Dress Blues

All we have of freedom,
All we use or know,
This our fathers bought for us
Long and long ago.
Rudyard Kipling
The Old Issue
(1899)

Memorial Day Poems – Dress Blues
A Rhyme Embossed with Freedom’s Cost

His uniform, it gathers dust,
And yet she keeps it, as she must.
For since she heard the word, bereft,
It’s all of him that she has left.

His many medals, multi-hued,
Recall his image, love renewed.
With pride and sorrow, in his stead,
They form a pillow for her head.

Her love was spilt across the sea
To answer calls for liberty.
Though he’s been gone for many years,
His memory still ties her to tears.

Parades may form, and troops may march,
Processionals of neatest starch.
And they salute the sacrificed,
Who gave beyond what could be priced.

She’ll line her walk with flags again
To honor all the fallen men
And pray for loved ones left alone
With nothing by a granite stone.

She’ll lay some blossoms by his name,
Her loyalty thus to proclaim,
And hold his empty hat again
Until she joins the freedom train.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson

Public domain photo

(Posted for a “freedom” prompt at One Single Impression.)

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The Organ Recital

The Organ Recital
(A Poetic Drone on the Constant Moan)

He ruminates upon his keep,
This hypochondriac –
His pulse, his diet, lack of sleep,
A panicking attack.

Although his symptoms fall into
A fully normal range,
He’s certain that he’s caught the flu
Or ailments much more strange.

His hypertension and his weight
Bring no cause for alarm.
If we could make this guy abate,
I’d give my own right arm.

When cordial company inquires
And asks him how he is,
He launches off until he tires
To give our friends the biz.

We’ve tried to understand his pains,
And all his stats, so vital.
With sympathy, he more complains,
In his organ recital.

His liver, kidneys, heart and gut
Bring commentary sore.
To listeners, the truth’s clear-cut:
With whining, less is more.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson

(Posted in response to Simply Snickers’ prompt on “cordial” and “company”)

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Memorial Day

Answering a prompt
Option #2 - "Memorial Day Tribute"
at Slice of Life Sunday

and a prompt
on "reflection"
at One Single Impression

Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, especially, may we remember our veterans and those who gave their lives for freedom. Even as we plan Memorial Day picnics and festivities, let us not forget to reflect upon the price they paid.

Although Nickers and Ink usually includes only original poetry, today for Memorial Day it seems appropriate to cite a patriotic classic (from the public domain).

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee

Text: Samuel F. Smith, 1808-1895
Music: Thesaurus Musicus
Tune: AMERICA, Meter: 664.6664

My country,' tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

 

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

 

Our fathers' God, to Thee,
Author of liberty, to Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light
Protect us by Thy might, great God, our King.

Dressed-Up Dregs

(Written for Mad Kane’s “dating” prompt)

Dressed-Up Dregs –
Limericks Abnormal on a Springtime Formal

Deep in the pit of the pail,
She answered a fathomless wail.
She needed a date,
Refusing to wait,
And that’s where her dreams did derail.

Her best friend had chosen a gown.
The calendar reached its countdown.
So, left home alone,
She picked up the phone
And offered to go with some clown.

Her escort to prom was a cad,
A truly despicable lad.
Despite his fine suit,
She gave him the boot
And danced with a sweet undergrad.

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink. Click here for "Dressed-Up Dregs."

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Super-Seven Meme – Just for Fun

Super-Seven Meme – Just for Fun

Gemma has tagged me for a meme. This is the first tag-meme I have every tried, but it seemed like a fun idea for one time.

I have tagged five others (listed below, with links to their blogs), inviting them to play, if they wish. Of course, this is optional.

Instructions for the Super-Seven Meme:

All meme players answer these seven questions about themselves, posting their responses on their own blogs. Players may answer these questions any way they like.

At the end of their posts, all players will tag five people (of their own choices) and post their names in the same blog entries (as I did below).

Players then visit the blogs of those they have tagged to leave comments. This alerts the tagged folks to read the tagging players’ blogs for meme instructions.

If you have not yet been tagged, you can still play along with us. Just answer these questions on your own blog (with a link to this post right here), and tag five folks. Have fun!

Super-Seven Meme

1. Ten years ago: May 1998

Playing by Heart

A decade past, my kids would play;
We’d laugh and sing the hours away.
With baby grins
And chubby chins,
Why, every day was Mother’s Day.

My happy heart would overflow
To see my offspring bloom and grow
With energy
And synergy,
An animated picture show.

Now they are nearly peers; it’s true.
They try to tell me what to do.
With coyest wit,
Conniption fit,
An ever-knowing teen’s-eye-view.

But mothers’ hearts cannot be stilled,
Not even by the young, strong-willed.
With passion strong
And bond lifelong,
I watch my parent prayers fulfilled.

2. Five things on today's "to do" list:

(This item also responds to poetry prompts on “delayed,” “Edge” and “focus” from Three-Word Wednesday and “triolet” from Totally Optional Prompts.)

Triolet To-Do Today

I just don’t get it.
Perhaps I am delayed.
I just don’t get it.
A five-chore list I’ve made.
I just don’t get it.
The edges, they are frayed.
I just don’t get it.
My focus, it has strayed.
I just don’t get it . . . done.

3. Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:

(This item also responds to a poetry prompt on “race” and “own” from Two for Tuesdays.)

Loaded for Life

If I were a billionaire, holding the cards,
And leading the race by a few hundred yards,
I hope I would choose to hold loosely my cash
Instead of supporting my own private stash.

I might build an orphanage, mission or church,
Resulting from serious prayer and self-search.
For every gift comes direct from our God,
The only true Owner of all that is awed.

For who needs a castle and countless new toys,
Compared to eternal rewards and great joys!
Dear God, make my heart overflow, not my purse,
So I may adore You, for better or worse.

4. Three bad habits:

Collecting paperwork

Consuming chips

Craving chocolate

5. Five places I've lived:

Colorado

Florida

Massachusetts

Michigan

Pennsylvania

6. Five jobs I've had:

Advertising executive

Copywriter

Editor

Teacher

Writer

7. Five people I'm tagging for this meme. (Please note, this is completely optional!)

Jan at Moods and Metaphors

Juliet at Crafty Green Poet

Kneads to Know at Frequently Feline

Sylvia at Sylvia Calvia/Outlaw Art

Vixen at Vixen’s Den

Links for this post:

Loaded for Life

Playing by Heart

Triolet To-Do Today

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!