Liberation Day

School starts tomorrow
Parents (including the two in my house) will rejoice
In sounds echoing but reversing the day of birth
When parents say, to the newborn, "welcome, welcome"
And now parents say, to the school child, "go, go, go, go"
Together.

Take your backpack
Filled with protractors and glue sticks,
Pencil boxes and erasers,
Packed with delicacies of bologna and apples
(and Cheetos and Corn Nuts while your parents were not looking).
Take these and all other tools of learning,
and burdened by this pack on your back depart the Egypt of your parents' homes.
A childhood Exodus to the promised land.
En masse.

From morning to mid-afternoon
Mothers and fathers now praise the teacher and the school.
"Watch over my child," they ask.
"For their daytime is yours, and not mine, for 9 months"
No sibling squabbles or summer camps,
For the Autumnal Equinox is almost upon us (Sept 22).
And parents will celebrate the new day's quiet with wine and song.
Working.
Alone.

Four Nights Five Days

Blog
Wife blogs
Women blog together
BlogHer conference in Chicago
Creates Blog widowers
Watching kids
Alone

Four
Four nights
And Five days
Alone for four nights
With three boys
Two cars
House

Food
Nine meals
Cereal, eggs, toast
pasta, chicken, mac, cheese
Camp serves lunch three days
Dad cooks, but cleans?
Big bicycle ride
Water balloons
Wet

Fun
Boy fun
Watching action movies
Male bonding without Mom
Building “junkyard wars” in driveway
Wearing underwear as hats
Drinking non-organic milk
Eating nachos
Messy

Jobberwocky Babysitter

In summer with silver DSi
From babysitter strength of teen.
Their smiles go ‘round from ear from eye
With YouTube rumbling Queen.

“Jump over Babysit, my sons!”
The basketball kicks, the Giant’s hat.
Clear college path to fireman runs
Over our welcome mat.

Small youth of boys denies their brain
The sense to shun the Babysit.
Running round to flank like train
Attack with ocram fit.

A water pistol murks the day
With gurgle balls and starmples stream.
To strike the mystery “hooray!!”
Some babysit the scream.

Arise the monster they create
In running, jumping, freeze.
He bids the harple boys, “It’s late”
Into the car he flees.

Edger Allen Poe Raven Braces

This poem was a blast to write. The rhyming pattern and rhythm for The Raven is unique and distinctive. The last line of each stanza, ending with the words "never more", is a big fat pitch over home plate to discuss kid's braces.

Because I'm a Vincent Price fan, below the poem I have included a video of him reading The Raven.


Once when teeth were straight and baby, eating peas and carrots (maybe)
Cheese sticks were the rage as high chairs stood upon the kitchen floor.
Pacifier, pointer finger, oral habits sometimes linger
As kids grow from infant to a toddler, pantries they explore.
Touching food and toys quite dirty, with their mouths they do explore
Little mouth safe never more.

Now electric brushes moving on bicuspids small and grooving
Can they keep the teeth safe from junk purchased at the candy store?
Sugar, sweets are quite addicting, children’s action so conflicting
With their clear instructions Mom and Dad, “avoid sweets” they implore.
"Floss your teeth and hold off on the chocolate cupcakes" they implore
One dessert and nothing more.

Little children, growing older, eating patterns get much bolder
Birthday parties, Halloween and cub scout cookouts filled with smores.
Overwhelmed with strong temptation, juice and soda kids can't ration
Adult teeth at angles, child is patient dentist does adore.
“Cavities are fixed but braces needed, smile we will adore".
Chewing gum is never more.

Conversations very honest, Doctor "Ouch" the orthodontist
Told the parents skeptical to open up their wallet more.
Teeth came in at horizontal, in the back and in the frontal
With no treatment, smile will disappear replaced by fangs galore.
Orange braces, visits to the doctor costing funds galore
Bank account’s cash never more.