2018-07-10 17:30
And yet, and yet there were ripe (very ripe) peaches on the counter within fingers' reach. And, yes, there was a soft hum of jazz and the occasional hummingbird sipping at the pomegran… Read More
Blog Directory > Books & Literature Blogs > Contemporary Blogs > poetry bites contemporary Blog >
2018-07-05 15:35
They include a certain amount of resting & a vigilance to see awe in the everyday. Also, to cook with a wooden spoon in the spirit of curiosity. The same is true for stirring… Read More
2018-06-28 16:35
the inanimate isn't. Full of sap & wind-wiggling branches. Roots a plenty. Seeking water & sun & the cooling of evening. She's a beauty, isn't she. … Read More
2018-06-28 03:06
Or what beets dream about. The confluence of ripening. Much like shaping a meal. Or shaping a poem. Pay attention to the tributaries -- real & imaginary. Learn to meand… Read More
2018-06-25 14:55
Night shadow-izes plants. Converts their green leaves to shadows. Night offers a dream-state of a palette. Muted yet vivid by an absence. Or a lamp left on. The… Read More
2018-06-24 15:09
with basil. What's not to like when fava beans, tomatoes (yellow heirloom & red cherries), olive oil, salt, pepper hang out with basil. Your mouth is happy speaking the langu… Read More
2018-06-19 03:15
but not the fragrance of the jasmine. In fact the allure is waxing for bee & hummingbird. A galaxy of poems ready to be experienced. Inspiration for many a meal. Read More
2018-06-17 18:04
Space between bars are like open windows to a bee. Seems a slim meal but sometimes it's what you don't see --herbs in a sauce; all the words removed from a line of poetry.Absence is a… Read More
2018-06-16 15:14
The color pink & rosy with a stroke of red and the hue of loam to ground. Who shall we call her? How does she spin? How does she turn a salad into a poem? Read More
2018-06-15 18:56
Eavesdropping is a critical skill to hone. Listening-in is especially usually in cooking & in the creating of diminutive poems Read More
2018-06-14 17:21
Mute the color & still the vibrant, rainbow-hued stories are there. Don't ever think otherwise.Although most times thinking otherwise is a good thing. By the way, what's a no… Read More
2018-06-11 17:59
For the record, a peony is the matriarch of tutus. Speaking of tutus, there are two types: Romantic & classical. The one above is classical -- short, stiff material and… Read More
2018-06-08 18:47
When light & shadows are spun, you can find yourself in a state of sun-flowering! It's as simple as a wooden spoon stirring soup. A pen unloading Pandora's box of gestures. … Read More
2018-06-06 17:56
also known as sallows or osiers. Soft, pliant, tough wood. A strong, vibrant life-force. And here in Walnut Creek, CA ten tons of willow imported from Vermont by commission… Read More
2018-05-24 20:48
Figuratively speaking, of course. You might as well ask, "What's the difference between roasted carrots & carrot pate'?" Or an epic & a haiku? I recall, I've never had c… Read More
2018-05-24 20:47
The straight dreamsof spiraling. Simple. Inevitable. Necessary.More than eventhe center needsto embrace water& honey, intention& cloud. Dropyour favorite wordinto the cen… Read More
2018-05-23 21:06
and that's not taking into account, wildflowers. But why should they. Think of paper as a fence. Now grasp a pen. You get the point. Think of a knifepoint as a fence… Read More
2018-05-23 14:25
as in lightas in wordsas in scentof lemonlimeand irisemanate emitexuderadiate Read More
2018-05-21 17:34
stop to take a picture. Who can resist poppies & Angel's trumpets. Brugmansia, even the word is lush. Who can resist pendulous flowers with no spine with no fruit. &nbs&hell…Read More
2018-05-18 17:57
and trees, growing out of the sky. Complete with lily pads & lotus blooming. White like those clouds. Cauliflower white. Cauliflower is a most amazing word; how t… Read More
2018-05-16 21:11
and physics of the makeshift. Like memory, fading. A tad worn. But a love of dirt, intact. A line of poetry here or these; the tongue tastes skinny carrots pulled fro… Read More
2018-05-16 21:02
Affectionately nicknamed, fried-egg poppy. Stridently cheerful. Downright optimistic. One bloom is an entire garden. Paper skin -- perfect for a petite poem. Wr… Read More
2018-05-14 18:01
Puya! She blooms once a year right around Mother's Day at Ruth Bancroft Gardens (& elsewhere). Terrestrial, otherworldly & undeniably gorgeous. Did I mention huge. … Read More
2018-05-09 17:06
and yet not abandoned. Resting along the ridge of the ocean. Slowing the pace for sure -- on a tennis ball. Once I wrote a poem about a painting of a riderless bike propped… Read More
2018-05-08 16:29
