Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday
By Maureen Ucles

Lazy Sunday
In April
Nothing on TV
No game
NBA, NFL, NCAA
all out
Listening to the sounds
AC running
Ice cream truck humming
Music box
Ice cream pops
Fudgecicles
Good humor bars
Sandwiches with vanilla or chocolate
Klondikes bars in all their iterations
What I wouldn't do
To be a little tike
Shell out the nickles, dimes, quarters
Breathe it in
Take a bite or two or three
Doesn't matter much to me
Soaking it in
On this lazy Sunday afternoon

No Idea-National Writing Month

No Idea

No ideas

cross my mind

pen

just a lazy cat

meowing

rolling

waiting

for

my attention

No ideas

two stanzas long

an enormous beautiful

Tabby

waiting to be petted

behind the ears

under the chin...

no ideas

only

a super lazy

kitty

fourteen

years 

young

idea challenged
am I

Too Hot!

Too Hot!
By M Ucles

It is an oven
over here
In H-town

It is a rotisserie
conventional
convectional
oven
listed on
QVC
HSN
with Wolfgang Puck
Rachel Ray
Emeril-BAM!
Infomercials  on TNT
on the BBC
searing
don't touch
breathe
or move
TOO HOT!

Can't move
Need some kind of
Relief
from this--
Sweat causing
heart pausing
dominating
heat
too much
to take

Out of Sorts

Out of Sorts

by M Ucles

Summertime

No routine

to speak of

No craziness

No chaos

Not being pulled

a thousand places

in the blink of an eye

not here, nor there

feeling

rather

out of sorts

Magnolia's Pancakes

Textual Evidence

Textual Evidence

by Maureen Ucles

Juanita and Javier
are asking
Can you please provide,
include
(don't be
RUDE!)
the
textual evidence?
(Write it down.)


La maestra
me pide
Por favor,
Te ruego,
te pido
por favorcito-
provea y
escriba
evidencia del texto.

But me?
What do I do?
No puedo decir
Because I know
Voy a encontrar y escribir
evidencia del texto
and then
pensar y pensar
To sum it all up:
I will find and use the evidence
from the TEXT!

Refrigeratorless Me

Refrigeratorless Me
By M Ucles

I dunno
Can't eat
Can't flow
Peering out the window
What am I gonna do?
Refrigeratorless me

Four days
So poor
I am
Memories
Magnets
Photos galore
Ole fridge
in the kitchen
On the floor
15 years purring
But alas...
No coolant
Time to part
Such sorrow


Waiting
Waiting
On Lowes
Refrigeratorless me
Who knows?
How long
Waiting, wonderin'
Shiny
Black doors
Freezer above
Fridge below
Not too bad
Cannot wait

Sunday Blues

Sunday Blues

I've got the Sunday blues

from my head to my shoes

Don't want to go to sleep

at a normal hour

but have to

I've got the Sunday blues

Watching the playoffs

on TNT

wish I'd 

didn't have to

go to work

on Monday

I've got the Sunday blues

cannot take the news

can't sleep

work beckons

calling

screaming

hollering

Leave me alone!

I've go the Sunday blues

wish Monday could be

better

no traffic on 290

Free tolls

Breakfast lines

dwindle

Starbucks would be nice

I've got the Sunday blues

Don't know
what to do

but

go to bed 

with no ability to fall into
slumber

tossing and turning

the pressure
What time is it?
What time is it?

Monday zombie

I will be
UGH!

Sounds of School

Sounds of School

If you can hear the sound

of my voice

clap once

If you can hear the sound 

of my voice

clap twice

Hasn't anyone ever thought

of thrice?

Or maybe you can quartile that one

The sound of restroom lines

Drinking water from a fountain

dumping trays of plastic

every now and then 

a spill of 

cucumber

milk

rice

The endless whistles

and bells

Attendance!

Attendance!

