Express Yourself

Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
--Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I had a little time to make this video for my mom Betty Stamper. Today is her 83rd birthday.  There is so much that I want to say about her that will take quite some time to finish.  Suffice it to say, it won't be tonight. I will be working on something special very soon. Here is my little video tribute to my wonderful mother!  I love you Mom!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Enough-Poetry




Enough

by Maureen Ucles

You don't care
anymore
Don't pretend
you do
stop the lies

Don't care
never did
going through
the motions
with my
heart
blinded
with emotion

Don't care
never could
cold
frozen
frigid
at best
don't care
never would

Don't care
about me
and my kind
too too good
for you
not worthy
of me
for you
not good
enough
never could
be 
for you

Care?
not
in the least
shunned 
not good
good
 enough
 my best
sacrificed
silenced
not good
good 
enough

Don't care
at all
thrown
pitched
burned
bewitched
no concern
in the least
gone
spent
all
for naught
never good
good
enough

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Estrellita Revisited

I read over Estrellita last night and I wasn't quite satisfied with it.  I remember working on it a while back and thinking that it was done.  As I read it yesterday, it just didn't have the flow that I intended. I am revisiting it now to see where it can go.

Estrellita

By Maureen  Ucles

Twinkle, twinkle 
Little star
Got me wonderin'
Estrellita
Where you are
Out in space
Light years away
Just twinkling
All the way 
to the Earth
and beyond
¿Cómo no?

You seem to
Twinkle here
Twinkle there
Twinkling
Just twinkling
anywhere
For what?
For whom?
Bells tolling 
and such
Seems all so full
of nothingness--
absurdity

Thought I heard
someone say
Hey, ya know
if you
twinkle
they will come
was it
James Earl Jones?
Maybe
Kevin Costner listening
Only in a field
 recently abandoned
Out in far right
 dreams unrealized
Put on hold
Thrown in the towel
 for the moment...
at least

Twinkle, twinkle
Como brilla
Tan contenta
Little star
Estrellita
Got me wonderin'
So far away
Oblivious to the day
That I might just
UP and WALK
Away
Wish it were 
today
right now
this instance
perhaps...
Tonight
seems to be
Great time to
take flight
Just might

Twinkle, twinkle
Casanova's nebulae
Hits me right 
in the eyes
In between
Primal scream
Falling down
down down
gravity's extreme


Twinkle, Twinkle
searching 
 respuestas
answers
to my ponderings
constant questionings
Trying to secure
some kinda meaning
signficanza
Devoid
Deleted
Delayed
Beyond belief
¿Quién sabe?

Re-placed
Re-moved
Re-jected
by a twinkle, twinkle
from someone else's eyes
all these years
 life, laughter
 and tears
                                                                      ¿Para qué?



Estellita dime
Tell me 
What did I do?
Por favorcito
Shine your light
Down upon me
Hazme brillar 
Just like before
When the world was new
Light years away
Yet
It cannot be
As for me
Stuck in a vaccuum
Paralysis of thought
emotion
Plain toast
burnt to the core
Don't wanna 
Hang out anymore
Just leave me alone
with your rayas
shut the door
in my face
as your beams
flow
out into space



Estrellita
Me voy
Movin' on
Andale pues
without haste
To a universe
far, far away
No más
Estrellita
Good bye
Adiós

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Marioneta-Poetry in Spanish from the Archives


I looked everywhere for this poem. I wrote it a while ago and couldn't find it on this blog. I have posted so much lately, that I can't seem to find some of my poetry. I found it and I hope this one is the revised version.  Many of my bilingual friends help me with revision and editing of my Spanish poetry. I wanted to post this on World Poetry Day on Twitter. I have been posting lots of my favorite poems. I have learned, in the process, to label my posts.  This way I can search for them easily.


Marioneta
por Maureen Ucles

Soy marioneta
Nada más
Nada menos
En tus manos
me quedo
encajada
todo el santo día
sin luz--
vida

Soy marioneta
sufriendo tanto
no hablo
me quedo mudo
sin movimiento
ninguno

Soy marioneta
hazme mover
hazme creer
en tus intenciones
tal vez
maldiciones
¿para qué?

Soy marioneta
con una sonrisa
falsa
fingiendo...
sin movimiento
hasta que me lo digas
encarcelada...
nunca libre
para expresarme
callada
callada
pálida
sufriendo
sin cesar

Soy marioneta
hice lo que
me dice
¿por cuantos siglos
eh?
Pero,  ¿para qué?

Tu rompiste
mi corazón
mi corazón de madera
quebrada en pedazos
pedazos, pedazos
aun que
invisibles…
pero,
¿para qué?

Soy marioneta
a ver
cuando
me vas a  librarme
de estas esposas,
grilletes
hazme libre
por favoricito
quisiera
expresarme...
mis pensamientos 
muy profundos
en mi propia
idioma
mi cultura
con mi gente
que me conoce
bien, bien, bien
pero 
soy marioneta
pero,

…¿para qué?

