October Peak Poem

October Peak

by Joanne Faries

dedicated to my husband, Ray

Muscles twitch

anticipate

eyes dart

narrow focus

follow the ball

adjustments made

perceptible shift

hunch forward

lean back

hushed whisper

inhale, exhale

fingers clench, relax

ignore cheers

stretch

senses heighten

ready, ready, wait

Click

in the zone, he weaves

blocks commercials

juggles remote

answers phone

trained all summer

he’s peaked

it’s October

Pro football, World Series,

hockey, basketball, golf

NASCAR

Click

Note - as this time Ice hockey is on hold due to lockout - but he's poised for any return



Harvest Heat Poem

Harvest Heat

by Joanne Faries

burning leaf memory

inhaled, nose tingled

deep in my blood,

smoke oozed from pores

seeped into hair

airy ash wisps encircled my head

erie figures drifted in haze

rakes in hand swooshed

crimson, orange, yellow leaves

southwestern fall

air-conditioner whir at six

wheezes until midnight

dollars fly about the room

distills humidity, cools tepid air

I sweat

grass crunches

wind chimes silent

slack flag droops oppressed

scurry indoors

soul compresses

yearn for fire reds, golden hues

drab leaves herald October

pumpkins will explode

melt into pumpkin pie

not glow with Halloween candles

Pumpkin Parade

Mini-fake pumpkin patch in the front entrance brings me Halloween joy. I love October and have to contain myself before hauling Halloween decorations, mid-month, from the attic. As I was putting these posts into the ground I was pummeled by acorns dropping from our live oak trees. Aaahh, fall!

This October has been rainy and seemingly "cooler" than some previous Octobers. One never knows in Texas. Hence, the following poem is not truly applicable this year, but I'll share it anyway:

October Heat

October, burning leaves
it’s in my memory, inhale,
nose tingles
deep in my blood,
burnt leaf smoke oozes from my pores
airy wisps of ash encircle my head
seeps into my hair.
erie figures drifted in and out of the haze,
rakes in hand
swooshing crimson, orange, and yellow leaves

today, October in the South
air-conditioner whir kicks on at six
wheezes to a halt late evening.
dollars fly about the room
distilling humidity, cooling tepid air,
I sweat.

step on crunchy grass
wind chimes still
flags slacken, droopily oppressed
scurry back indoors
soul compresses

yearn for fire reds, golden, and deep oranges
brown, drab leaves herald fall this year.
it can’t be October.
pumpkins will explode in this heat,
melt into a pumpkin pie
not glow with Halloween candles.

I think I'll go eat some candy corn

Joanne