I am attending 

to be honest

with you

Then there is the

perpetual

phone calls

in the middle 

the moment

that teachable

 moment

Hello

Could you send

blah, blah, blah 

to the office

they are going home!

The sounds of voices

SHHHH!

Recess

running

jumping

then the pollen

sneezing

Can I go to the restroom?

Happens a billion times over

Then the bell

Final bell

If you can hear the sound of my voice

clap...

Yeah, I got it!

Twice

When will you say thrice?

Twenty Poems to go...Minus one-Lunchtime Poetry

Twenty Poems Minus One

Maureen Ucles

I've got twenty poems to go-

minus this one

Can fit the contents

in my pocket

pull of lent

dimes and quarters

left overs

I've got twenty poems or less to do

taking my lunch time

'til I am through 

to get the words down

onto this blog

I've got twenty poems to go-

Maybe tomorrow

I don't know

if I will have time to 

wipe away ten

from my list of 30

I've got twenty poems

'til the end

of April

press send

publish them all on this blog!

Just twenty or less

to do!

No Rain In The Forecast....Poetry in the Parking Lot

In honor of National Poetry Month, I will attempt a poem in the parking lot of my school. Here I go.

Poetry in the Parking Lot

By Maureen Ucles

Travis Herzog says

No rain today

Thank goodness

The world rejoices

Well, at least

Houston

I am happy

Composing

Poetry in the parking lot

Peering into creamless coffee

UGH!

I ordered eight creams!

Mickey D's mistake

Hard to drink

But no rain today

SO...

I am good

Time to go

Face the day

Think about

this poem

Not too bad

Honestly?

Not too good either

HOWEVER, no rain today

SO...

Everything is grand

Poem is almost finished

Loading

Onto my phone

SO...

much fun  to create

on a day

such as this

In the parking lot--

Poetry in all places

Including--

but not limited to

the parking lot

Rain Drops

Rain Drops
By Maureen Ucles

Rain drops
Falling
Cascading
In Houston
Historic flood
Still more rain drops
Falling
Cascading
Flooding
Destroying
Houses
Inundating cars
Horses swimming
Rescuing all
In Hummers
Monster trucks
Kayaks
Air mattresses
Even fridges
Becauses
Rain drops
Fall
Accumulate
Accentuate the problem
Saturated ground
Giving way
Swelling
Ponding
Overflowing
Flashflooding
Extreme rain event
Poor Houston
All because of
Those rain drops

Struggle-Poetry for National Poetry Month

I brought this one back for National Poetry Month. I really enjoyed writing this one. It was rather cathartic.


Ever have one of those days when you just have to let out what's flowing inside and you just have to let it out?..This day would be just that kinda day for me...I am just going to write a few things.....I can't live in your chaos.....in the hurricane....waiting for the eye....bracing for the dirty side, the North side....of your craziness....I can't live in hurky jurky stop and go world....Okay I'll give it jab or two, wade in the ice cold waters,  here I go...

Struggle

I can't live 
in your chaos
In the piercing,
 unforgiving 
squalls
of your hurr-i-cane
Waiting interminably, 
counting the seconds
Tick toc,
Tick toc,
Tickety, tickety, 
persnickety, 
tickety toc
For the eye of the 'cane
For the calm to settle, 
settle, settle down
Just to be pulled up 
from within, 
without
In an instant
Howling, howling, 
Roaring, Roaring
Unforgiving

I can't live in your fury
bracing for the dirty side,
So nasty, 
cruel  
complicated
North of sanity
South of 
common sense

Won't live 
in your 
uncertainty-
changing 
at the drop of a hat
nickle, dime, and penny
I'm  clinging to
 some consistency,
Just some normalcy,
NOOOOOO!  
Not again, 
not again 
and again 
and again
Calmate!
Traquilizate! 
Por favorcito!
Basta ya!
Ya! 
Already!

