Looking for Heaven

Here’s another Blackout Poem from Barbara Kingsolver’s book “Pigs in Heaven” page 7. Yeah, I wasn’t happy with the picture so I decided to revamp it. I sat on this one for a long time. But its time has come and I think it aged well!!
Image
Mocking darkness
Crowing about the cross
Observe the universe
Twinkling wonder
More than needs
Looking like refugees
They come home
All sweet spring
She’s up there night bird
The Queen of Heaven
Time – years in heaven
Away with the old life
Welcome to heaven
Believe in heaven

The concept of heaven has been debated for as long as there has been religion. Some think of heaven as a royal banquet, others a peaceful forest, still others see it as luxurious hotel. Each person’s vision of heaven is particular to their own beliefs and experiences. There are some who deny that there is a heaven. And the funny thing is that no one can prove it either way.

Looking at Chipped Mugs

The W3 prompt this week is provided Nancy Richy as the Poet of the Week. Her challenge is to write a Shadorma (6 unrhymed lines with a syllable count of 3/5/3/3/7/5). The theme is to write about a single inanimate object using sensory details of sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. The poem should have a small focus and avoid a narrative.

Blind lip finds
Sharp edge on cup’s rim
Tongue tastes blood
Feel the heat
Through thin blue walls with fine cracks
I hum – cup vibrates

So this Shadorma was inspired by my father’s mug. For as long as I can remember he drank tea from that blue willow ware mug every morning. My mother had given it to him before they married. For over 50 years it was part of his morning ritual. When he died my mother kept it in the same spot it had always occupied. When my mother passed away, my youngest sister took possession of the mug. It is displayed in her China cabinet, a stark contrast to her pretty plates. It is so stained by the tea that every crack is dyed a golden color. The inside has gray rings on the walls and bottom where his spoon rubbed a metallic pattern. There is a tiny chip on the rim. It is on the opposite edge from where he drank. But all of us girls found it when sneaking a sip of his tea…

Looking at Detective Evans’ Weather Report

Detective Evans is still pursuing her hobbies. She just won’t give up on stringed instruments…

It was hard to find practice time but my banjo playing was improving. My partner, the new one, had been put on administrative duty pending a hearing. Rumor had it that his stint as a desk jockey was not because he crashed the car. The grapevine was usually very accessible but it took some serious arm twisting to get the scoop. Not much shocks me but I never suspected the kid liked to dress up as a Candy Striper. I guess he never suspected that he’d end up wearing handcuffs and having a charge of Visiting a Common Nuisance. This is just one more example of lack of communication between the detectives and the precinct officers.

They should have called me first, I’d loved to have had photos. It really would cheer up my old partner. See, I’m not as heartless and self-centered as some believe. I can think of others. Not having a partner in the field was something I could get used to as long as he does his job writing up the reports and filing the paperwork. I couldn’t recall a time in recent memory when it had literally rained bodies like this week. Most of the body snatchers were busy picking up the dead resulting from a Cessna plowing through the 2nd story of a law office. I heard they had to resort to wheelbarrows to get through the debris. It was a black and white accident which meant they weren’t ruled homicides. That was a lucky break as it didn’t interrupt my sleep.

My latest case was a flutist that had keeled over during a rehearsal of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. She just up and died and not a scratch on her. The coroner’s office was backed up three weeks from never and I was trying to be patient. Putting on my game face, which some contend is more like a death mask; I made a special visit to the lab. The smell was marginally tolerable and my lab results were just in. A perfect end to a rough week – seems I was right about the cause of death. Poison is such a cowardly way to kill someone. The guys had placed bets on when I’d get my tox report back. The money in the pool should just about cover the cost of a month of wood carving classes.

I’ve included the 5 word challenge: (re)place, scratch, sleep, black, white, as seen on the Procrastinators’Weekly Writing Prompts for March 1st. Check it out!

