These things make the Mrs. Happy -- A Poem for dVerse Poetics Day

Mrs. Jim at the school--for Grandparents Day 2015 
[grammar school, KP now starts High School in August]

     Things that make the Mrs. Happy

I asked my wife to tell me SOME things 

Gave her little pad and a pen 

and asked her to give me a list 

"a list of things that make me happy" 

Was I surprised?  Was I? 

Well, not exactly, they were all things,  

things that I DO now, Me.  

I am so very privileged, 

That list alone makes me happy and

I am glad that I faired fairly well 

I'm going to show you the list now 

p.s. if she thought of some more just tell 

(an Aside:  When I first started writing 

my other blog, one of the things I told 

my readers was that I gave my wife 

an ANUAL EVALUTATION. Woo Hoo) 

Here is her list:

 - Time together 

 - Walks 

 - Cuddling at night and good night kisses 

 - Remembering over fun things, or times

    we enjoyed together 

 - Courtesy of a gentleman 

 - Helping to make up bed in the morning 

 - Watching TV of show we both like 

Wasn't that nice, she had decided to involve 

me with everyone--I hope she didn't  

misunderstand that just list SOME THINGS 

You can tell that number one on her list 

is the very first thing that she listed, "together"

All the other fit it well, her saying since 

COVID came along, "We are joined at the Hip"

Which are my THREE FAVORITES of these?  Any one 

could be, I enjoy our walks the most, we have 

a pleasant parklike place to walk complete with 

paved walking trails, streams, water throughout 

with ducks, cranes, and birds of all sorts.  And 

then there's the turtles and walking bridges, lots 

of trees, small playgrounds with swings and slides 

along the way.  And of course, WE TALK. 

Next I'll tell of the making of the bed 

Generally one of us gets up first, that person 

starts the coffee if she or I think the other might 

arise fairly soon.  IF SO, that person last up MAKES. 

(p.s.  Some times the first up gets up at a terribly 

early time.  I generally make a cup of hot chocolate 

and a piece of raisin bread with creme cheese and 

strawberry jam to tide me over until coffee time 

She makes hot chocolate with a graham cracker 

and perhaps some peanut butter 

and the Third HAS TO BE cuddling and stuff 

I wasn't told the birds and bees from my parents 

I learned it all in high school and perhaps a little of 

what comes naturally and morally around a girl with 

mutual likes 

That started in the first grade, we didn't have

kindergarten, when the other girl in first grade 

invited me to sit down in the storm cellar steps 

Well, the Mrs. and I have very mutual likes!!!

I love my wife dearly, I pray to for my life to 

be as long calendar wise as hers, I'm sad and almost tear 

to think it won't 

We are old 

All this and more walking trails are 

within three-mile radius our home:

Pictures if we walk to the east of our house 
Cinco Ranch, Katy, Texas.  They are for flood
water retention, we can walk to the west, north, 
or south also [click picture for larger size]

 _ _ _ 

 - Photos and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2015 and 2023, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with in Sara [sarahsouthwest in ]Poetics

 Poetics at dVerse Poetics, for her prompt, she did also allow for us to write our own wishes or of someone else's -- I chose Mrs. Jim's 

    https://dversepoets.com/2023/06/20/what-colour-is-hope/ 

 - Click here to read what others have written 

.. 

April -- NaPoWriMo 2023 Day 02 -- a "What is This" Write using a Word List

 

The White Queen

Under Bridge with Dick and Harry

Black Friday

 

Photo and Spine Poem are Copyright
© 2015 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

 

On August 4, 2015, I had this linked with Marian at the The Tuesday Platform

_ _ _  

 

My write for the day, April 2, 2023:

      What is this? 

What is a Song?

    It's a tune waiting to be murdered 

    by a guy like me who cannot sing 

    but he tries--utter flop 

What is an Owl? 

    An owl is a funny bird who can't 

    sleep at night, partly because 

    he has four dimensions of color 

    spectrum vision that keeps him awake 

What is an Oyster? 

