Libby Weber's Blog, page 27

May 26: For T

Three years ago, a group of friends amassed

To watch the final Potter film together.

That silliness felt jarring in contrast

To the fell fate befalling their bellwether.

There’s not really a satisfying answer

As to why that vivacious Hufflepuff

Should have to battle terminal brain cancer;

Because, perhaps, she’s made of sternest stuff.

For laughing wild amid severest woe

Was what she called on all of us to do,

Inspiring us to rhymes most apropos

And many lusty readings did ensue.

And though I never got t...

May 25: Roman à Clef

Each couple has two origins: the one

They tell their families and then the version

Their friends retell, not just because it’s fun,

But also from their own tales it’s diversion.

That pair who met “at work” met in a bar;

In World of Warcraft is “we met online;”

“We’re high school sweethearts” means he played guitar;

Love at first sight? They both had too much wine.

It’s easy to dismiss the shorthand tales-

At worst they’re trite; at best they’re a cliché.

But when we find that similar travails

We’ve all...

May 24: Pamplemousse

A grand dame, gems a-glitter at her throat,

Smiled down at my and husband’s hands entwined,

Remarking on how obviously we dote

Upon each other. Oh, how she maligned

Those lovers who ignored each others’ eyes

To stare at glowing screens throughout the meal,

And after eighty-seven years she prized

A life well spent enjoying what is real.

Her words and fragrance lingered in the air,

Approving warmth and Eau de Shalimar,

Leaving us flushed with pleasure, yet aware

Of shared perspective, even from afar.

While...

May 23: Open Up

When work’s intense and sleep’s in deficit

A change in schedule can be bothersome;

Annoyance, which resolves into a snit

Do not such welcome differences become.

For when work’s done and sleep is immanent

And music dances lightly on the breeze

One can’t maintain a state of discontent,

When sun and joy conspire to bring you ease.

When such gifts come, hold tight to gratitude

For when things will inevitably change;

And with that patient mental latitude,

Experientially expand your range.

And if impatience st...

May 22: At the Close

This is a moving-boxes time of year,

When piles of paper stacked precipitously

On horizontal surfaces appear

To cast their leaves away capriciously.

And as shed sheets infect desk after desk

They settle on the work that’s been assigned

And keep appearing, paperwork burlesque,

Resulting in paralysis of mind.

While teachers yearn for summer to arrive

Administrators brace for fiscal close.

What quarters system sadist did contrive

For both to be coevally imposed?

For one tends to succumb to greater tension

Wh...

May 21: I Envy You, Getting to Watch the Show

Forgive me, Interwebz, for I have sinned:

I fear that humblebrag I have committed.

Before my Facebook access you rescind,

Extenuating factors I’ve submitted:

Exhibit A: the brag was full of joy

In shared accomplishment; Exhibit B:

I have invited others to enjoy-

It’s all for a good cause (Exhibit C).

Yet, Lordy Lou! I cannot help but grin

At having shared the stage with two rock stars-

The videos and pics are full of win,

The victory’s not only mine, but ours.

Such rapture is nearly beyond my ken…

Oh crap...

May 20: More Life Lessons

If walking shoes don’t make your feet feel whole,

For heaven’s sake, don’t buy them! Don’t get pissed

And try to shame a shameless Twitter troll,

Especially if she’s a journalist.

When changing purses, don’t forget your wallet,

And always keep to-do lists close at hand.

Plug-in expired? Have IT re-install it-

The next time that it’s needed won’t be planned.

And should an urgent matter slip your mind,

While waiting on another, what you do

When you remember: call her, but be kind-

It’s probable that she f...

May 19: Gentle Reminders

A day that follows monumental highs

That’s split between joy and unpleasantness

Reminds one that it’s possible to rise

If to the universe you acquiesce.

That stroke of luck that shows you what you need

Before you know that it is paramount;

Awareness of the planting of that seed

Can help you your inertia to surmount.

That vision that allows you to discern

The path between your present and your goal

Forestalls the nagging question if you’ve earned

The right to seek without paying a toll.

Farewell, Paralysi...

May 18: Mood Indigo

Photo Credit: Sarah Sato

If I achieve some measure of success

And am invited, then, to sing or play,

I hope that graciousness I will possess

Like Emily Saliers and Amy Ray;

That when I’ve been performing thirty years

May I still be amenable to things

Both new and different with an easy cheer,

And may I still have voice with which to sing

For songs of struggle tie present to past,

Objections to injustice from those who

Believe the songs their conflicts will outlast,

Though knowing that the battle isn’t ne...

May 17: Left-Handed Compliments

When Kirill Gerstein stood up, having played

Rachmaninoff’s concerto number three,

More virtuosity was then displayed;

His encore for left hand filled me with glee.

With his right hand at rest upon his thigh,

His left spun peerless aural fantasies

That seemed impossible, at least well-nigh,

With just five fingers dancing on the keys.

I thought if Anton Rubinstein could write

What Kirill Gerstein then saw fit to play,

Such strictures creativity ignites,

Inspiring other artists on the way.

And yet, I doub...