For the New Year

If You're Moving...

At the end of
a disheartening day
I slunk into
my first-ever Zumba class.
Flummoxed,
flailing my arms and legs-
no grace here.
Feeling my confusion
the young woman
next to me said
"If you're moving,
you're doing it right."
Ahhh...

****

My Shi-ty Little Life

How can my
very same life
go from shitty
to shiny
in five minutes?
Took my little life,
shook it up,
turned it over.

A.H.

Holiday Exultations

Don't get your tinsel in a tangle. Breathe..
Don't worry if your cookies crumble. Relax...
Don't meltdown under the mistletoe. Stay mellow...
Don't let your poinsettia wilt. Stay hydrated...
Don't let your ribbon unravel. Refresh...
Don't crush your candy cane. Celebrate...
Don't get your holly in a hassle. Hope...
Don't get your wassail in a whip. Let it go...
Don't get your bells in a jangle. Keep it simple...
Don't let your ornaments be an obstacle. Be grateful...
Don't let your tree topple. Stay balanced...
Don't let presents predominate. Give presence...

A.H.

Solstice -Reflections on Light

Solstice

Soon the black balloon
of the day
will spring a tiny leak,
the darkness dribbling out
slow at first
gaining speed
the balloon shrinking
and shriveling
until the sun
grows into a
fat ball of a day.
****

Whole Lotta Dark!

Dark 26 hours
a day now.
"Not possible"
you say.
Am using the
perceived light index.*

*think wind chill factor
*****

It is way dark now.
This can only mean one thing -
the light is closer.

A.H.

Fiction Starts Here

Fiction starts here
proclaimed the bookstore sign.
If only it was always
this clear,
a placard or
warning buzzer
when my mind
goes on walkabout-
my perceptions
fuzzy at best-
you are now entering
the fiction area-
perhaps an interesting story
but not true.

Fiction starts here
and continues
in the current national
political story,
certified fact-free,
an uneven plot line.
Who wrote this mess
and when will
fiction end here?

A.H.