A Bit Of Catching Up To Do

Well, here we are at Friday, day 14 prompt about to be revealed and I'm still dealing with 11, 12 and 13. But I just got home from the weekly walk around the district; this time we tramped the Happy Valley Track in Long Forest. There were spider webs and their mistresses everywhere! Huge fat stripy-legged creatures, some with long strings of prey ready to eat later. The light made the webs almost invisible - we had to alter focus to see them. Some of us think spiders are creepy; I happen to admire them and respect their space. So we didn't deviate from the path, although since the deluges earlier this year there are large bodies of water temptingly visible through the trees. The trees themselves are artworks: yellow, lime green and dark green their trunks, and draped with curling fringe-like bark. The path became treacherous with washaways the further we walked. It was good. One fellow-walker kept raising the possibility of finding gold. What a lark that would be! The geology is the right kind but I fear the nuggets are way underground. But now let me dig for a different kind of nugget (or even dust) ...

Prompt 11: Maybe I shouldn't eat almonds

"Will it last longer than a tooth?"
"There is nothing stronger than a tooth!"
My solemn dentist, spreading hands:
that gesture I've learned to read
as "I do my best with what you've got"
"You travelled fifty kilometres for this, didn't you?"
"Sixty," I say. "Train and tram. Only $5.80.
All that way. It was worth it."
My tongue runs over the new shape
of molar formerly fractured back to the filling.
"I was eating dates, soft ones," I explain.
"After cashews and almonds."
"Cashews - OK," he pronounces.
"And I'm so happy you didn't require
an injection. Go and have hot drinks!"
He allows himself a small smile.
I smile all the way home, sixty kilometres,
tram and train; it was worth it.

Prompt 12 - a form poem or anti-form poem or both (Tuesday)

I have to admit I'm lukewarm about form.
It's an attitude I perhaps should transform.
But let's just say I'd welcome a swarm
of non-poetic forms of form:
landform!platform!uniform!chloroform!
and feel even warm in a swarm of storm -
sand and barn and rain, I brainstorm
windstorm! snowstorm! firestorm!
thunderstorm! These kinds of form
truly outperform my attempts
to make my words conform.


Prompt 13 - remembering an old relationship

Shirley, at the School Reunion

It made our day
you dancing in
to the photo

our group owning
you, as if anyone
ever could.

You had not changed
one bit. You laughed
as much as always

sent your glance
to land on each of us
no-one left out.

You were a remarkable
teacher, leader, reformer.
Those roles useful

for bringing your self
to life, bringing life
to life itself.

Today you need
no excuse; your
students and peers now

also retired
seeing you as the free spirit
you always were.