and the pull to nature. A spiral in the making. In the intention. Forests in the seas. Interconnected and not letting go. I'm thinking of kelp. But not fo… Read More
2018-05-04 17:38
some reflections warble, some twist & coil. Is it the thing growing, the thing closer to death, or simply, it is water's magic & mayhem? Consider this: without water, coo… Read More
2018-04-26 21:06
and admires its reflection. When a salad looks at itself, what does it see? Which ingredient does it recognize first? Is it true, poems are partial to prepositions & th… Read More
2018-04-25 18:30
All that's necessary to take in the day. A conversation. Eavesdropping, of course. An underbelly of spinach & a memory of raspberries. See & hear and words wi… Read More
2018-04-25 18:26
yet dreamlike. It bends to the desires of water. And memory. Ask any fish. Ask any poem Read More
2018-04-23 23:17
doesn't disrupt or derail the majestic beauty of these bearded irises. Their composure makes them immune to any barking disturbance. Fragile & strong commingled. A perf… Read More
2018-04-23 23:08
Especially when multi-color carrots are given center stage. You never forget the first time you cut into a purple carrot. Rewarded again by color. A dish of sautéed… Read More
2018-04-14 17:26
and the yucca's four directions. That sums it up. Lunch will be outside. Perhaps a poem will be written -- a petite poem depending upon the hour. Read More
2018-04-13 19:02
Magical, this circling. Mother nature arising kinetically. Wish I could say that for each line of poetry I've written. Maybe, I'm using the wrong kind of ink? What ca… Read More
2018-04-13 19:00
It isn't usually thought that shadow is as downright cheerful as sunlight. But look at these blooms. In light and in shadow they optimistically glow. Carrots are known to… Read More
2018-04-11 18:47
25 feet but who's counting? Yucca treculeana. Showy, over-the-top gorgeous. Reminds me of a salad that becomes bountiful by the use of leftovers. Like inserting a lin… Read More
2018-04-09 17:26
April can and can't be the cruelest month but without question, April is National Poetry Month. Like beauty, words are a reflection and they know how to sail. Words also absorb light… Read More
2018-04-05 17:09
and sees straight-away into rocks. While trees may have spores, rocks like potatoes have eyes. So the next time you dream, put on your rock-eyes; relax and let memory wash over you. Do… Read More
2018-03-29 15:22
Spinning, I think. Definitely some activity which is kinetic. Spring, of course. Green encountering redbud trees. Light, as synapses. When the energy slows-down… Read More
2018-03-29 15:17
a few grapes linger. Or perhaps an eager hand who carries a familiar face has left just a few for you. Akin to a poem with mostly cross-outs. Always, always look for glacie… Read More
2018-03-28 02:40
Spring is jejune. Fluid. Liquid energy. Drawn to the spiral. Centrifigal force. The earth's life forcerising up. Imagine your favorite ten words and three… Read More
2018-03-28 02:35
Consider, the weight of cherry blossoms. Beauty imbues weight & dimension. A regard for seasons, too. A cherry blossom festival around the corner & down the hill. … Read More
2018-03-24 22:08
Magic & alchemy. Like what can happen in a kitchen when a kitchen is being true to its nature. Much like what a poem dances on a page or echoes in an ear. Yes, magic &a&hell…Read More
2018-03-21 17:37
Pure lushness of a feathery sort. And full-on color. Verdant touches, of course. Reminds me on the inverse of a beet salad. Reminds me of the last line of a poem when… Read More
2018-03-19 23:08
and dazzlingly beautiful if not surreally gorgeous. An amazing performance. All feather and strut. Dragging wing -- who knew the music of love is the sound of scraping feathers… Read More
2018-03-17 22:45
and shape-shifting. Carrots are a prime example. Perhaps you have always considered carrots to be rather "straight." But now consider the sweep of carrots -- rounded, embra… Read More
2018-03-17 22:34
I have always welcomed Spring as it replenishes winter's farmers markets. Carrots with robust tops perfect for chimichurri. I have always been fascinated with paperclips, especially bri… Read More
2018-03-16 23:38
to be finished. But it does need to be started. Consider a meal. Consider a poem. Consider Read More
2018-03-16 23:34
Good food is a bouquet. Nothing else. Nothing more. Makes me think of friendship. Makes me want to cook zucchini with feta tonight. Makes me want to edit that p… Read More
2018-03-13 17:15
Grevillea petrophiloides nicknamed "Big Bird." What happens when you see yourself for the first time. Really see yourself. Perhaps it like eating a raspberry for the first… Read More
2018-02-27 16:20
