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Poetry du Jour Sample Poems



Sample Devotional Wedding Poem
(Husband to wife)
December 2016



Poem for Kasa


Light painted all the acts
red that night
we flew to our country
of eight islands,
Kasa—
red, so red! my hips, my thighs,
all the way to my ears;
lucky we were
that the blue customs man
didn't see those bumps,
and luckier still,
that Yosano helped us
to the clinic the next morning.

Our visit to the steam bath
at the Ryokan in Unzen
helped to ease our travels,
the highest gift
embracing us like
curtains from the sky.

Your favorite comfort food,
tempura soba
with radish, and sliced green negi
I love to make
to delight you
when you come home
and I hear the jewel
of your voice.

Your ceramic vases,
your pots and lazy cups
line our window seat
like divine treasures
that shine with earth-toned
brightness from your kiln.

Poems rise now
from my hands
like white flocks
of cattle egret
adorned with plumes of light
which I offer you
my beloved.



Sample Love Poem
December 2017



To Lisa


Dinner in Healdsburg
with you tonight—
ridiculously delicious bleu cheese
caramelized onion jam,
creamy lemon egg white cocktail
and our meal vowels

Lisa,
your clear, important lips
the sky knows its fortunes.
I'm pulling out my hair.
Tugging at my jacket.

From our fragrant, charred
artichoke with aioli
we scoop the whiskers
and return them to our server.

Dearest, of all the time
we've spent together,
from your thoughtful
considerate soul,
to your kindness,
I love you most of all
for your intelligence
as the sun loves the earth.



Sample Birthday Poem
(Two wives, in praise of their husbands)
March 2017



The Twins


In the roar of a leaf blower,
in the reverb of barking dogs,

I hear your guitar,
Alex,

I hear your saxophone,
Robert—

Brazilian jazz, boogie-woogie
bright and spicy as your garlic,
rosemary and basil
artichoke Frutti di Mare pasta.

March 25, 1955
the two of you were born—
what do we feed
the two brothers
from another mother?

Alex, I love you for
your intense, Irish
dino kale-clipping hands

Robert, how adorable
when you scold Buttons
for licking the carpet.

Alex, you're so thoughtful
for leaving your used fork
beside our couch.

Robert, how charming,
your trips to Milpitas
to see Ellen—the lone clipper of
the world's finest hair.

So endearing, Alex, when
you ask me to shave
your nose every day.

Bravo, Robert
for sleeping until
"Top of the Morning"
becomes 10:30.

Alex, your passionate
sheet metal soliloquies.

Robert, your night heron's
froggy craw full of tall tales

We love the vortex
of your double Aries
tornadoes that have
swept us fast from our feet
all these years.




Sample Wedding Poem
(From aunt to niece)
May 2017



Blessings on Your Wedding Day


Years ago on Halloween
costumed like Elvira,
ripped and tattered
horror movie Saturday night,
the light and dark in you,
Gothic as a cute-faced
pot-bellied pig, with
Allen dressed in concord grape
as a bloody-evil clown,
the two of you were
the smartest drops of light at
the Texas Frightmare Weekend.

Dressing now like you're from the 40s,
voluptuous
in your wedding gown,
lace-and-bead
woven flower spirals,
the peacock feather tattoo
on your neck—
Laura,
our jeweled blessings
arrive on your and Allen's
special day.

We hope that you will have
the love you've always deserved—
may it last for eternity,
and remember to smile and breathe,
because you are the most exquisite
yellow rose in the garden.





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