    Its a little sea monster who's afraid 

    to come out of its shell; it only 

    does that when it is dying and 

    ready to be cooked or eaten raw 

What is the Fog? 

    It's a condition of the brain so
    that the one who's in it acts silly
    goofy and cannot think straight

What is a Ghost?

    It's a person who dresses in a white 

    sheet at Halloween time; he tries 

    to scare old ladies and little kids 

and a bonus,

What is a Quahog? 

    A Quahog is a word that I didn't 

    know the meaning of until I sicced 

    my Search Engine on it

    You can find it out also, just click here 

               _ _ _ 

 - Photo and Poem, Copyright,  jimmhehov 2015 and 2023 respectiverly, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with NaPoWriMo, National Poem Writing Month, for writing of five to ten of the words listed below.  You can see the instructions and will be able to read others' writings there at  

    https://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-10/

My word list was:

owl          generator      fog      river      clove      miracle      cyclops     oyster     mercurial     seaweed     gutter         artillery     salt      elusive      thunder      ghost      acorn      cheese      longing      cowbird     truffle     quahog         song 

Note: 

The dictionary pictured in this Spine Poem is 110 years old and had belonged to my father. We were in the process of moving and I was about to throw it away. I had been keeping it because I thought it was the one Dad 'corrected', by changing the pronunciation of Hostess to utilize a soft "O" that he had penned in. My mother would always be very upset at him and his, 'whatever' whenever he would bring this up. 

Now come to find out after my saving this dictionary for several years after Dad died (2009 at age 97) that this it is not the one he had changed. Bummer, so I had thought that I would throw it out even if it was published in 1913, making it 110 years old. A 'Spine Poem" makes a poem using the words of spines of books. Here I used some liberty in using a similar sounding but different meaning of the middle book in my stack.  You can see more of my Spine Poems by clicking here

.. 

My Moon -- a Poem for dVerse Poetics Nights

    It's My Moon Tonight

The moon, my moon 

It's time for the Hunter's Blood Moon 

When full like that, 

red and bloody and very full 

My time, my moon 

Come Hunter's Blood Moon, fangs are out 

I hunt and hunt 

Hunt, a lady just right for me 

Look my way please  

Lady you are my kind tonight 

your lovely neck 

I'll bite your neck and draw red blood 

Biting ladies 

Then drawing me some hot red blood 

That makes me howl 

Howl at the moon and bite some more 

Biting howling 

Hunter's Blood Moon, Hunter's lady

Our Moon Tonight 

 _ _ _ 

 - Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with  sarahsouthwest for the Moon Photo at dVerse Poetic write night, to write with a word from her type moon list, I chose Hunter's and Blood   

https://dversepoets.com/2022/10/18/mooning-around/ 

 - Click here to find others who have accepted Sarah's challenge 

.. 

Don't Dos a Few - a List Writing (of sorts) for Friday Writings

The older we're getting the more lists we should make 
Top of the List of Lists would be our grocery list 
The older we're getting the more we will forget 
The lists tend to remind carry them where you go 

I've Quit 

People growing older and older 

Then items disappear from our list 

We even name that list, "Bucket List"

It means that when we kick the bucket 

Those things we want to have accomplished 

List shows those and things I've quite doing 

 

a. Dropped from my Bucket List was to touch the South Pole 

b. Dropped off my Bucket List was to replace my pet that died

c. Don't smoke anymore, been 47 years 

d. Don't drink alcohol, maybe a glass of wine socially 

e. Don't teach Sunday Bible School anymore 

f. Don't have my motorcycles anymore 

g. Don't drive much at night, especially on major highways in town

h. Don't drive so fast, for sure not over 100 mph for very long, hardly over eighty's my top now 

i. Don't eat so much fatty foods and carbs 

 - Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Revived 

 - Photos Copyright Jimmiehov 2006 as marked and 2011 Here

 - I am linked with Magaly for the prompt idea at The Friday Writings #40, at 

https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/search?q=Friday+Writings+%2340 

 - Magaly has invited us "to write poetry or prose that includes a list—of things we love, of things we hate, of things we want, of things we’ve lost, of people we miss… of anything we wish."  I chose "Things I don't do or want anymore."  There are more but still boring!