Won't,
can't
take refuge 
the hurky jerky
wax on
wax off
kinda existence
with your persistence
wearing me down, 
down, down
like a Michelin with 
300,000 mile treads
balding,
 balding
to the bone

Can't live in the-
stop and go
go and stop
 traffic
bumper to bumper
inching along and then
Phew!
1,000 MPR
Outta no where..
 in 2 seconds
 or less

Can't
 name it
in five notes,
Four or just three
Please just let go
go of me
Unleash me now
Let freedom ring!
I beg  
and plead
I'm on my hands
 and knees
 I yearn, 
crawl 
and plead
 to be 
set free
from the choas 
growing
inside, inside,
inside of,
me

M. Ucles
Fecha
Today
Feb 13th, 2013

Grasping At Straws- National Poetry Month-from the Archives

I am bringing back this poem that I wrote a couple of years back. I hope you enjoy it.

Grasping for Straws-Today's Written Poem of the Day

Okay since it's National Writing Poetry Month and I 've accepted the challenge, much has been on my mind. I've been searching high, I've been searching low,  sounds like Milli Vanilli to me!  BBBBBBBAAAAABBBAAA  BBBBAABBBYYY !!!!!!
Don't forget my number!
 Okay, don't forget my poem  is more like it.
So I've been grasping at straws all day! Enjoy!

Grasping At Straws

By Maureen Ucles

Today

In the Wee Hours of the Morning

I've been grasping

For some semblance of meaning

Some sort of reason why

I should hold on

onto

My iced tea

Breakfast haven, right?

McDonalds Inc
Okay now

Has my breakfast

Ready

Each 

Day

Today

Just like any other

Scrambled eggs

Sausage Patty

Drives me crazy

A little bit batty

Small coffee

Seven creams

No sugar

Not demanding

I am

Large Iced

Tea

No sugar

Just for

little old me

Not demanding

in the least

Had to wait

with a-

"Pull over to the side!"

that demeaning  raspy voice

To the side

Maybe 3 minutes

Stretch it out to more like five

Everything is fine

Or so I thought

Not so fast

Buster!

My straw!

My straw!

Where's

My straw?

My perfect

Mickey D's Delight

Striped with Red

Yellow 

and

Crowned with

White?

Are you kidding

me?

It's April 3rd now

Too late for the fools

But the jokes

 on me

yes me

I've got no straw

To call my own

Hold the stinking phone!

Did ya hear me?

No straw

To drink 

As I go!

I can't drink 

on my way

Lid comes off

So I can drink

But

It will spill 

as I break

On the Katy

Freeway

No straw and no lid

To  hold

All the tea 

That precious liquid cargo

gone flying out

Covering my seat

Splashing onto the dash

Into the glove

Compartment

All the way to the back

NOOOOO!

Life is so cruel

Incredibly unfair

How can I get through this day?

I really can't bare

it

Without my Mickey D's 

No straw,

no straw

 could you spare?

Sure 

I have napkins

napkins galore

On  my passenger's seat

Got Truvia packets in the 

all my compartments

Receipts on the floor

But no, no,

Straw to adore?

What's this world coming to?

When you cannot rely?

Ronald's dropped the ball

Made the unforgivable mistake

The straw is absent 

once more

Too much to take in

I'm loosing my mind

No marbles to be found here

I searched the whole car

I'm Out of luck 

I find

Myself tearing up

to no avail

Going to face it alone

I'm  locked interminably

In this draconian jail

So today is gone

The past  will linger

Tomorrow is not promised

However

I won't lift a finger.

Please give me a darn straw!

For crying out loud!

Before I  fall

Fall and fall

and fall

Remember, remember

 one 

and all-

Life is nothing

I said

Life is nothing!

I reiterate

Life is absolutely nothing

without some 

Iced Tea 

and a

STRAW!

Where's My Plant?-From the Archives for National Poetry Month

Okay I am going to try to take the Poem a Day Challenge.  The information below can start you out.  Please click on the link below:

National Poem Writing Month

Here's my stab!  I guess I owe two.  I'll post the next one.  Let's see where it goes!

Where Is Your Plant?

