  with  listening attention.


Knife cuts out nonsense  about attention.
Garden winter fruit cures, satin time to grow.
Mirror mercury glass water logged to heal.


Caroline Gerardo
copyright December 2, 2016

Dedicated to Elaine, Lainey, Lucy, Carolyn, Kait,
Maggie all wonderful Poets



Sunday, November 27, 2016

Advent

Advent
                            *           ^             ^             ^              ^             *       
                                 a                  d                   v             e                n                   t
                               ##                 ##                $$           $$             ##              %%

That son drove miles home from college, as our advent returns.
Three on the tree, rust in cab, all weather tires drives us places.
Traditions change, first I'm not hosting holiday, bringing dishes.
The anticipation stirs a joyful; there's no Pinterest recipe for this.
To go ahead, look back, mountain lion mauled deer on the stones.
Thyme, sage, and basil  - smoke fills house - cause bees distress.
Table places set. No soot, no charcoal, no fire spark on wind pants.
Thanksgiving with other family moves away from  dis-functions. 
Talented sibling says: liar!  Where truck keys?  Escape bell rings.
 Through divorce struggle, insurance more than college payments.
Take off in open gown when radiologist sighs  before surgeries.
Tap clean windows for seashell echo of newsprint vinegar seas.
Tail of raven twitches on doe carcass, he knows where cabin lies.
Turn on mud flood road, skate to sanctuary for rare butterflies. 
Talents to ignore with silence, never show for its not anxieties.
Take lover who treats your core as not as chosen, not pretties.
To return after prison spell, dig up clover seeds in coffee cans.
Though means well, confess sins, forgot to cover mouse traps.
Those excuses...
Today start over, walk those open hearts.
These hands ready, Mailed blankets to Fort Yates.
Time to listen, hope and be kinder begins.
Thus prepare the robbed, shunned, and lonely for festivities. 
The list ahead is full of jobs, jot notes in the phone to pages.
The King comes.



Advent Poem
Copyright Caroline Gerardo November 27, 2016
Photograph I took at Flannery O'Conner's home

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Nighthawk Rodeo


Nighthawk Rodeo 

Talk negative multiplies 
ranch dogs escape midnight
Talk negative multiplies

moon works to break clouds 
Jefferson, a male, creates holes
 bull with a rope at his privates
 time for a party say the puppies
 escape artists have no worries
 boy's 12 gauge fire crackers
boots on for two step dances.

Talk negative multiplies
free ticket watch for coyote
Talk negative multiplies

jerky treats, not our dogs 
 I'm a Mom with kindness
come chase nighthawks
flashlights on hooting owls
no worry muddy pajamas
brave thunder silly hats
share joy seeps in souls.

Nighthawk Rodeo Poem
copyright Caroline Gerardo
November 20. 2016


Friday, November 18, 2016

Pyramid Mission

Pyramid Mission



Our
fears
disappear
deep breath 
find buried glove
Saint Anthony find this: 
gun, ammo, sling shot, arrows,
yew, buckeye, castor, thorn apple,
affordable armored S U V vehicles
wall footing four feet below sea level,
god we must have clean water or perish,
rain gutter, well, solar pump, aqueduct steal, 
goats, bees, chickens, big dogs, hoes, shovel, 
knives, Kerr jars, rat traps, peanut butter, seeds,
glue, fruit tree sapling cinnamon for root propagation,
storage tank, battery, do we care about USB connections?
Disposable cell to call Mom no wait she's here sick, I pray, add
cell patch, antibiotic, anti-inflammation, regenerate oxygen drugs,
fishing line, duct tape, razor blades, wide shoes, snake venom please
tunnel digging locks hide cache, praying skip loader doesn't go to mass,
pyramid of concrete blocks to weather storms hiding gallon cans of peaches
Did I forget to pray Saint Anthony? Please find list of supplies and keys to Canada



Pyramid Mission Poem
Caroline Gerardo copyright November 16, 2016