..

Rose(s) -- NaPoWriMo Day Twenty

Roses I have known 

They line the esplanades of our city 

Red, all red they are--knockouts the faves 

In our parks, gardens, backyards there're blooming 

I like the ones we have, knockouts also 

There's a different rose that I know--Rose 

Dear friend for life, Rose, known for years and years  

Absolutely Fabulous all- Roses  

 _ _ _  

 - Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved (photo is a of one of the three rose beds in our backyard) 

 - I am linked with NaPoWriMo Day Twenty, https://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-9/  .  The promp was a rebellious food, for sure I'd puke if I tried digesting any of my roses.   Maybe tomorrow. 

 - I am also linked with Merril D Smith aka merridsmith at dVerse in Poetics: Naming the Rose, https://dversepoets.com/2022/04/19/poetics-naming-the-rose/

 - Our prompt:  Choose one—or more–of the names from the list below and use it in your poem OR as a title for your poem. Just to be clear, you can write in any style or form, and the poems do not have to be about roses or flowers. Have fun! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.  

The List: 

'Absent Friends; Absolutely Fabulous; A Whiter Shade of Pale; Bobby Dazzler; Boule de Neige; Julia’s Kiss; Leaping Salmon; Pretty Jessica; Purple Tiger; Sylvia; Twice in a Blue Moon; and 'A list of Country Garden Roses.'  

Perhaps one of the most famous poems about roses is this one by Robert Burns. 

A Red, Red Rose 

BY ROBERT BURNS 

"O my Luve is like a red, red rose 

That’s newly sprung in June; 

O my Luve is like the melody 

That’s sweetly played in tune. . . '" 

..

Dolls and Toys -- NaPoWriM 2022 Day Fifteen

    Be My Paper Doll 

Boys have toys 

That's well known 

And when they grow older  

some they still own 

I don't mean their Porsches 

and electronics 

Ones they might keep for play 

like down on the floor or 

up on a table top 

While others are keepsakes 

of which they never play 

So now I'll tell of mine 

Some I still have some are 

out in a grove 

Like my steel wheelbarrow wheel, 

or rusting behind a barn 

Others were only in my mind 

though I never owned 

That would be the electric train 

I found every Christmas time 

It stays in the store or Sears catalog 

or on my cousin's shelf 

Teddy bears and trucks and cars 

Most every marble I've ever 

had resting in an old crank churn 

The tin monkey that knows 

his multiplication table through twelve 

Six Match Box cars on my dresser 

lined up ready to race and 

my gyroscope in its box  

A wooden box with my wood box and 

My Shirley Temple scrape book 

that Mom and I filled 

An old cast iron taxi my sister 

bought sort of like the one 

I had when small 

There's my Dick Tracy camera 

I'd ordered from Chicago 

And a few others I haven't told 

There's one I played with 

but never owned 

And NEVER WILL 

That's the paper dolls 

Ones like I played with 

while visiting my cousins 

I would cut out clothes for the dolls to wear 

When we ran out then we'd find some more in the Sears and Wards catalogs 

Doing all that was fun 

But now I've no desire for them 

No desire to even play 

let alone own 

There is an exception 

But still, I would be FAKING IT 

That's if a GRANDAUGHTER 

wanted me to play

Paper Dolls 

Oh yes, I forgot to tell of, 

my trusty Red Ryder BB Gun, 

it still shoots 

And my Snow Sled 

hanging on a garage wall, 

we have no snow in our 

Gulf Coast part of Texas 

[My dresser top -- Race Ready]

 _ _ _ 

 - Photos and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with NaPoWriMo 2022 Day Fifteen for the prompt below, 

https://www.napowrimo.net/day-fifteen-8/ 

 - We were asked, like  "challenge you to write a poem about something you have absolutely no interest in."  That would be PAPER DOLLS.

..

Word List - Dithery

Dont be dithery 

when indecisive 

fills the bill better 

Tis like maundering,  

when squandering flakes 

clattering in snow

Gloomy haunted pomp 

suffers needlessly 

All papier-mache

 _ _ _ 

 - "Write" Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved 

 - I'm linked with Shay for her Word List #10 choices from Wallace Steven's' poetry, http://fireblossom-wordgarden.blogspot.com/2022/01/word-garden-word-list-10-wallace-stevens.html?m=1

 - Shay's Word List #10: 

 blackbird;  book;  catastrophe;  chimera;  clattering;  dithery;  fragrance;  gloomy;  haunted;  lilacs;  mask;  maundering;  papier-mache;  police;  pomp;  postcard;  snow;  song;  suffers; and witching

Weekly Scribblings -- On doctor's advice

 

My new Meds 

My new meds are like goodies, all helpful 

Some for my safety, others are for pain 

Sure they have to see me through my ordeal 

Just lost eleven of my upper teeth 

New list is short, adds to the one I had 

Here for one week, I'll be fine once again  

That is hoping I will be better then 

So here is my list of four new to add 

Six prescription pills, one bi-annual shot 

Then an aspirin, two calcium tablets, 

multivitamin tab, vitamin D, 

and two stool softeners for softer landings 

Now for my list of four from left to right, 

* Chlorhexidine, that's for an Oral Rinse 

* Amoxicillin (antibiotic) 

500 MG take three times a day 

* Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen 

("Caution: Opioid Risk or Addiction") 

Before made me brave, sleep through traffic lights 

* Jar of Cinnamon Red Hot jelly Beans 

That last is non-prescription pills 

For my one sweet tooth that remains 

 _ _ _ _ 

 - Poem and Photo Copyright, Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with  Rommy at Weekly Scribblings # 70, https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/05/weekly-scribblings-70-listmania.html

NaPoWriMo 2021 Day 27 -- Group Behavior

My 1955 Ford Crown Victoria (a 1:18 scale toy)

Twdt**; things we did then 

Things we bragged about way back then

Things we are sorry about now 

Things we never tell anyone 

Things, we could have been arrested 

Things I heard stars bragging about 

Things bad I heard them bragging on 

Things boldly carried through store doors 

Things, beer, for which  never they never paid 

Things obscene on tape bragged about 

Things dismissed vulgar locker room 

Things as boys or girls, might have done 

Things, shoplifting, initials carved 

Things serious, joy rides stolen 

Things, panty raids, girls college dorms 

Things, midnight swims at country clubs 

Things, Saturday nights street racing 

Things we shouldn't have ever done 

Things our friends did, WE DID NOT DO 

Things our consciences kept us from 

Things WE WOULD NEVER WANT TO DO 

Things I did or else wished I'd done

Things you did do or wished you'd done 

Things of youth glad we didn't do   

Things others did, some went to jail  

Things naughty or nice, 

we did or did not, 

'life goes on' 

**I also coined a new 'initialism', "Twdt"; things we did then.

 - - - 

 - Poem copyright, Jimmiehov2021,  All rights reserved 

 - I am linked with NaPoWriMo 2021 Day  27, https://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-seven-7/ 

 - Recommended at the link above as an inspiration to write today,  "The Dictionary of Obscure Desires",    Perhaps, from there on page three, https://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/page/3 , but NOT used as I found it after my write, 

 -  kuebiko n. a state of exhaustion inspired by an act of senseless violence, which forces you to revise your image of what can happen in this world—mending the fences of your expectations, weeding out invasive truths, cultivating the perennial good that’s buried under the surface—before propping yourself up in the middle of it like an old scarecrow, who’s bursting at the seams but powerless to do anything but stand there and watch.   

 - And I am attempting to write at least one poem a day for the National Poem Writing Month. Today is Day 27 of the 30, you can see my progress here, NaPoWriMo 2021 .