By Maureen Ucles

Dedicated to the Green Thumb, Ro Luecken

Where's your plant?

Sez Ro

Ya know

The one I gave you

For Christmas

So...?????

I think to myself,

"I dunno"

I dunno

where that plant

may have

landed

In the trunk?

In the closet?

In the garage?

In the trash?

On a shelf?

Spilling over?

Who knows?

Who knows?

I dunno

Where that plant

Resides

Definitely feel

the chide

a little chill

inside

Dunno...

Poor, pitiful plant

Left it

some place,

some time

two weeks,

two months,

two years?

Tooo  loooonnngg!

Ago

Forgotten

Absent

No water,

No Sun

No attention

No time

None!

No care

To surround

That sorry, sorry

Plant

Poor plant

Decimated Ro

What to do now?

Where is your plant?

She sez again

Take a picture.

Lost my Polaroid

A few years,

months,

millenniums

back

My smart phone?

That thing?

Naahhh!

It has dementia

Won't function

Like my brain

I dunno

My daughter

Three cats

Two spoiled dogs

And a hamster named Lily

Plants?

Time?

Really?

The pl-ant?

Your plant?

Dunno

Can't find it

The memory

escapes me

Like....

I dunno

Please don't ask

Not again

Poor, poor

Plant

What kind?

Don't recall

It has leaves

It's sort of green

Kind of  Bamboo

Or a Cactus?

Maybe

Who knows?

I dunno

Dunno now!

Oh no....

I'm caught!

In a trap

'Tween a rock

and a Eucalyptus

No alibi

for me

Oh snap!

 Ro knows

I dunno!

Closet...April 17th-18th

Closet...April 17th-18th

By Maureen Ucles

11:30 pm

April 17th

Booming, crashing

Thunder

Invades my house

Cats run

I follow

to the closet

Shelter in place

In the closet

no where to lounge

carpet filings

all around

In the closet

not great air

musty

dusty

I don't care

shelter in place

lights flicker

on and off

Coast is clear

No more pelting

do I hear

decent rain

no lightning near

sandman reigns

in my ear

Time to sleep!

3:15 am

awoken with rumblings

April 18th

Winds wailing

Outside it's falling

ice from the sky

pelting the roof 

and windows

like popcorn with 

a megahorn

the sky is falling

chicken little

am I

scrurrying

to the closet

In the closet 

once again

blankets, pillows

cell phone in hand

lights flicker

then darkness

total darkness

wind whistles

ALERT 

my phone

Tornado Warning!

Take shelter immediately

interior room or closet

That's me

in my closet

waiting

wondering

counting the minutes

3:45 

Tornado expired

walk out to hear

heavy rain

no pelting

when will it stop?

electricity's back

Channel 13 Doppler

RED! RED! RED!

White! White! White!

When will it end?

Open front door

waters a rising

sidewalk disappears

Stop! Stop! Stop!

Raining!

Beads in hand!

Prayers up to heaven!

No more rain!

4:45 calming

no more red or white

yellow is so nice!

No more closet!

6:00 am

sleep calls again

Too Busy To Post!

Too Busy To Post

I'm too busy to post

Too, just too, too busy

Too busy to sneeze

Achu! Not true!

Too busy to wheeze!

Where's my inhaler?

Too, just too busy!

I'm too busy to post

I see my blog
So ordinarily blah!

No new posts for me!
Nah! Just too, too busy!
Did ya hear me?
Busy!

Too busy to go to the store
To busy to care anymore
To busy to pump any gas
Don't even notice the
ticker
How's the NASDAQ?
Too, too busy!

Too busy to sleep
Insomnia manic
my life's a panic
TOO, TOO busy!

No time for this!
Or that!
Or the other!
Your mother!
Father!
Sister!
Brother!
Not me!
I'm too, too busy!

(Except for right now!)