Looking at a TACO

My good friend and brilliant agitator, saintvi, sent me a list of descriptors that came to her after reading my post on Looking at Four Ds. After reading her list of A to Z descriptors to describe a despicable douche, I realized that it could also describe a certain current president. Thus I present my Abecedarian Verse for TACO Tuesday!

Arrogant in attitude is his brand
Boastful despite his ballroom panned
Cheating because that’s what he wants
Deceitful especially toward his sycophants
Egotistical in the extreme
Furtive to cover up his latest scheme
Gaslighting to shift all blame
Hypochondriac playing the sympathy game
Insensitive to all but his own needs
Judgmental of everyone but not his own deeds
Killjoy it’s obvious no need to explain
Lying to all for his personal gain
Manipulative he has to have his way
Narcissistic he has to have the last say
Overbearing to force his will
Preachy a Project 2025 shill
Quitter of course – he can’t follow through
Ruthless and oblivious amid speech’s miscue
Self-important he has to be in the spotlight
Tacky as in a blinged out ballroom blight
Unsympathetic no one can relate
Vain glory confirmed by the rug on his pate
Weaselly how else could he not be in jail
Xenogeneic with pig valves and the bulk of a whale
Yellow-bellied which is why he owns the name TACO
Zealous to trample all judicial veto

Which bring me full circle to the real point of finding D words to describe what saintvi doesn’t want in a man and especially what she doesn’t want in a president either. Of course I agree with her assessment 100 percent!
Deceptive
Disloyal (to The Constitution. Did Ms. Noem really think he had her back?)
Damaging (will our international reputation ever be the same?)
Demeaning (calling some one “piggy” is just wrong)
Demanding
Devious (how much money has he skimmed?)
Dishonest (I can’t even. How many convictions?)
Distant (I bet he’s never done a load of laundry in his life!)
Dissatisfied (always looking for more awards, recognition, money, and power)

Looking at Dream Exploration

We are still experiencing the cold rainy weather that isn’t spring and not really winter here in Northern Indiana. I want to remain in hibernation and dream my life away until everything warms up. But alas sleep is not life and as hard as it is, life demands attention…

Black and white world versus technicolor dreams
Where I’m the consort of princes and kings
Do I wish to wake and face the sun
Or slumber until the stars’ light is undone
What chance has love my heart to greet
Only ghostly touch and lips that never meet
In fantasy worlds there are no tears
Green and purple whisperings still echo in my ears
Swimming through a haze of tangerine
Take my hand and fly with me between
These clouded dreams
Before the light can fade from Saturn’s rings

Looking at Firsts

This is for O’Nika McGill’s W3 Poetry Prompt. As the Poet of the Week, O’Nika has challenged us to write an Echo Verse on the theme of “firsts” as an additional criteria we are asked to include one (or more) of the following words or their variations in the poem: early (earlier, earliest), begin (begins, began, begun, beginnings), primary (primarily, primaries), and start (started, starting, starts).

The first time we met I remember
– ember, ember
A spark that grew to a flame
– aim, aim
Cupid’s arrow struck true flight
– light, light
That first gentle embrace
– race, race
A rapid pulse and bursting heart
– art, art
Picture perfect first crush
– rush, rush
From acquaintance to heartthrob
– throb, rob
Stealing a first kiss as a surprise
– prize, eyes
Slowly close to fully treasure
– sure, sure
This is my paramour
– amour, more
More talk, more time to enjoy
– joy, joy
So happy and in love
– of, of
All the days both cloudy and bright
– right, right
And certain you are a lover and a friend
– end, end
The charade as I yearn
– earn, earn
Favor and affection and begin to fall
– all, all
Under your spell sinking below
– low, owe, owe
A debt that can’t be paid with marriage
– rage, rage
Anger over flows to leave I arise
– rise, rise
Flee what I can’t transcend
– send, end, end

