OSI: Fool's Paradise

Once upon a time,

the food was poetry.

The chili was thick gravy,

spread like summer on

my tongue.

The tortillas were pressed

by the hands of a woman

that knew what it was

to love.

I sat next to a man

I had torn in two,

and asked who would get the

table and the chairs.

Now, the tortillas are fakes

that come wrapped in foil.

The chili is salsa

from a jar.

The busboy presses his hands

to his face.

I sit across from a man

who holds my hand

when I tell him

how I miss my father.

He holds my hand

and all the conversational

pauses

are just places

for my heart

to stop.

More OSI: HERE

Happy Thanksgiving!

My first Black Friday in retail... so that's exciting. Hope you and yours have lots to be thankful for this year.

OSI: Hourglass

Sometimes they
fall like boulders
and roll past me,
relief in wake.
Or they fall
like bells
and leave sorrow
in the passing;
the chimes,
unhoarded.
Boulders and bells
slip away,
even now.

More OSI: Here

Lazy Woman's Cup Cake

I know there are better versions of this out there, but this is about as simple as it gets. Cake mix is on sale at our local Wal Mart and I don't want a whole layer cake sitting around. Besides, it's cold outside and warm cake is warm.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cake mix
1 T. butter or oil
1/4 cup milk

In an average sized coffee mug melt the butter or dump in the oil. Add the cake mix. Add the milk. Mix well. Microwave till done. My microwave takes about two and a half minutes. Yours may take longer. Better to undercook it than overcook it. Add chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts before cooking, if you want to get fancy, and feel free to top it with whipped cream or frosting or something, but it's good all by its lonesome. It's not gormet, but it is simple, warm, sweet, and fast. There's an inappropriate joke in there someplace, but I'll let somebody else make it.

New Blog

My friend Believerette just made a blog. She's a nerdfighter I know in real life, totally made of awesome, and one of the coolest people I've met since I moved here. Here's the link. If you wanted to stop by and comment there it would be a wonderful thing and make me happy.http://dreamingaimlessly.blogspot.com/

OSI: Birdie

You aren't in step with me.

There is no hand to hold,

but you are the orange of leaves,

and warmth of sunlight.

I hear you in the crunch

of acorns underfoot.

I smell you in the air.

The craggy junipers are blue.

I pluck a sloe and taste the

gentle, calm, and sweet.

The birdies are still singing.

I can't make out the words,

but the melody

is true.

More OSI: Here

Dona Nobis Pacem

I had a big creative project planned but the technical details just didn't get ironed out in time. There's just too much going on in my life this year. I did write this villanelle for the occasion. As always, visit mimiwrites.blogspot.com for more about the peace globe movement and how this all started.

This might seem silly to some, but to those people I'd just like to point out that words and images are not powerless. Even in the hands of regular people, especially when there are many of us, words and images have some power, and so this isn't a waste of time and effort. This might even, possibly, be the only important thing I've ever blogged.

Everyone wants war to end.
Everyone wants peace
while there's still life to spend.

Some, with strength of arms pretend
that we can force the hate to cease,
yet everyone wants war to end.

The people with crops to tend
know peace could mean a larger feast
while there's still life to spend.

Though politics refuse to bend,
and fighting lasts without surcease,
everyone wants war to end.

Preachers speak of gory end
and the strife of life's release
but there's still life to spend.

Words are all I have to render,
my almost hopeless caprice,
but everyone wants war to end
while there's still life to spend.

All images (excepting my globe, of course) are from the national archives and can be found, in order, at the following places.

http://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/photos/images/civil-war-035.jpg

http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/research/military/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-192-l.jpg&c=/research/military/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-192.caption.html

http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/research/military/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-126-l.jpg&c=/research/military/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-126.caption.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/5506533212/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/5164453067/sizes/o/in/set-72157622745727211/

OSI: Sunset

Sunrise: Hope
Sunset: Regret
Is it noon now,
or midnight?

Note: Sorry about the comment moderation. Can't be helped for now. Comments are very important to me and I hate moderation but I need it at the moment.

More OSI Here