The golden mean: whatever is being kept out an equal whatever is being kept in. Who remembers the spectacular hail then cloud-rainbow yesterday? Another instance of natural… Read More
2018-02-27 16:19
The capture reads: glass bowl on woven runner. I like to think of each word as a prism available to both reader & writer. Have you noticed perspective is never singular… Read More
2018-02-25 19:02
2018-02-25 18:57
What is wantingto be filled?What is wantingto be emptied?And who craftedthese petalsinto spokes? Read More
2018-02-21 18:41
This is not a dream although it has the feel of memory. Perhaps, it is the vegetal which looks through the window to find something misplaced. Nothing is lost, really. Neit… Read More
2018-02-21 18:35
and what tales the ocean can tell. These are water's roots --powerful dream-agents and they go deep. Reminds me of engaging in a meal where food & conversation commingle. &nb&hell…Read More
2018-02-20 17:56
But what is this gizmo? Sometimes, function is foremost. Sometimes not. That conversation is at the forefront of all cuisines as well as any poem. Perhaps, grandmother was… Read More
2018-02-20 17:48
and plush as space luxuriates in color & texture. Reminds me of pomegranate seeds on a bed of spinach (with other edible goodies). Reminds me of the line break you can hear… Read More
2018-02-19 16:25
bursting forth with a great name, "Edgeworthia Chrysantha." Also known as Paper Bush. Makes we want to pick up a pen, grab some paper and let the verbs burst forth. Edgewor… Read More
2018-02-19 16:01
They speak a language of light & touch. On a particular Monday one might say, the language of grace. This is akin to a simple meal prepared and shared with friends. A p… Read More
2018-02-07 22:19
intuitively and elegantly. Cats are landscapes which purr. Makes me ask, is a poem also a purring landscape?Speaking of food, salmon, snap peas, rice make me purr. What makes you… Read More
2018-02-07 22:18
Spring does that to us -- every season. The Douglas iris is a petite gem. With strident pollen lines to smitten the most recalcitrant insect. Are there any recalcitrant ins… Read More
2018-01-31 04:56
knows how to respect; how to celebrate her. A mountain has ample experience in managing a full moon's luster, bravado. But a branch; how does she welcome the moon? How… Read More
2018-01-31 04:54
of sacred pattern.Remember, tree's are sacredand in their patterns, visually sacred.A cup holds more than the eye sees. It holds light & dark. Paper holds every word uttered.  &hell…Read More
2018-01-30 20:14
January -- yet Northern California flings open the windows to Spring. To be exact: Amaryllidaceae. Embodied as narcissus aka daffodils and jonquil. Cheery out front and lin… Read More
2018-01-30 20:11
Broccolo Romanesco. Chartreuse & fracal. What a combination. Mini-kingdoms. Haiku on a stalk. Break about the Romanesco and roast with garlic & olive oil &&hell…Read More
2018-01-30 20:02
yet sometimes fails at protecting a butterfly. Actually, it's light which edits. Ask any poem.Ask a candle how it sweetens and/or makes savorya meal Read More
2018-01-30 19:56
A buggy scarf. Why not? No bug is ordinary and this one is pure magic with a tad of well-meaning mayhem. Conforms to all head shapes and attitudes. Keeps you warm. &n&hell…Read More
2018-01-30 19:39
but you know it's soup time. When you don't have the exact word (it isn't on the tip of your tongue), but the poem is front of you -- waiting. Soup's on. Poem's on. U… Read More
2018-01-30 05:40
Swathed in white needles and yet like chalk, like gauze. Approach with caution. The same is said of a tender egg or sonnet. By the way, why is it, few are scared off by sma… Read More
2018-01-30 05:21
I'm unsure why most folks don't know this fact so quickly & modestly observed. Just look deeply into each bloom, each leaf and the container containing them. It's akin to sav… Read More
2018-01-18 00:58
Especially if there's a bed. Especially if there's a table. Especially if there's a pen. Especially if there's been a cat on that bed Read More
2018-01-16 00:46
The morning begins in fog. When it lifts, a single bearded iris appears. The plant has several buds; that's a promise soil will keep. Weeks from Spring. She's a laven… Read More
2018-01-16 00:45
that was a week ago. Imagine now with fog cover & time colluding to paint this succulent garden even more vibrant. More fanciful. Yup, fog & time as co-editors. &nb&hell…Read More
2017-12-30 22:49
inside a lit petal. Fleeting yet palpable. An occurrence at liminal time. As one year closes, one opens. So may your reading, may your writing be delicious. May your souffl… Read More
2017-12-30 22:29
centers frequently, fractal.The same is true of the dish awaiting the meal or paper annunciating a poem. Stars and centers. Let's leave stripes to sort themselves Read More
2017-12-29 02:32
And the tree rooted in water & anchored by blue glass beads. The realms connect much as story webs people as community. And we all know, the kitchen creates community -- one… Read More
2017-12-26 04:09
It's narrative, family history. It's the past told in the vernacular. The future waiting on the hill. A recalled scent. The smell of soup. The word forgotten wh… Read More
2017-12-26 04:04
Let's begin with stars and their symbolic shape. And that symbolic shape's meaning. Recognizable and yet so personable. Like a hand which is so like spoon. Like feather whi… Read More
2017-12-26 04:03
and when do we know? More to the point, why is that so important? What's wrong with the edges? The fringes? Tonight the moon was cloud-frayed. And so especially entic… Read More
2017-12-24 23:09
all-seeing. Has its pulse on the longevity of beauty. Like a family recipe preserved by using. Like a pen treasuring in the using Read More
2017-12-24 23:05
and that something it fresh & lovely. Will be treated as treasure. Perhaps something to adorn the kitchen. Perhaps will inspire a haiku Read More
2017-12-24 23:02
they love jewelry, especially that which sparkles & shimmers. Kitchens love glasses which gleam. Paper loves ink that saturates; that brings in night. Read More
2017-12-23 18:08
Chimichurri -- Argentinian pesto. This time with a twist and not lemon. Made with minced carrot tops. Olive oil, rice vinegar, dried oregano and basil, fennel seed, garlic, black… Read More
2017-12-23 18:01
Amazing what a walk brings into focus. Wooden yet so alive. Makes me think of the aliveness in a good, well-used wooded spoon. Or a pen. Both spoon & pens create food t… Read More
2017-12-23 17:59
haiku -- September 30, 2003 - December 11, 2017 Read More
2017-11-29 22:30
Tomorrow, it's purely celebratory. haiku was adopted on 11/30/04. Ah, haiku's jade-green eyes Read More
2017-11-29 22:22
But isn't she fetching? Force for the good. Pele? Demeter? Grab a pomegranate or a bunch of beets. Fix them for sharing. While the beets roast and… Read More
2017-11-29 22:21
which keeps you afloat. And where does it comes from? Somedays from the sky into a watery depth. Sometimes from the unconscious, upward. And sometimes, it's pure hori… Read More
2017-11-29 22:05
The orange season. Pumpkins, squash, orange-red leaves. At its core, persimmons are the building blocks of an autumn kitchen. And to poetry, imagine that. Every third… Read More
2017-11-28 19:07
look closely, you might see the star-center of a persimmon. Or you might see the abundant body of a pomegranate. Or both. When you read a poem, can you see the shadow of re… Read More
2017-11-28 19:00
The poinsettia returns as an abstract across an abstracted landscape. The heart of it really. Like the properly-weighted verb in a sentence. Like a twist of pepper -- not t… Read More
2017-11-28 18:52
or a very specific and practical tool? Perhaps you never see but if it wasn't invented the simple would not function? Ball bearings? Makes me think of writing. Withou… Read More
2017-11-28 05:37
when you are not seeing. Call it memory. Call it dream. Call it kindness. Soon a spoon arrives. Soon you reach for the pen and see the paper. Soon, simply you w… Read More
2017-11-28 05:37
into or out of. So liquid, perhaps our fingerprints are unreliable witnesses. Feels like a train station ready for an unexpected journey. The packed spoons, pens & notebooks… Read More
2017-11-27 19:43
Ah that poinsettia won't let go of memory. It circles & encircles. It wreaths memory. Like needle does thread. Like pen finishing off an "I." Like spoon in… Read More
2017-11-27 19:38
I wonder about the state of a plant's memory. For instance yesterday's poinsettia. Is its memory firm/grounded as its roots? Perhaps, pervasive? Or liquid as time &am&hell…Read More
2017-11-27 19:30
In the Mission District of San Francisco -- poinsettia. Stop walking and listen to the story. The man who is painting a small pink canvas in his driveway tells me the poinsettia… Read More
2017-10-30 16:18
simple nor what is expected. By the way, which is more crevice like -- a split in concrete or a vein? How does water hold together as a circle: self-contained & perfect? &nbs&hell…Read More
2017-10-30 16:17
especially when the dream requests a glass of water. Especially, when the meal is served with liquid nectar such as water. Especially when the dream invites otherworld succulents… Read More
2017-10-29 15:29
and squashes for days. Because these are the days of Winter squash and no discontentment. Carrots, too, aplenty. And essays to feed the soul; in particular Mary Ruefle's "Madness… Read More
Subscribe to Poetry Bites
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!