Thanksgiving

That I might be able

To show the gratitude

That fills my heart

Local

Towering trees
woodsmoke hovers
twisting, winding, twirling roads
breathtaking vistas seen for moments
(and then hidden from view)
green everywhere
luscious, soothing green
Pops of yellow
Fall leaves or sunshine beams
It's nice to be a local

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Break Free

The tedium and tension of the workweek

respite from routine

celebration and honoring

giving thanks

brief end to meetings and conferences and grades

and tests and lessons and lectures

a break from ringing bells and laughing voices on the playground

a break

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

(this one needs some serious editing -- or scrap-heaping -- but it's from the heart today!)

Always Redux

(Today's prompt was to remix a poem written earlier in the month.  Here is my re-mix of Always.)

Emotions run high. 

Tears flow for no good reason.

Sentimental me. 

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Autumn

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” 
― Albert Camus

Fall lures me outside
The garden wants putting to bed
Preparing for rain and winters delights
Cold in the mornings
Dazzling sun
Fall lures me outside myself

Chores call me outside
Raking.  Stacking.  Pruning
Labor that in summer's heat would bring forth complaints and irritation
Fall renders pleasant, urgent, compelling
The light slants just so
Chores call me outside myself

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

I shouldn't be here . . .

I should be there
with all the excitement and color
and noise
The cheering and green grass and
the crashing of pads and helmets
Touchdowns and fight songs
I should be there
at the Big Game.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Inspiration

The spark escapes me. 

Hidden in a dark recess of my mind. 

Novel ideas vanish or 

slither away when called upon.

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. 

Deadlines become necessity 

and force at least a semblance of inspiration. 

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

PS.  I really hated today's suggested topic for a poem so . . . I punted.  How inspired, eh? 

Just a look

Communication without words
That significant look
Works best with family and close friends
Although it is a teacher's secret weapon as well
The encoded message
was received.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Always

Sentimental, sappy tears.

Flow down my cheeks

as I watch the video or read the book or watch the tv commercial

about facial tissues and how important they is the soldier who comes home 

from war and is greeted by his loving dog

They are always important to sappy, sentimental me.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

After thirty-one years

I feel as though I've always known
(and, yet, it still feels new and special)
and really, that's true.

I was eighteen when I held you up
and told the world that you were the one.
And, tenaciously, we stuck.

(Thank you, eighteen year old me, you chose well.)

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

I Changed My Mind

That hateful moment

When I hear your argument

And know I was wrong

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Elements of Writing

Find the core, the heart

Figure out what makes them tick

And write it all down 

(that's all.  it's easy.)

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Halfway

Halfway

Stand
and stare
straight up
The moon glows
and lights the darkened world

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

What About the Moon?

glow
moon
float high
above the trees
drift through my window
fill the room with glowing bright light

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Mist

Into the thick mist
Driving rendered difficult
Turn on the foglights

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Self-Help

Is it subtle self-loathing
self-sabotage
self-destruction
to reset one's alarm to 5pm
instead of 5am?

Oh, help me!

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Joyful despair

Watching the whale,
come up, spray,
and dive again
Sleek black body lifting hugely,
skimming along the surface,
and disappearing with only a fog of spray left to mark it's presence.
Giant and peaceful.
Watching us watching her.

I wonder that the whales don't rise up against us
for all the harm we do the sea and them.

(Over-fishing, hunting, floating garbage islands,
global warming)

And yet, she rises up again, to spray and breath,
and leaves behind a fog of breath.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge
Image Credit:  Liza Lee Miller ©2013 More photos can be found on Flickr.  

Ekphrasis: The Absolutely Naked Fragrance

[Poet's note:  First visit the MOMA site to view the image that inspired my poem.  Ekphrasis poetry is poetry about a work of art.  I chose The Absolutely Naked Fragrance by John McCracken.  I saw this piece at MOMA when I visited New York a couple of years ago.]

The Absolutely Naked Fragrance

Pink plank leaning against the wall.
Shiny pink
Challenging pink
Delicate pink
Soft pink
Strong pink
Wondering pink
Predictive pink
Estee Lauder's Beautiful pink
Ironic pink
Amusing pink.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Sweet

I am aware
as I awake
that the day is alight.

I believe I will arise.

Or I could asnuggle back in and be asleep some more.

Sundays are sweet.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Being creative

Got together with some if my favorite women and made gorgeous bracelets. So wonderful! 

My bracelet ... 

My sister's work . . . 

My daughter's work . . . 

My mother-in-law's work 

Finished project . . . 

My reward . . . 

The Other Night

Sitting in the darkened hall
(standing room only audience who whispered clever bon mots under their breath)
watching a man, stand, and simply
read
poems
and talk
about poems
Damn, I thought.  Damn.

©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Feather

Placed in my hand
with care
"Look!  I found it for you!"
Sleek, black, soft
From whose wing did you fall?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Hardship

There is always the urge to 

take a dictionary and define,

to set out the structure and meaning

in clear (or not) succinct words

and if one could use little symbols and squiggles to add meaning

so much the better.

And, yet, does that explain 

or clarify why we act as we do?

Can Webster tell why caring 

feels like a hardship

Why we feel burdened 

when we should feel blessed? 

Why we struggle to accept 

that which is or should be a joy?  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Starry, Starry Night

I stand in the corner of the room.
Invisible, you know, but not hidden.
I want people to know I'm there
but they don't come here to see me.

I stand where I can see the painting
(which I kinda get but kinda don't)

but, man,
I really want to see the faces.
The woman who silently starts crying,
the man who rushes in to get as close as he can,
some stay for hours and just stare
others come in, say wow, and move on quickly

The painting is sweet and I kinda get it.
The faces though, that's the stuff.
I could watch that all day.
(And, I do. )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Concealed/Revealed

Maintaining a public persona
means hiding
your thoughts and feelings
unless they are
palatable

They must come out though
at times
alone
in the shower
or while driving

or through a single
frustrated
scream

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Clean Sheet

Pull back the tidy covers
Exposing clean, crisp freshness
Pillows plumped and placed just so
Fresh scent emerges
There is nothing like
a fresh made bed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

The last time I was here . . .

On this spot
(where I stand in my mind only)
I became someone new
I left behind who I was, who I had always been
I shed her like a dry, ripped skin.

Without regret, with just a vague itchy feeling between my shoulder blades.

On this spot
(with my bare feet mently planted where high satin heels last stood)
with the wind blowing gently
surrounded by family and friends
I looked into your eyes
and changed

my name
my identity
my path

On this spot.  Right here, I became who I am.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

New Time

Time is a constant

We think as we measure it second by second

minutes and hours and days

There is meaning and measure in the clicking of the clock

The sweeping hand sweeps through our days

regulates our lives

And, then we change the clocks.

Boom.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge

Appearing

The sky blossoms with color
around each bend in the road
I catch a glimpse
We don't slow down
red orange pink all on a background of bluer than blue
We drive on
turn after turn showing
the ever-changing sky
New colors, new sights
until we rise
Over the hill and
head down
into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2013 Liza Lee Miller
Writer's Digest November Poem-A-Day Challenge