Left In, Left Out! Revisited

I wrote a poem called Left In, Left Out sometime last year. It is great to go back and see what I was thinking and feeling. At that time last year, I experienced complete frustration and disillusionment. There were many things pulling at me and I  tried to make sense of it through my poetry. Boy, what a difference a year makes! Thank God Almighty, I have been set free! I tried to take my poem from last year and revise it, based on time and its ability to heal all wounds. Here's my poor attempt at doing that! Writing is so cathartic.

Left In, Out-Gone!

by Maureen Ucles

Left in,

Left out
Year later
found my place

made me wanna

scream
now

a whisper
Can you hear me
now?
You?
Don't really care
anymore
in the least
have

time to chill
learning how
peace

Makes no sense

not in the least

these decisions

 left in

 mostly, 

mostly... out
But it's okay
as I peer into
my present
without ya
 another place
feels safe
staying here

Why me?

What had I done?

Left it all on the floor

but...

don't care anymore
you're removed
by
smiling faces
appreciations
brilliant minds

Left in...left out
 gone
 let go

forged a new path
for me

with others

Left this
 tired, 

sorry
 scene
evacuated

gone

moving forward
my momentum
wind at my back
Like Stella,
got my groove 

Left in?

I'm out!
Adios!

Bye-bye!

Not to be continued,

Making Lemonade

Making Lemonade-Revisited

By Maureen Ucles

Lemonade, Lemonade

Sitting on a makeshift table

please come forth

make yourself known

with your acidity

pH factor

so sour, sour

sourrowful

Lemonade, Lemonade

Sitting in the hot,

hot Summer Sun

Not too tart

Not too sweet

better than Country Time

Hand made

squeezed, squeezed

to perfection

guts and all

completely spent

sprinkled with

a little zest

Lemonade, lemonade

How many lemons  

gone and sacrificed

for you?

A few seeds 

seeped through

ice cold

to the touch

while you simmer

I muse

peer into...

Lemonade, Lemonade

was it worth it all?

Countless lemons
used and abused

peel and all

thrown away

forgotten

Worth the effort?

Blood, sweat, and tears?

So many years

devoted to

the making

of...of

you

For today

gone tomorrow

fleeting
 sweet, sweet
sorrow

to behold

if only

for an 

instant

Lemonade, Lemonade

Can you make it here?

Can you make it there?

Does anyone really 

care?

Cool winds  

blowing

breeze

showing

me knowing...

I,
 like you

making

lemonade

Lemonade, Lemonade

givin' up--

no more fear

Hey,

ya never know

could be

new frontiers?

Peering through

crystal prisms

new points of view

after endless

slamming of doors

windows are

 wide open

my soul's 

a' searching

me perching

lookin' in

ain't no sin

just me

drinking it up

my life

my lemonade

Ahhh!

What?

What?
M Ucles

I said what?

What you say?

I say what?

Can't quite hear ya

Too much static

No I am not there

In my attic

trying to find some

peace without...

I said what?

Don't know what to say

To respond to you

I said what?

Can't listen?

Got cotton in my ears

Hear you?

Please

I put you 

officially 

on mute!

I said what?

Can't do this anymore

sportin' my Bose buds

Noise cancelling?

Ever heard of them?

What?

Volume is maxed out

What?

Do I look as if?

No

No

I don't care

I said what?

Leave me alone

stop flapping those

gums

Don't cha get it?

I am not hearing 

endearing 

befriending you

What?

Shut the door

Go on out

Lock the door

 Throw away the key

Leave me

Just leave me

be

Read my lips

taxing?
Don't want
Can't take
Not fakin'
For real
Get going
I'm deaf

Sign language?

I am blind

Text to talk?

No bars

the battery is dead

didn't pay the electric bill

The lights are out

No one is home!

I am evicted

No return address?

No return at all

Left the planet

live on the moon

No

don't visit

can't hear you 

No air

Remember?

You still here?
C'mon now

Said what?

Paying you no mind

No offense

taken
given

I am invisible

Yesterday's news

Gone, gone, gone

What?
Ugh!