A first love is sometimes an education wrapped in emotion. For me it was an intense physical attraction and an irrational refusal to see that we were not a good match. It took time but I finally came to my senses. He even proposed marriage. But when he finally showed his true colors, I bolted. It was my first grown up relationship, my first “head over heels” crush, my first angry break-up, and ultimately my first “thank God I got out of that alive” relationship. Lots of learning happens with failed relationships. That is if you allow it! It set me up to recognize that Sparky was the right one…

Looking at Detective Evans’ Partner Woes

Poor Detective Evans isn’t enjoying her new partner. That he showed up at her apartment was disconcerting, the reason why has pushed her over the edge…

I woke up with a pounding sinus headache compounded with a lack of sleep. Sitting up and marginally vertical, I managed to exit the bed. A shower and a swallow of milk from the carton to wash down the fistful of Ibuprofen and I was ready to tackle the day. The wind was driving raindrops against my window keeping time with the throbbing in my brain. Because of my pounding head, I was more likely to beat the day senseless and then shoot it. I’m just not a morning person when I’m sleep deprived. A sense of doom was pressing on my eyes when the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole I could see it was the kid, my supposed partner. His presence at my door was annoying as hell and I had to force myself to slide the chain out to open the door.

The pain in my head doubled as he entered and offered me half of his ham salad sandwich. What kind of idiot eats ham salad at 7:30 a.m.? I waved it off and before he could start up the enthusiasm, I hushed him. He was on my turf and damn it all, he was going to play by my rules. In a voice like a rusty blade drawn from a sandpaper sheath, I growled that I was in no mood for fun or games. Staring him down, I demanded to know why he was on my doorstep before I had put on my service weapon. He stammered and sputtered. Then in an orgasm of anguish, informed me that he had wrecked the car. My hand went up and I covered my mouth. Turning away, I ordered him to sit and stay before I left the room. I’ve been working on my language since it was pointed out that profanity was counterproductive to a promotion. So I stood in my bedroom screaming, “Foxes, foxes, foxes!” into a bath towel. I wanted to yell, “You (inconsiderate carcass of a rotting otter you) blew me (and any chance) away by destroying my day!” but I couldn’t muster the energy.

A quick finger comb of the hair and the gun and holster off the nightstand and I was ready to go. So far he had dumped a Big Gulp in my lap, broken my desk chair, ate my lunch, lost two sets of keys to the handcuffs, and now the car. At least it was still drivable. Walking to the car gave me time to calibrate my anger to a low sizzle. I gave him ‘The Look’ standing at the driver’s door and he received the message and handed me the keys without a word. I had called him Tiger, then Pussycat, and lately it was Kid but after the Lieutenant gets through with him, I’m thinking Hey You will be sufficient.

I incorporated the Procrastinator’s Weekly Writing Prompts from 2-22-2026 into this episode…

Looking at Four Ds

One of my goals is to be a lifelong learner. I think I’ve done pretty well. I was talking to Son#1 (who is a dedicated lifelong learner) and he mentioned the 4 Ds. “What are the four Ds?” I queried. He announced that they were the four life events that would allow him to alter his work provided life insurance, that is Divorce, Disability, Death, and Dispute. I kind of chuckled about Death being included. But he explained that it was the death of a beneficiary. Then it was obvious – a divorce or disability might require either a change in the named beneficiary or an increase in the amount of the coverage. But I still was curious about the dispute. Seems that it was referring to cases of adoption or custody of a named minor.

All that got me thinking about other 4 Ds. When I took a management course the 4 Ds were: Do, Defer, Delegate, and Delete as management strategies when prioritizing tasks to become more efficient. I worked for a Veterinarian back in 1983 (very briefly – like 3 weeks) who gave his clients, their pets, salesmen, and employees an alphabetical rating. The D for the owners stood for Deadbeat. The D for the pets meant Dangerous.  For salesmen the D stood for Dumb, and the D for his workers meant Difficult. This man wouldn’t waste his time on “D” people. Once I discovered his “system”, I quit and nearly had to take him to court to get my one and only pay check!!

