BE MY VALENTINE

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

hunky valentine 2One homemade heart
trimmed in frilly,
white lace…

One arrow,
one promise
of a sweet,
warm embrace…

Once it’s notched,
drawn,
and trained
on his chosen bullseye,
Cupid first
blows a kiss,
and then
lets
it
~~~ fly ~~~

Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, HUMOR, POEMS, VIEW FROM MY SOAP BOX | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

COLOR MY WORLD

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Even though the winter storms in Northern California are very different from those in Brooklyn, New York…

winter collage

…they can make for a rather grey, dismal, and dreary day. Continue reading →

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LITERALLY, THE END

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

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Out of all the tickers that stopped at precisely 12:15 pm, Alastair Hoodwink managed to squeeze a few more seconds from his for a last word with his son Malcolm…

“When the world literally begins to fade into a blank canvas, rest assured, the end is nigh.”

 

The artist’s final thoughts, whispered in Malcolm’s elfin ear moments before he expelled his last tobacco laced breath, would normally have Continue reading →

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A MOST DUBIOUS COLLECTION

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

51ZWVmpx8uLAlice Wetherby Pimms had a penchant for collecting governesses. Of her many peculiarities, this was perhaps the most curious, for in the first seven and three-quarter years of her young life, shipping magnate Roderick Pimms’ only child had procured precisely eleven of them. Rounding up, this would make it an average of 1.5 nannies in a twelve month period that had been employed to entertain the girl’s every whim. Imagine half a nanny. It conjures a frightful image, does it not? Nonetheless, many have attributed the ladies’ dismissals to Alice’s love of P. L. Travers fictitious character Mary Poppins.

This may clarify the child’s constant dissatisfaction with them; however, it does not explain their disappearance once they’d been terminated.

Now I’m sure you’re questioning Continue reading →

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‘TWAS THE NIGHT OF BAH HUMBUG

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

sad donna ornament‘Twas just before Christmas,
when the Grinch played his part.
His slim, furry fingers fouled
my holiday’s start
by pointing out the turmoil bubbling up
in our world-
the hatreds,
the judgements,
the greed that had unfurled.

Indeed, ’twas too late,
for neither laugh nor smile,
would ward off the Humbug cloud forming
in true Ebenezer Scrooge style…

‘Twas the night between the longest and the Most Holy Eve Continue reading →

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The Inner/Outer Writing Paradox (Or, From an Old Oak Desk in New England)

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Writers write. Right? Author Michael S. Fedison nails the paradoxical reality that fuels many of us…

The Eye-Dancers's avatarEye-Dancers

Where is your special place, the place where you block out the clutter and noise and distractions, and let your creative energy flow?

Mine is an old oak desk that my father used to use when he was a student in school, decades ago.  It’s solid, heavy, and not designed for the accoutrements of 21st-century digital technology.  But it’s my little oasis to think and dream and create.

oasis

My father actually passed the desk on to me while I was still living with my parents, a high school student with my eyes peeled toward the future, the promise of ten thousand tomorrows, of horizons to be explored and aspirations realized.  We are old friends, my desk and I.  The oak is scarred in spots, dented in others, victim to the long passage of time and the elements.  But the imperfections merely serve to make it more approachable, more real, more

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ONCE THE LIGHT IS OUT

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

jazzface
I miss you already.

Once the light is out and the room is silent,
I will miss you even more.

“Remember the time…” fills the house already.

Once the light is out and the house is silent
I will remember you even more…

 

Like how you taught me to pause, take a deep breath, and jump to find my joy Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, EVENTS, FAMILY, LUCY and JAZZIE, POEMS | Tagged , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

A CHALLENGING TRANSITION

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

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Once upon a time, not so very long ago, my children’s feet fit into the palm of their father’s hand – but only

 

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Posted in ADVENTURES, TRAVEL/PHOTO Themes, VIEW FROM MY SOAP BOX | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

AN ICON SPEAKS

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

statue-of-liberty-690574_640The sky grows dark. Thunder heralds the approaching storm. The lamplight flickers. A passing dove stops to rest on the icon’s shoulder.

“Tell me, friend.” The great lady creaks in the wind. “What’s the news from the outside world?”

 

The symbol of peace pushes off from the knotted fold in the grand dame’s tarnished tunic and fights the gathering gale so that he may perch on her ear. “Given the turn in the weather, it has been suggested that a cloak be stitched for you.”

“Now? But I’ve withstood greater storms than this for nearly thirteen decades. That’s not to say that a wrap would certainly keep my shoulders warm. And what of my standing invitation?

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“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

A cloak of such great length will Continue reading →

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APRÈS HALLOWEEN

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

halloween bremer musikantenAnticipation builds when a decorate-able holiday approaches. Eggs are hung from trees, reindeer are bolted to roofs, carved jack-o-lanterns are set at the door. The decor reminds our salivary glands of  the marshmallow Peeps, chocolate-filled gold coins, and spiced pumpkin pie to come. So, we decorate to the nines. We cook for days, then stuff our bellies full.

But before the football game’s over, it’s time to clean up and undeck-the-halls. The dried up boughs of holly get tossed, the spent candles are pitched, and the turkey carcass is made into soup. After Halloween, the skeleton is stuffed back into the closet – but, as in my case, only once he’s had the last word:

“Gather your vampires, witches, and bats,
Spiders, ghosties, and arch-backed black cats
Put them together with the goblins and ghouls,
Then load them up high on the backs of pack mules.
Or store them in boxes way up in your attic!”
The skeleton in my closet was downright emphatic. Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, HOLIDAYS, HUMOR, POEMS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments