365/365 - Enjoy

 

And so

that's the way it ends

The hollow clink

The empty bowl

Gone

Done 

Fin

But it was good

while it lasted

A moment shared

Time well spent

364/365 - Positive

 

Okay

January

Don't you think

it's quite enough

already?

You keep trying

but you can't beat me

Because I'll go outside

and I'll dance in the rain

You can thunder

you can lightening

you can do anything

but I'll just

shout into the wind

I'm not afraid

I don't care if I get wet

I'll jump in the puddles

anyway

and when I get home

I'll dry my shoes

on the heater

so tomorrow

I can be ready

to go back out

and play

363/365 - Insulation

 

In a meeting today

I heard someone say

Oh "F" word

It came out

so naturally

An exclamation

of frustration

and I couldn't help

but wonder

did she practice it

that way?

Did she think

well hey

I'm going to want

to swear someday

in front of my colleagues

but I couldn't possibly

upset their delicate

sensibilities

so I better make sure

I'm ready

for that inevitability

but instead of saying something

non-sensically

I'll just say the F-word

quite literally

362/365 - Most

There is indeed

too much

of a good thing

We've gone from

kicking up clouds of dust

to donning swimsuits

for our Sunday shopping

I mean I know it's needed

all this rain

But for the next

two weeks

we'll be the wettest

place on earth

and that's just

insane

 

361/365 - Mire

 

Well ain't that just

a metaphor

for how I feel today

The rain begins again

the wind is on the way

We're bogged down

in the muck and mire

that is January

With no break in sight

no sunshine

just varying shades of grey

But I'll keep on pedaling

through the puddles 

because I have to 

trust

that spring will come

someday

360/365 - Haughty

 

Why does BART

tiptoe through Berkeley

while in Oakland

it screams?

Those who have

more than enough

will just keep taking

'till they have everything

A million little injustices done

a million inches

in the great divide

until they need 

a freeway to cross it

right through your backyard

ten lanes wide

358/365 - Shudder

 

What is this

strange light

so different

from last night

when the winds howled

and the trees did

shudder and shake

but now

it's my shoulders

that quake

as I shed the damp chill

that's been draped

over my goose pimpled skin

and begin

to thaw

in the thralls of Ra

until the next

wave or rain

moves in

357/365 - Forgotten

 

Christmas is done

but somewhere in this house

there's still a celebration going on

I try and catch it

out the corner of my eye

a glimpse of tinsel

glittering

as I walk by

or some red and green

peeking

from a forgotten corner

Though I did try

to put it all away

there's always something

that escapes

and suddenly

months later

it's Christmas in July

356/365 - Serendipity

 

It's a good thing

we got a cat

and a mischievous one

at that

He takes it upon himself

to see

the dishes are

washed up promptly

But don't think the cat's

the only one with a job

because it turns out

we're also lucky to have a dog

who takes his responsibility

quite seriously

to keep our floors

food scrap free

So as you can see

pets are awesome

they do the things you didn't

even know

you needed done

355/365 - Convince

 

Day two

and I already

don't want to

but I did anyway

Despite the rain

(and even though

I procrastinated

all day)

And I'll be at it

again

tomorrow

whether the sky's blue

or grey

354/365 - Handsel

 

What better luck

to start the year

then to face

and conquer your fear

Okay, the word conquer

might be wrong

more put it in it's place

where it belongs

From zero feet

at the Bay

to 190

mingling

with the sun's rays

and only 7,000 steps

to get there

7,000 steps

into my fear

My gift to myself

to start the year

353/365 - Heaven (bonus poem)

 

You don't know how good it is

to walk on a rainy day

when your a pup like me

I may be afraid of every dog around

but on rainy days

this is my town

I stride up the sidewalk

confidently

skipping over puddles

with glee

I can linger as I like

sniffing every tree

because I don't have to worry

about what I may see

all the other pups

are trapped inside

but I am finally free

352/365 - Thick

 

It's the wettest day

of the year

possibly the wettest day

ever

here

The air is thick with moister

not just outside

but in the house

on the walls

the ground

the windows

the damp penetrates

inside and out

but it's not the water

I fear

it's the treat of mold

from damp air clothes

the ones in my closet

I keep (for some reason)

but never wear

351/365 - Communicate (bonus poem)

 

My voice is calling to me

from the other room

but how can that be?

Because we gave the cat

a voice

and he uses it

quite proficiently

Of course he really only

has one thing to say

and while the buttons

(programmed by me)

are for water, or cuddles, or play

for him

they all mean

the same exact thing

that he wants interaction

and he'll do anything

Now we were warned

it could get annoying

but honestly

it's quite allaying

that he asks for attention

before resorting to breaking things

350/365 - Literally

 

I'll see you next year I said

chuckling to myself at my cleverness

as I shut my computer down 

for the last workday of 2022

But who was I talking to?

Well no one of course

because my boss

sent a group chat at 1:41

wishing everyone

a happy new year

so at 1:42 she was

probably out for the year

But I still had 18 minutes

until my last meeting

which was over

at 2:15

The last 45 minutes

until our official early out

at three

dragged on for a million minutes

or so it seemed

until finally

the clock  rung

the day was done

I was free!

Happy New Year everybody

I'll see you next year

literally!

349/365 - Bonus (bonus poem)

 

A bonus word

for a bonus poem

on this bonus

sort of day

With hard work

and bad luck

both needing repaid

things seem to be

finally

going my way

72 hours until New Year's Eve

but I'm celebrating early

348/365 - Element

 

It's raining again

I heard it move in at 3 AM

Not that I'm complaining

We need it

you know

And the smell of petrichor

And the air, cleared of fireplace smoke

And all the green things

starting to grow

So what

if my feet get wet

and the dog

smells a bit

because together

down the wet streets

we skip

We're in our element

347/365 - Unlikely (bonus poem)

 

If I were to ask

if the candy

could last

until next year

I'm sure you'd say

NO WAY!

But

If I were to admit

it's only 3 days

away

Well?

Still

not likely

346/365 - Exert

 

I breathe deep

and savor

that I can

My exhale

a cloud of white

in the chilled December air

despite the warm

mid-day sun

My throat is dry

a threatening cough

my nose is cold

and threatening to run

but I don't care

because I'm out

I'm on a walk

and though 

I'm getting tired

and though

I've only gone a few blocks

still

my illness

is waning

though not yet gone

best not push it

too far

I think I'll head home

345/365 - Request (bonus poem)

 

Can I ask you a question?

A simple favor please?

Can you not look so cute

Its quite distracting to me

The way your paws

flop out your bed

and your little

sleepy snores

Its making it hard

for me to work

so please stop

I implore

And I know

that you'll say

you can't help it

and

its my problem

not yours

But if you keep it up

I'll have to move your bed

and then you'll be sleeping

on the floor