Pyracantha

Pyracantha Berries at Xmas sunrise in Palo Cedro, California

 

The frozen water clings to the berries

 

As the sun rises and warms the air

 

And gives the Pyracantha the jewel quality

It worked so hard to achieve.

But don't be fooled
By Pyracantha's jewels.
She stole them from the air.
And she didn't care
If the air cried
Glistening tears.
Pyracantha keeps her teeth

Well hidden underneath

Her bright red berries 

That can only be eaten

By the red hooded fairies.

Loquacious Pot

Come with me to a sacred spot

Where your muse stirs her loquacious pot

Of stories with scenes for heart and soul.

She anxiously waits to pour them

Into your bowl

Of paper and pen.
Come with me then

To her sacred place

And meet your muse, face to face.
You’ll be amazed and maybe confused

At the power that must never be abused

When stirring up the stories

Of magical glories

In her loquacious pot.

Come with me now to a sacred spot.

Xmas Failure

When I was in the 7^th grade, my mother gave me some money, some of dad’s Xmas money that he received from his postal patrons. She told me to go downtown and buy Christmas presents for my three little brothers. (My sister was not born yet.)
I proudly showed the presents to my mother. “And this one is for Ricky. (He was in the 4^th grade) He likes to play with fire,” I said, “and he likes to draw, so I know he’ll like this.”

She sighed heavily as she held the wood burning kit. “That is why you can’t give it him,” she said. “He won’t stop at burning designs on the wood in this kit. You know that he will burn the house down when he tries to burn a picture on the wall, or on the furniture, or on a piece of paper.”

My shoulders sagged. I hadn’t thought about that when I bought the gift for him. "Remember, last week, how he almost caught the house on fire when he ran after the fire truck that came down the street and he forgot to turn off the stove?"
"Yeah!" I said. "You were at the store and our neighbor came over when he saw the smoke."
"You can buy him something else that he can't burn the house down with."