My Life is a Packet

Here is a poem that I worked on a few years ago. I was knee deep in benchmarks and looking over STAAR Reading and Writing released tests. I wanted to write a poem from the point of view of a packet and comparing it to life.

My Life is a Packet

By Maureen Packet Ucles

My Life is a Packet
What a concept, right?
Nicely stapled
Papers lined up
Just right

Take a look inside
You'll find
My life is a packet
Neatly placed
On your pristine desk
Waiting to be read
Yearning to be known
Only a 
Packet

Go ahead
Turn the page
Hey!  Anyone home?
This is so confining
Refining
Hindrances
 flowing
Got to get going
Can't quite
Break free
From this incessant
TYRANNY
So nicely stapled
on your pristine
Always clean
Cherry-wooden desk
Packet

Turn the page
Nah!  
More like
Rip 'em away!
Set the pages free
Why don't 'cha now?
Just like me
Wishin' I could explore
Not be such a bore
My sorry life
in a packet
Packet

My life
Packet
Convenience
No mess
No worry
Just so very
Perfect?
Hardly
Really?
Yup
Perhaps so
Perhaps not
I say NO!
Not in the least!
Not
True
Fallacy
Balancing
Total
Smoke Screen
Calloused
Worn down
Packet

My life
On the way
Outta
My 
My 
Ever Loving
Mind
Kind?
Straight Jack-et
Repose
Pages exposed
Life
Is
A
Packet

Just Trying Some Things Out

Just trying out some things
Put on a rhyme or two
Maybe three four
Out of my door
Into the vines
Ain't got the time
for me

Everything's a blur
Too darn fast
Yes, ma'am
No sir!
Can't slow down
even for a second

Throat is soar
I am devoid of feelings
numb
running out the door
Alphie
What's am I here for?

Time heals all
wounds inside
and out
Seriously?
Not buying it
In the least


Need to reju
Rejuvenate
Get this mess off
my plate
so full of
overwhelming sense
of velocity
inertia personified
I am

Calgon can't help me
Mama won't call
Dogs at the groomer
Not having a ball
Feel out of control
Like I lost me
My soul
SLOW DOWN
Smell the rositas
No time!
No present
past and future
Just a blur!

BLUR
Where I reside
Just look deep inside
You'll find no more of me
Just lost in a black hole
with no hope at all
SLOW down
put on the breaks
can't take it anymore
Wanna get away?
Southwest Airlines
Fly me to Bermuda
Throw me through the triangle
Until I can renew-
Slow down...for a second
Make sense of it all

Today, tomorrow, next week
In view
only partial
stuck on the dirty side
of Hurricane of life
When will it subside?
Winds of change a comin'
Tidal surge
I'm on the verge
of letting it go
But the change is incremental
Way too stinking slow!

One day soon
Soon never comes
Knocking on my door
traffic
bumper to bumper
Houston style
HELP ME!
I need to get out!

Estrellita-Star Gazing-first version

Here is a poem that I wrote about a few years ago.  I think I will rename it Estrellita.


And it goes a little something like this...


Estrellita

By Maureen Twinkle Ucles

Twinkle, twinkle 
Little star
Got me wonderin'
Estrellita
Where you are
Out in space
Light years away
Just twinkling
All the way 
to the bank?
Como no?

Hardly...
Twinkling there
Twinkling here
Twinkling
Just twinkling
for whom?
For what?
Seems all full
of nothingness

Heard someone 
say
Hey-
If you twinkle
They will come
Only in a field
abandoned
Out in far right field
dreams unrealized
Put on hold
I have
Thrown in the towel
 for the moment
at least

Twinkle, twinkle
Como brilla
Tan contenta
Little star
estrellita
Got me wonderin'
So far
away
Oblivious to the day
That I might just
UP and WALK
Away
Wish it were 
Today
Right now
This instance
Tonight
Great time to
take flight
Just might
You trippin'
No
Hardly

Twinkle, twinkle
CasaNova's
Nebulae
Hits my eye
In between
Primal scream
Out of
of my mind
heart and soul

Twinkle, Twinkle
You got the ansa?
to my ponderings
chalk full of wonderins'
Trying to find some meaning
Meaning
Voided
Beyond belief

Re-placed
Re-moved
Re-jected
by a twinkle, twinkle
from someone else's estrella
all these years
sweat, blood and some tears
for what?
Some things 
Some place
Some  thoughts
Worth it all?
Tal vez
Depende
Quien sabe voz?
but makes me not
so so encantada
got a fistful of thanks
Por favorcito
going through my
hands like water
escaping through a
sieve
being vetted for 
the last time
final sequence
spent


So sorry, so sad
Pink slip delivered
tristemente
in a brown bag
open it up
Nah!  
A  little later
mas tardecito voz
Ahorita voy
Can't bare the news
Can deal with it all
what I'm goin' through
WHATEVER
Movin' on
Vaya pues
To a theatre near you
Twinkle, Twinkle
Adios