Tag Archives: mental health

Poetry, Writing

Eulogy for Aiko

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(Poem 302 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

Our sweet girl fell asleep
for the last time yesterday.
She was our timekeeper,
door alarm, friend, snack
stealer, companion, guard
who would play with any
trespasser, reluctant auntie
to many small animals
including kittens, a puppy,
hamsters, and a possum,
our deer chaser, pond
swimmer, pack leader,
bossy lady, fluffy fluffer,
treat eater, snow lover,
couch layer, baby protector,
Charlotte’s sister, smart girly,
whose faithful, consistent,
steady, sincere, gentle, easy-
going, curious, loyal, loving
nature made our family
a stronger pack and we
will be forever grateful
for the love she gave
so generously every day.

Aiko is survived by Kenji, Chika, Cotton Eyed Joe, and Kylo from her fur pack and was especially close to Charlotte and Julian, who were honorary members of her pack because they were children during her lifetime. Charlotte and Aiko were born the same year and grew up together.

@Home Studio – 302nd poem of the year

More Aiko Pics:

Poetry, Writing

Black Cat Day

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(Poem 301 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/kpjPmV

In honor of
Black Cat Day
we allow ourselves
to be silly and play
and pounce
on snacks
watch movies
with no facts
Kiki’s Delivery Service
has a black cat
Jiji is his name
cute sarcastic brat
the Star Trek episode
with the shape shifter
she appears as a feline
with a time-travelling mister
and Edgar Allan Poe
with his creepy tale
of a cat in a wall
who sends a murderer to jail
we even brought
our black meows
as guests of honor
hiding somewhere in the house.

@Home Studio – 301st poem of the year (After having a Black Cat Day celebration at Debbie’s with Celinda.)

Runner ups for the Black Cat Day photos to accompany my poem:

Poetry, Writing

Skeleton Birthday Parties

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(Poem 300 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/Ae1Ud5

Skeleton birthday parties
are quite a hoot
They eat licorice and smarties
and drink out of a boot.

They love exploding candles,
streamers, and balloons;
they leave the place in shambles
after watching cartoons.

They sing Happy Birthday
about a million times,
and afterward they may
commit some minor crimes.

Forget peace and quiet
if you ever get invited.
It really is a riot—
just try not to get indicted.

@Home Studio – 300th poem of the year

Runner ups for the Skeletons photos to accompany my poem:

Poetry, Writing

Belladonna Grimm

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(Poem 299 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/PUezMq

If you knock on the door
of Belladonna Grimm
you are likely to encounter
a place cluttered and dim,
for never does she clean,
iron, straighten, or dust.
All her walls are moldy,
cook pans coated with rust.
She’s too busy reading,
discovering something new,
engaging in experiments,
trying to cure the flu.
Her conversation ranges
from alchemy to zero,
constellations, philosophy,
how to become a hero.
She zips around night and day
doing who knows what.
Some suspect she is a witch
or a crazy cuckoo nut.
She doesn’t notice anything
but what she is working on.
It’s rumored she eats dinner
at the crack of dawn.
Belladonna Grimm
doesn’t care what people think,
unless they are interested
in her work with medicinal zinc.
So don’t waste your time
hoping she’ll conform;
she’ll keep you there all day
helping her brainstorm.

@Home Studio – 299th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Fox

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(Poem 298 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/aCv0yc

Fox liked to roam
all the day long
amidst the toadstools
humming a song.

While he meandered
he’d think big thoughts,
ponder serious ideas,
untangle life’s knots.

He wondered if someday
he’d find a mate,
discover his purpose,
become something great.

The forest already
knew each answer:
he was destined for love
and to become a dancer,

an artist, a writer,
a ninja, a sensei,
a father, and a friend,
to show others the way.

He had no idea
what the future would be,
but everyone he met
could already see

that Fox was destined
to become folklore;
his influence expanding
generations and more.

@Home Studio – 298th poem of the year

Runner ups for the Fox photos to accompany my poem:

Poetry, Writing

My Grandson Michael Myers

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(Poem 297 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

Photograph by Rebekah Marshall – Julian as Michael Myers

What is wrong with children these days?

My grandson’s goal in life is to either
scare me or disgust me
and my reaction must be over the top.

He just turned 6.

How does he even know who Michael Myers is?
Can we turn the clock back to dinosaurs
and race cars, Frozen and Trolls?

At least he had the decency to explain
to me that he is wearing a costume and he
is not the real Michael Myers.
He went on to explain that there isn’t even
a real Michael Myers because he’s pretend,
so no children will be killed in this process.
I appreciated the reassurance.

@Home Studio – 297th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Lake House

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(Poem 296 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/HJ1Rsf

A lake house
seemed such a romantic
idea, a place for respite
when the world
overwhelmed.
Little did I know,
when I bought
the place,
she had her own ideas.

The first time we stayed,
our dog disappeared.

The second time,
my husband got injured.

The third time was when
we began to see
that the house
was unwelcoming us,
for she moved to the
middle of the lake
in the night
and we nearly
drowned in our sleep.

We tried once more
when she moved
back to land,
to visit and do some repairs.
She started a fire
and we barely escaped,
so now she’s on the
market again.

I realize now
why she was so affordable,
and I almost feel guilty
selling her.
But now we have so many
medical and therapy bills
to pay, that we need
to recoup some of our loss.

@Home Studio – 296th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Haunted House

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(Poem 295 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/eoKAqu

There once was a house
with a fence in the woods
where the children never dared to go.

They believed in a tale
full of spooky old ghosts
and wolves whose eyes would glow.

One Halloween Eve
in a game of Truth or Dare
some children ended up at the gate.

They were laughing so loud
that they did not even see
the ghost who would decide their fate.

She watched them push
one terrified little boy
to enter the yard and ring the bell.

The poor boy cried
as he walked to the porch
each step like a hollow death knell.

The ghost howled
which alerted the wolves
eager for a scrumptious evening meal.

The boy who was forced
to touch the haunted house
was the only child who survived the ordeal.

@Home Studio – 295th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Missing Foundations

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(Poem 294 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/eoKAqu

How do we recover
when foundations
go missing?
The certainty with which
we spoke of reality,
as though stable forces
controlled destiny,
becomes tenuous.
Others blather on with
their platitudes
and absolute truisms,
while we nod along,
attempting to maintain
a neutral expression.
The walls that once
protected us
are long gone.

@Home Studio – 294th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Seeing Flower

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(Poem 293 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/hZ2PSe

One of my favorite
exotic plants
is the Seeing Flower.
I’ve never been able
to grow them at home
but have found
several in the wild.
I absolutely love
how they track
your movements
and appear to make
eye contact.
I always wonder
what they are thinking.
I know it’s silly,
anthropomorphizing
a flower, but
I can’t help it.
They say eyes
are the window
to the soul.
What if plants
have souls?

@Home Studio – 293rd poem of the year

Runner ups for the Eye Flower photos to accompany my poem: