Family of Bloggers Award

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

Hi everybody!  Paula Acton has nominated me for this really cool award!  In a way, blogging does remind me of family (minus a whole lot of dysfunctional bits)!

For the Family of Bloggers Award:

Make sure to pay credit to the one who nominated you

Place a link to the one who nominated you on your award page

Tell what attributes you bring to the family, using an anagram of the word FAMILY.

Nominate at least 4 other people to be in your family of bloggers, and for this award, and notify them of their nomination.

This is where I do my own thing and nominate all of you, my blogging family 🙂

F – Fiery–I have a bit of a temper and a passionate nature.  🙂 NO, I am not Italian–we part-Irish girls are famous for tempers, too!

A – Activist–those of you that know me, know I believe in putting my hands (and mouth) to work for causes of vital importance to me–these include our planet, women’s issues, peace, and of course ecology.  This keeps me a bit busy 🙂

M – Mom–love, love, love my kids!

I – Impulsive–Sometimes I have a tendency to act first, think later.  Has gotten me into a bit of trouble from time to time, but has also led to many exciting friendships and opportunities along the way, too.

L – Loving (stole this one from Paula, and I can’t think of one cooler to put here in its place).

Y – You!!!!!! I got to meet all of you through blogging.  Can’t think of anything better than that!

Posted in awards | Tagged | 10 Comments

the american weigh

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

it’s another form
of yankee isolationism
how we carry our cups, ounces,
gallons, pounds, feet
inches, degrees Fahrenheit,
miles

so deeply in our DNA
we teach children
complex conversions
to that other system

so they can talk scale
with the rest of the world

except for those
slippery scientists
who shifted sides
long ago

to those more standard
measurements

of course, those
track and field events
and charity walks

always sound so much better

in Ks than miles

but to admit that
is to be somehow
yet again

un-American

as if standing tall
is easier to do in feet and inches
than centimeters

even though
those numbers

are bigger

and we would feel lighter
as a nation
if we weighed ourselves
in kilos
not pounds

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , , , | 29 Comments

eagles, fishing

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

you never hear much
about how well eagles fish–
it is all about hunting
the dramatics
of fast dives from high up
the shaping
of those shadow throwing wings
into taloned spears
downthrust like lightning

you never hear of how those wings
stroked at the tip
with a bit of white
can float on air
stretching bank to bank in spots
as they hunt trout or salmon

this shallow
there is no winging to a controlled dive
just casual scooping and skimming
hunting lazily
just below the surface

once, no fear in those pale eyes
not even curiosity
an eagle tore into a steelhead
to big to carry
barely three feet
from where I sat
on a stone

occasionally meeting my eyes
and daring me just once
to move

a fraction closer

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , | 5 Comments

if you were to wife me

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

if you were to wife me
then I would husband you
& together we would become nouns

to those verbs

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

my mother’s bouquet

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

I tried to dry the roses
out of the florist bouquet
my uncle sent;
pale pink, like lipstick
for little girls
barely blushing

a dozen of those
matching her jacket
interspersed with baby’s breath
like the color was planned
when it wasn’t

his card saying simply sister
to describe a relationship
70 years long
in one word

the roses
never dried well,
that pink fading
to old bruises shading livid
under wilting petal skin

but I still have
that baby’s breath
dried in sprays
of perfect
scentless fragility
tied like a twig broom
upside down
on my wall

we call them grandma’s flowers

she always preferred
baby’s breath
to the blowsy showiness
roses flaunt
anyway

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

mourning (for Joan)

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

that feeling
does not dissipate
when ashes scatter

it stays
to hold us
after arms are gone

it is the words
she cannot say
fluttering
beneath her sternum

that voice caged
stretching
in her chest
for three years

sighs
as she releases
finally

this longing
to salt the wind
& sink deep into soil

where it belongs

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , | 12 Comments

hyperbolic acid

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

this country was founded on God and nature
he says

but which God
and whose nature
should we return to

to revive
this staggering
bled out animal

not yet hamstrung
but close to it

I shout back at a radio
that is not listening

I am sick of speeches
& want to hear
past blame
thrown in faces
like acid

close ears

& open eyes
because
speech will not fix us

& party platforms
are rickety footing
to balance hope

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments