My Birthday

I slept in
and woke up
with Izzy by my side.
I was greeted
by a beautiful
'Birthday Table'
that included soaps,
bubble bath,
a bouquet of
stunning roses,
and Rockets
the size of Toonies.
I lazed around,
had a bath,
watched movies,
and drank coffee.
When the sun went down
we walked to our local
Greek restaurant
and had a feast that
tantalized our palates.
We walked home in the
dark
with our
glow necklaces
guiding our way.
Just when I thought
I had the best day
ever,
my cousin had her
baby.
A new addition to the
September 30th legacy.
Happy Birthday to me!

Sally

September 30th

It's my birthday soon
Tomorrow I'll be older
By one stinkin' year

Sally

You Put the ADD in Daddy

I step into the kitchen,
every cupboard door is open.
There's a flip flop on the counter
and a lunch kit is smokin'.

You're holding half a hot dog
with a coffee and some cheese.
You begin washing the dishes,
then the ceiling start to clean.

You've started on the laundry,
you have clearly washed the whites.
While they sit, all wet, neglected,
you go off to fix some bikes.

Then you come down, warm and steamy,
having taken a nice bath,
and you dig a hole, then stop,
leaving the shovel in the path.

It's so great to have a partner
who I never have to ask,
though it would be very useful
for you to complete a task.

Sally

                            Parents

Punctually arriving at  'Meet the Creature' night.

Painfully obvious which apple has fallen from which tree.

Prepared with questions to keep you on your toes.

Precise with their expectations.

Poignant with their criticism.

Preposterously demanding the impossible.

Positively relieved to survive the experience once again!!!

Sally

I understand that Ellen's (Degeneres) mother is nursing an injured back. Here is a Haiku for her, sending love and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Back in Business

Sweet Ellen's mother
Use Ellen's laughs for healing
and ALL my love too!

Sally

A Day of Atonement

Silence
Shimmer
Twinkle
The candlelight
illuminates
the room.
All present
are solemn in prayer.
Stomachs rumble
below parched throats,
as each
congregation member
begs for
forgiveness
and hopes for
a sweeter
tomorrow.

Sally

Yo Bully!

You really hurt me
when you misquoted me, but
I'm over it now!

Sally

Big Father

So you're off like
the bride's pajamas eh!?!?!
I know you love
Big Brother.
I also know that it is a
ritual
that you and your children
have maintained for years.
I get it!
That doesn't mean that I won't
make fun of you.
Watching adults bicker
and back-stab.
Trapped in a house
playing games
under a
microscope.
It just doesn't
strike me
as entertainment.

I guess that is one
of our
many differences.
You make fun of me
when I watch
True Blood.
(I told you I just
like the
vampire sex...)
and I make fun
of your
Reality TV
addiction.
We CAN
agree to disagree.

HOWEVER...
Must you really
stand in line
all night to
audition for
Big Brother Canada?
That seems a little
extreme.
Being away from your
family for months!
Expecting me to play
single parent
while you're off
putting your life
in the spotlight.

SIGH
It's a good thing that
I love you.
It's a good thing that I
vowed
years ago
to support you,
and encourage you
to follow your
dreams.
I just wish
that your mid-life crisis
consisted
of buying a
sports car...
That's significantly
more private!

I do
wish you the best,
though.
Let's hope
they're looking for
an adorable,
forty-something
teacher.
You know we'll watch!
You know we'll cheer you on!
Just remember
you'll owe me.
Make sure you bring
a set of fangs
to our next
romantic encounter.
That should even things out...

Sally

The Perfect Pair

The Burton/Depp duo
is more fluid than
Jack Daniel's and Coke,
yielding a similar
outcome.
A full on
body buzz
with lasting
mental stimulation.

Sally

        We Recall

Poor Noah. Someone's
car ran over his Cheese String.
That's such rotten luck!

Sally

My thoughts upon returning from "Meet the Teacher" night at my children's school.

    Easy As ABC?

Astoundingly difficult

Being around professionals who

Consistently

Disappoint

Endlessly wishing I weren't such a critic.

Sally

Warning... The backbone of the following poem is an expletive, but sometimes you just have to go there!

Fatally

Unaware of

Critical

Karma


Enticing

Destiny


Sally

Slipping, sliding, slowly seeping

Losing, latching, longing, leaving

Ever edging, endless reaching

Effort made towards a seeing

Punctuated, piercing, POP! Off to Sleepyland I drop!

Sally

Family Reunion

We sang
and clapped our hands
so loud, we woke the past,
and celebrated with our roots.
Reviving a sweet youth
so full of hope.
"To Life!"

Sally

         Happy 5773  

Happy Jewish New Year!
May sweetness come your way.
Happy Jewish New Year!
With blessings on this day.
May all your close one's
health be strong,
and moments of joy
and pleasure be long.
Happy Jewish New Year!
For ALL of you I pray,
for much success and happiness,
on this New Year's day.

Sally

Freedom of Speech 1

Medvedev called out
and Pussy Riot was freed.
There is hope for us.

Sally

It's Time

Although it's a blessing to have work each day,
I'm glad to have weekends for downtime and play!

Sally

This conversation really happened.
Here it is in Tanka form.

Don't Worry Honey, He's Gay

Ring. Ring. "Hello son?
I'm not coming home tonight.
I'm sleeping at Tim's."
Silence. "Does dad know your plan?"
"Don't worry honey, Tim's gay."

Sally

Where I am From

I am from Yaakov and Yael,

from toothpicks and falafel.

