Caroline Gerardo's Blog, page 16

Letter to Son At College

My Dear Son:

While you are away at college this year is challenging. You experience financial and emotional loss. Thefts of laptops, phone, engineering calculators and broken car windows during midterms cause frustration. You survive missing friends and girlfriend breakups. Living with a crowd of entitled kids is a mess.
All loss of stuff – can be fixed.

I struggle with three jobs. Writing is solitary, mortgage banking is brutal and cleaning up neighbor’s ranch. I work to pay for your college to help you avoid the yoke of student loans. I’m disappointed you won’t be home for Thanksgiving and that you choose to be with your father and grandfather who have not supported you for the past twenty-one years. Don’t change your plans. You’re a grown man. Consider the choices of your future.


My advice:Make backups of your college data work on the laptop – google docs, apple, AND a stick.Work harder at school. If an assignment requires two hours labor, give it six.Earn a voice in the classroom as the most caring student.Review where you park –the car break, the hit and run, and the break in of the trunk are events related to location. Your college town is not safe.  Drug people, thieves and the desperate continue to wreak havoc. Park in well lit areas. When going to your car at night it is great to carry that cane, be aware of unusual action around you. I texted you the auto place that can add a louder alarm. Drop the car off, use our joint account.Lock your doors. Lock your room door. Don’t leave the new laptop in the trunk.Take a few moments before you react to problems.Smile and make friends on campus.Be a helper.Thank God often.Rather than ask “what’s in it for me?” Stand up to serve.
You have the tools to find your joy. Some days will be bad, some not much but work and when you do your best, feel good. I love you. With all my heart,
Momcopyright November 15, 2017

Sea Lions

Sea Lionspoem in progressthey speakthey walk on landthey have flap earsthey talk very loud they have big family they enjoy the relatives, they like some, some notthey sunbathe and take napsthey gossip about nosy seals they have a harem of lion girlsthey slow heart rate when divingthey are losing pups to lack of foodthey can't handle warmer waters they eat clean fish to survive they swim 25 miles an hourthey need our supportthey can't ask for itthey want lovethey speakthey needthey lovesea lionsdon't recite poems

©
Caroline Gerardo
November 13, 2017 copyright 

My Pleasure

 My Pleasure   Poem



















My pleasure

Fast food restaurants never serve spinach,spoils soon, raises costs reduces profits.Do not greet me to dine with Yogi bear.Creep Speak, servant robots obey the bossGreasy floor is no picnic with red pear.

My pleasure

I’m number five in line in the drive-through.Badass behind honks horn and curses shit.A bag of Reece Pieces in my car,I get out and give him the solution.“Hungry? Maybe this eases your heart wait.”He says nothing but stops noise pollution.
My pleasure
Coyote carcass on the road in lanesHook a wince I haul it off to safetyThere’s a man who drives wild past every daycoming and going, today makes eye contactThis one time he stops to help and I say.

My pleasure



Caroline Gerardo copyright  © November 10, 2017

Wildflower Poem

Wild Flowers
I keep on picking purple love flowersto hunt for prey with butterfly powers.A hand can clap the bug silver on skin,a narcissist puts souls in death tailspin.
The moth eats cashmere iridescent chips.To work three jobs that pay in little drips.So bad suffering survives those stricken. The coyotes kill sweet natured chickens.
Drug dealers buy a burrito  silence.  a free lunch in exchange for alliance.Stealers seem to sneak away with murder.Smiling, pack my wings in ziplock harbor.
But stillI willkeep on picking purple wild flowers.