I look for these 4 Ds in a friend: Devoted, Discreet, Dependable, and Droll.
There are other 4 Ds that I try to avoid: Depression, Distress, Dysfunction and Dismay.

What four Ds do you look for in a friend or a spouse? What four Ds do you want to avoid?

Looking at Alphabetical Apoplexy

The W3 Poet of the Week is Christine Bialczak. Her poetic challenge is to write either an Alphabet Poem (26 words where each word starts with a different letter of the alphabet no repeats and being in order is not required). Or to compose an Abecedarian poem (26 lines where the 1st letter of the first word in each line is in alphabetical order A to Z). As you can see from the length of the post, I selected the Abecedarian form. My news feed is filled with the president’s latest rant, outrageous claims or threats to our allies in NATO. I can’t keep up with the turmoil that this man is creating. From misogynistic remarks about the Women’s Hockey Teams’ Gold medal win, to the disastrous State of the Union address, to the discovery of additional Epstein files – it just never ends.

Absolute anarchy seems the intent
Biblical claims Trump is heaven sent
Chaos when mental confusion is seen
Dementia revealed in the Truth Social scene
Everyone’s pointing and laughing and talking
Forward tilt in standing and walking
Goes off script and his handlers panic
His moods shifts from sleepy to manic
In every instance it’s painfully true
Just open your eyes admit that you knew
Killings by ICE were ordered by him
Lies encouraged on a pedophilic whim
Meant that his name must be redacted
No mention be found they were all extracted
On cue to shift focus away from the truth
Pause the Epstein Files and abused youth
Quiet the crowds calling for impeachment
Realize they’ve seen video of mistreatment
Spin and evade, stall and defy, court decrees
Throw under the bus the loyal appointees
Ugly infighting takes center stage
Vance, Bondi, and Leavitt feel his rage
When exposed to his racist roar
Xenophobic remaining to his very core
Yelling to rally the remaining loyalists
Zealots beg to crown him and become royalists

P.S. I have no idea what this administration’s end game is supposed to be. At first it seemed a turning back of civil rights, then it was removal of anyone not deemed a “true” citizen, followed by the installation of a “King” and the rise of fascism. Now it appears they want to plunge the US into multiple wars.
* Apoplexy is a medical term that means a stroke but in the informal sense it is defined as: incapacity or speechlessness caused by extreme anger.

Looking at Detective Evans’ Patience

Detective Evans is losing patience with her new partner. He may be a rookie but she had hopes that he’d catch on a bit faster…

He was madder than a wet hen when he called. I let him rant for a few minutes then cut him off. Lack of information is not my problem. If he had asked I would have told him it was a pregnant lady and her unborn child. He did pass the exam and was promoted to detective, so was it so hard to act like one? I hadn’t really cracked the whip but he pushed me over the edge. After a terse exchange I dropped the call. My crime scene was calling on the other line.

The woman was on the bed with a pillow over her head. She had been suffocated. Unlike they show on TV, she had fought and bit clean through the feather pillow. I love refrigerators in an investigation. Right there in plain view were the instructions for the house sitter along with contact numbers in case of emergency. Their trip agenda was included which put them in Morocco until Sunday. I had a feeling they weren’t going to be happy when I called. That refrigerator cinched it, the female body didn’t belong to the lady of the house and the other corpse wasn’t the husband. Inside the fridge was an origami frog large enough to hold leftovers. It was obvious that the people upstairs had had dinner at the Diamonds and Jade Pagoda. One phone call and I had the identity of the bodies upstairs all because I love a refrigerator. From that point it was a quick slide to discover the chain of events. I won’t bore you, but this one afforded satisfactory closure. I hitched a ride with a uniform back to the precinct. Just as I had saved the report, my cell phone started buzzing like an angry bee. My cat was hungry and Tiger was going to get demoted to Pussycat if he was calling for help.