I am from, “No choosing!”

and “Go put your pajama!”

I am from

Sabbath candles, and

the waft of home-made challah bread.

I am from skeletons and instruments,

from coffee makers and movies.

I am from kitty cats, Family Portraits,

and fragrant herbs winding up the porch.

I am from Oak Street,

and Canada,

whose vibrant images flash

in my photo album.

I’m from SFU, theatre school

and rolling around on

Swedish hardwood floors.

I am from “Waiting for Godot”,

a hairy leg metamorphosis  for “The Lover”,

and Christos receiving my

“Loud and resounding voices.”

I am made up of Desmond, Aeden and Liam,

and the infamous Mommy Brigade…

I reek of Harry Potter audio books and

hot chocolate at midnight.

I am from cuddles by the fire,

Thanksgiving, and

Family Game Night.

I am the evolution of a nation

and the mixed up

puzzle pieces of a

Broadway musical.

I am where I am from,

and where I am from

consumes me.

Sally

Gotta Love It

Today we spoke of conflict,
in our English class.
How every story needs it,
to avoid sounding like trash.

We talked about Internal
and External conflict too.
How one takes place inside,
and the other out of you.

I asked for examples
from my sweet and eager class.
This is what I heard,
and it really made me laugh.

"Internal is when you feel bad
or have troubles in your head.
It's when you can't decide,
or are filled with aching dread."

"External is when you're sitting
in a barn with *crapple pie,
and your horse sneaks in and eats it,
licking your plate dry."

OK

It is definitely true,
that example is External,
but between the barn and pie,
it really is unusual.

It is great to work with children,
and the wild things they say.
To surprise and entertain you
on any given day.

Sally

*Cranberry/Apple 

         Silver Jubilee 

I have a nice new hair colour,
it's fancy, on display.
It shimmers in the sunlight.
It twinkles when I play.
I have a nice new hair colour,
that tells of past todays.
It's mature, sublime and classy...
In truth I'm going grey.

Sally

My Son's New Job

I set my alarm
to wake me up at midnight
to pick up Desmond.

Sally

     A Saturday Tanka

I squint at the clock.
It's just after 8 am.
I'm still in my bed,
cozy and well rested, while
the waft of pancakes creeps in.

Sally

TGIF

I survived the week
with no major casualties.
Thank God for weekends!

Sally

NNTS

I race to photocopy.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
I do a grammar dance.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
We organize our binders.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
I watch them
in the playground.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
We trace our hands,
while thinking deeply.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
We concentrate
until 3:30.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
I zigzag up the
hall with speed.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Squeeze
Realizing all day
I'd forgotten to pee.
Nudge nudge
Tinkle
Aaaaaaahhh!

Sally

                              Children

Children are the reason I can exit my bed at 4:45 am.

Children make me laugh and experience life through candy-coloured glasses.

Children are not afraid to identify truths in the world.

Children remind us of how far we've come,

consequently illuminating how much has passed.

Children are the link between the generations and

clearly, the best thing that has ever happened to our future.

Sally

There's No Place Like Home

I had a great day
Then I came home and lost it
all over the floor

Sally

Good Evening,
     Tonight is the last night of my vacation. Tomorrow I go back into the classroom to teach Grade 7 Humanities. I have always found poetry to be cathartic, and a good way for me to organize complex thoughts and feelings. With Poetic Rehab, I tried to share the concept of using poetry writing as rehabilitation. I wrote every day for almost two months. It was fantastic! The process imposed structure in my day, as well as my mind. It impacted the way I reflected on my experiences. I had my eyes open for inspiration and ideas, and found myself constantly dancing with language. The experience contributed to one of the most enjoyable summer vacations in years. Thank you for reading. I will continue to post as often as I can, and truly encourage you to try a little Poetic Rehab!

Like a Kid

My backpack is packed
I've selected my outfit
I'm ready to go

Sally

Pep Talk

Sunday.
Two days to go
before my summer ends.
It feels like pre-labour, knowing
that soon the pain
will come.

Bringing
with it the gift
of beautiful children.
Open to soak in my message.
To teach me how
to share.

Closely,
I'll nurture them,
and they will nurture me.
As we expand our knowledge base
and move forward,
learning.

Painful
at times, and tough
to keep up with it all.
But worth every second given,
to witness the
growing.

Sally.
Suck it up girl.
You will find what it takes
to be there for all of your kids.
As mother, and
teacher.

Tuesday.
Just the first day,
of many more to come.
The cycle has started again,
and you will light
the way.

Sally

Redeeming Qualities

We used to have
the greatest neighbours.
We talked through
kitchen windows,
and got together every
New Years Eve.
Then they bought a house,
and a new family
moved in.
I have since spent
three years
searching for
reasons to like them.
I've found few.

They have a dog
that barks, and
barks and barks.
They once went away
for the weekend,
and left him trapped
in the house.
They were wise enough
to leave the windows open,
so we could
listen to him
bark and howl
for two days straight.
I called the
SPCA,
looking for
a way to punish them,
not the dog.

They also have
a couple of kids,
and the parenting skills
of a 14 year old
Valley Girl.
The mom talks
in one of those
fake voices,
reminiscent of
Grandma Mimma
on helium.
We listen to the
countdowns
that lead nowhere,
the threats,
the begging,
the pleading,
while the kids scream
bloody murder
in search of
non-existent boundaries.

I refuse to give up.
So, I keep looking,
in hopes of finding
a few
redeeming qualities.

Sally