Poem and images
copyright © 
November 6, 2017
Caroline Gerardo

Happy Halloween

[image error] To lighten your heart for Halloween I made a Gif of Chinelos dancers from the Festival in Santa BarbaraNo poetry today.A wish you will sing or dance or scare away the clowns
Copyright © Caroline Gerardo

Dust To Dust Poem

Hamburger Obituary

This week two deaths, wait for the third,thud it makes that drum ba dum bum ching sound,bad timing of humor hits me on the back side of the head.For thirty years I assumed In and Out was expensive.Never bought double double, bucks for hamburger meat dread,held a grudge because I blame them for my father’s early death. Snuck greasy wrappers in the outside bins under grass clippings.I’m no devout vegan, in and out of vegetarian; offer homemade barbeque, and my diet opinions remain on wind's silent breath.Be polite, endure high cholesterol, drink your mojito, and smile.
On a ranch, cattle, luxury grazers on thousands of acres.I asked on Instagram to name them and got snickers…A calf lives carefree, except for howls of lard coyotes at night.In spring's end, ships to Japan for viagra sexual power in this breed.Last year, calf went down, that’s what the cowboys say, right.Mammas, yes, a group of them,  says shiva with the baby. Injured or dead don’t leave one behind, may heaven comfort.Cows are kind, keep family that humans divorce, discard.
Ghusl washes like sunlight on a clothes line, to heaven.
Funerals make me nostalgic.Old loves run my mind.What did I do wrong?When did you give me the crucifix I wear?Why no mention when the gold clasp meets the cross?
Time for a Hail Mary.
Ashes from the funeral on my face, as the priest does on Ash Wednesday.
A haboob before white linen sheet.Wipe the dirt on my forehead?
No worry
I'm in Heaven
and soul full of grace,
can't wait to see you again.

Dust to Dust sticks to smoky grease.






Caroline Gerardo copyright ©  October 18, 2017 photographs and poem all rights reserved "Obituary"  

Those I Chose at the Lakes

Those I Chose
What Wildfire destroys, nature patchesFirst herbs, hickory, and oak of ashes
Oxidation burns revolves Volatilization dissolves
Leaving vapor in droughtSequoia seeds heat sprout
Those I Chose
Memoir of Loves who failLies scurry under deep trail
Rest spins the wheelTime does not heal
Sun howls moon climbswitness to heart crimes
Those I Chose
to give timeto grow to love



Caroline Gerardo
Those I Chose Poem
poetry and images copyright
©  October 16, 2017

Book Covers I love

Blue book splines
Jean Paul Grenwalt's company  Book Arts
http://bookarts.us/AboutUs.html


Canadian BOOK bindershttps://www.cbbag.ca/

JOHN PAUL GREENAWALT

House Of Stone

House of Stone Poem
Arroyo toad snuck in nights.Amphibian trying for days.Art in screen porch orchidsat home late scurry freezes a kit fox back for chickens?another prowler in stables?automatic mass weapons?abandoned  house of stonesaccept still scorpion hidesall ur envy green is whitesAs from tower waterfallsand fear runs no oceans.I'm not afraid of bears.Lord wash all my sins.Alzheimer memories all toads in rat traps.


Notes about today's poem
Arroyo toads are endangered but there's a number of them on the ranch.
January's rain conjured their ancient eggs. They were active in spring,
our days are warm but they know it's fall. Nights grow longer, and
evening starts at 6:50 in town but 6:20 here as the mountain blocks the southern
sky. The toads hunt for a place to stay for the winter. In the summer one got caught
in a rat trap, daughter nursed his bum leg. Funny to care for all types of creatures
you will think.These toads are toxic to humans and animals, can cause death by touch.
He healed and released, haven't seen him since August; but a couple
of his girlfriends hop in the greenhouse/ screened porch at night.
Like you I saw the suffering in Vegas, my work organized a thank you
note program for first responders. If interested contact me. Thousands of people,
as Mr. Rogers might say if here, the helpers, saved lives need us to risk picking them up and
healing the poison.
Images are from my last trip to Iceland.
Much love and don't be afraid of the bump in the house.
A madman a terrorist checks into a hotel with a golf bag
of ammo and we mourn his mean acts.
I wont be stopped.
All rights reserved copyright  ©  Caroline Gerardo October 7 2017

Steam

Life flux trembles Name him madmanLabel doesn't healTime doesn't healSteam burns then disappears
Evil conjure symbolsCall her witchLabel doesn't healTime doesn't healSteam rises and disappears
Crush ancient vesselsDance upon shardsTime doesn't healSteam disappears.





Caroline Gerardo Steam Poem copyright  © October 2 2017 photographs of geothermals in Iceland and all rights reserved. Reference to Las Vegas Sunday