A faithful wife of thirty years,

My brother, the last of my childhood family, I hold dear.

My sons, in whom, I am so very proud.

My marriage, in which I am strictly vowed.

My new daughter who is bright as the day.

My new grandson who is on the way.

I have suffered, I have loss.

Yet I continue to kneel at the cross.

The people I love; that I hold dear,

Continue sustainment throughout the years.

My advise is simple and strait to speak of;

Hold fast to all of those that you love.

one Thanksgiving

I was given a piece

of paper

asked

to write

what I am grateful for

I wrote down

I am thankful

for the gravy on

these mashed potatoes

crumpled it up

and stuffed it

in the middle

of the perfect

white mounds

thankful for nothing

feeling alone and bitter

then I dumped salt on them

and like a wound

it only hurt more for it

We talked for the first time.

Each challenged the other

to be better, without

tearing each other down.

My hope is that we can

stay the course and be friends.

Fur coats

empty

full of warm political room

dabble in games of war

Russia, Prussia

NATO, veto

Audi, Saudi

gas, mass

EU, me, you

USA, no normal way

Brussel syllables

marshes Ukraine

me

us

not knowing, not being, not caring

played, moved, stripped, mute

no say

in it

no way

of it

Yes, cold, winter, snow, sleek, hail, ice

ravages of princess Europe

me and mine

huddling, not to freeze

Winter coming

and winter queen with with

monarch of cold

because

of politics of childish words of war