Shh…Genius at work!
Except when you’re not…
not genius, I mean!
Creativity
has inexplicably fled…
vacated the scene!
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
It’s a conundrum!
Oh! what’s a poet to do?
Quick! Write a haiku!
Post a photo…no, post two…
That’s it, genius, you’re all through!
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on Unsplash
In the morning when I wake,
I walk through the quiet house,
opening the blinds to green, leafy views.
Sun shining through the trees,
lighting up the flowers,
birds on branches singing, butterflies.
The sun streams in, revealing
dust on the chest of drawers,
cobwebs on the ceiling fan.
Time for a little housekeeping…soon.
I settle down to a cup of tea.
In the morning stillness,
I open the blinds of my heart,
gathering inspiration for the day.
The light shines in,
revealing the struggles and triumphs
of other people in the world.
Time to dust off compassion,
time to sweep doubts
and lingering grudges away.
Time to polish creativity
and beautiful thoughts
to see me through my day.
As daylight fades,
I walk through the quiet house,
closing the blinds.
We sit down to a simple supper
and enjoy some time together.
Then I close the blinds of my mind
and quiet my thoughts.
Time to rest…and dream.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Dew, wet and cool beneath bare feet
Bunny munching technicolor grass.
Black racer crossing–elegance in motion.
Green bee sipping breakfast
from an orange flower.
Mockingbird incessantly repeating
his neighbors’ songs.
Clouds assemble, palms flutter,
sky darkens, thunder, lightning, shower.
From every tree, birds singing in the rain.
Incandescent sunset.
Stars twinkling in the pine trees.
Water dripping from the leaves,
Frogs singing love songs in the ditches
as we walk hand in hand.
Grass never grew so green.
Stars never shone so bright.
Nature’s music–never sweeter!
Wonders of the universe,
shared with the one I love.
Reprinted from Wonders
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
“Wonders” is one of my favorite poems from my very first book, Wonders: Poems about Love and Relationships. It is posted on the website under “Excerpts, Wonders.” If you have read it there, I apologize, and I promise I won’t make it a habit to duplicate poems.
There is a story behind this poem. One night I was afraid that I was going to die, and Robert comforted me as I cried. (I almost never cry!) It turned out to be a false alarm. The next morning, I woke up, and everything looked incredibly bright and beautiful. This is a poem about that day.
Bare trees and warm rains,
before trees cast leafy shade…
the mountainsides bloom.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
The style-conscious woman of long ago
wore Everglades fashions from head to toe:
egret feathers decorating her stylish hat,
alligator purse and alligator shoes to match.
Her taste in fashion was very fine,
but Everglades wildlife began to decline.
Egrets and alligators faced extinction,
and laws were passed for their protection.
No longer endangered, these species survive.
Habitat protection allows them to thrive.
With continued protection and conservation,
wildlife will delight future generations.
Reprinted from Hanging Out with Wild Animals II
an environmentally themed book series for readers eight to twelve
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
To be remembered well,
live well. Do praiseworthy deeds
in your time on earth.
Reprinted from Life in Inspiring Places
Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia
Evolved in thought.
Not easily deluded.
Never self-deluded.
Laser-sharp focus on truth.
Divides the goats of reason
from the sheeep of folly.
Evolved in intellect,
educated, informed.
Repository of knowledge__
both factual and conceptual,
both trivial and profound.
Grounded, self-deprecating, wise.
Evolved in human interactions.
Eludes the treachery of villans,
never villanous.
Extends himself in acts of kindness,
expecting nothing in return.
Open, vulnerable, self-assured.
Evolved in his passions,
disciplined, moderate, civilized,
slow to anger.
Only in his libido,
primitive man survives evolution!
Reprinted from Wonders
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
I want to call you,
Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and Dad,
when I have good news.
I want to call you
and hear you say one more time,
“I’m so proud of you!”
I want to tell you, “Thank you
for helping me on my way!”
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
“Cicada, Cicada!” is the last poem in Life on the Blue Planet. I hope it will remind readers to live in the moment. TODAY we have the opportunity to sing our song!
For seventeen years,
You’ve been asleep.
Now, what kind of
schedule is that to keep?
Cicada, cicada,
you’ve slept too long!
Come out of your shell
and sing your song!
You’re sure to enjoy
the warm summer night.
Come out, Cicada…
Enjoy your first flight!
Many types of cicadas live in eastern North America. They are harmless herbivores. Eggs, laid in the bark of a tree, hatch into nymphs that burrow into the ground. They stay buried from one to 17 years, depending on the species. The entire group emerge from their shells at the same time, find mates, lay their eggs, and die. Only the males have a mating “song” made by vibrating a membrane on their abdomen. Their “chorus” adds music to the summer nights.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
For one week, the Ebook will be priced at $1.99 to make it easy for my fellow bloggers to purchase the book.
After that, the Ebook will be priced at $4.99. The paperback version is priced at $19.99
All reviews appreciated!
Life on the Blue Planet is an 8.5″x 11″ book with 70 pages of poems and 40 high-resolution color photos. Available on Amazon, Ingram, Barnes and Noble, and other online stores.
Ribbons of light streaming down
implant moist kisses
on earth’s trembling mouth.
The green land, the green land
standing tall and crouching under…
the land that reaches for the sun
is stretching fingers to the rain.
Greens and golds
evidence the fertility of the mold…
Rain is a vibrant impregnation.
Published about 1966 in Nos Plumes,
Buffalo Gap High School Literary Magazine, by Cheryl Nicholson
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
