Traces of You

I wrote this song a few months after Mike committed suicide. Mike was a collector of many things, and after his death I had to clean out his home. A lot of his things ended up at my house. Mike had also done a lot of building on my property, and for a long time it seemed like everywhere I looked, there was something he had owned or built, a memory, a trace of him. It was a hard time.

Traces of You

Jackie Ginn

May 10, 2017

Sitting here all by myself,

I see traces of you.

Complex, simple, weak and strong -

All traces of you.

When I walked away from you

I tried to put you out.

I wanted all things to be gone -

Gone, without a doubt.

But still I find these traces here,

And what am I to do?

Surrounding me both day and night,

These traces of you.

Some traces I can hide away

So I don’t have to see,

But some creep out of corners

Unexpectedly.

You left this world behind you.

It’s tragic, and it’s true.

And you left me ever holding

These traces of you.

The Incredibly Stupid Miss J

The Incredibly Stupid Miss J

Jan. 15, 2016

The incredibly stupid Miss J

Chose to marry Mr. M. one day

Not for fortune nor fame,

But to give the babe a name,

And with no babe on the way,

She might have married anyway

Because she was incredibly stupid.

The incredibly stupid Miss J

Fell for muscular biceps one day,

And the handsomeness of his face

Caused her careless young heart to race.

She ran off one January day

And married Mr. J.

Because she was incredibly stupid.

The incredibly stupid Miss J

Always chose to say “yea”

So as not to hurt the guy,

Hence she married Mr. Y.

Plus he played in a western band

So she gave Mr. Y.  her hand

Because she was incredibly stupid.

The incredibly stupid Miss J

Felt extremely lonely one day

When along came Mr. G.

Right time, right place, thought she.

Just how wrong can a woman be?

Pretty wrong, because you see,

Miss J was incredibly stupid.

How many wrong reasons to marry

Before a woman gets wary?

How many bad days and bad nights?

How many cross words and fights?

And it’s really sad and funny

That she never married for money,

The incredibly stupid Miss J.

Battle Scars

August 11, 2014

Life is just a bowl of cherries, someone said.

Easy to breeze on through,

Come out unscathed on the other side.

If only it were true.

When I was born, a tiny little

dark brown birthmark mole

Was the only mark upon me.

It was planted on my sole.

My first battle was with chicken pox.  

I was but a very young child.

A small circle mark on the side of my nose

Proved my case was very mild.

At age eight I was running on gravel

And a fall took its toll on me,

A deep circular scab that I kept picking

Left a big scar on my knee.

Then a year later I fell off a bike

And the handlebar hit my gut.

A semi-circle mark was left

After it healed from the original cut.

Poison oak left a tiny white circle

At the base of one of my toes.

But for several years after, I was

Free from physical woes.

A ring snagged on my finger 

After eight or ten years.

Just a small stripe now reminds me

Of that moment when I shed tears.

A few more years and my gallbladder

Caused pain when it went all wrong.

Surgery left an abominable

Abdominal mark a foot long.

Many years passed with no new visible scars

And I felt pretty good about things.

I had no idea of the battles I'd fight

When cancer entered the ring.

 A lumpectomy left my left breast

Much smaller than the right.

Port installation left a wound

That will always be in sight.

That about brings me up-to-date

With my wounds and scars of life.

Some battles were large, some battles were small,

Some earned during times of strife.

We enter mortality flawless

In body, in spirit, in mind,

But life drags us all through the wringer

And leaves battle scars behind.

Now don't let me start

On the scars of my heart.

Cuckoo

A couple of years ago I posted a few little poems about bird names and how they are applied to humans.  Here's one I forgot to post.

Cuckoo

Foolish and crazy and silly,
Running about willy-nilly.

Inertia

I
Never
Even
Really
Try
Instigating
Action

Midnight Mess-making Marauder

Another pantoum, with a few liberties taken in the last verse.

The Midnight Mess-making Marauder   

March 30 2013

Everyone should be asleep

When it's the wee hours of the morn

But someone's feet begin to creep

As from sleep his body's torn.

When it's the wee hours of the morn

The marauder's mind is still on snooze

As from sleep his body's torn

Toward a path marked "Sure to Lose"

The marauder's mind is still on snooze

As he sneaks through the kitchen door

Toward a path marked "Sure to Lose"

Unaware of what's in store

As he sneaks through the kitchen door

He makes a plate of midnight snacks

Unaware of what's in store 

When the chow-devil attacks.

He makes a plate of midnight snacks

From whatever he finds handy

When the chow-devil attacks

It could be rice, it could be candy.

From whatever he finds handy

He neatly piles his plate

It could be rice, it could be candy,

Alas, it always seals his fate.

He neatly piles his plate

He spills half upon the floor 

Alas, it always seals his fate

As he heads back out the door. 

He spills half upon the floor

He puts the plate upon the shelf

As he heads back out the door

Completely happy with himself.

He puts the plate upon the shelf

Still loaded up with eats

Completely happy with himself

For being so dang neat.

Still loaded up with eats

The plate's unfound for days and days

For being so dang neat

He sure is locked into his ways

The plate's unfound for days and days

The situation's now routine

He sure is locked into his ways

One never knows the morning scene

The situation's now routine

What will I find when I arise?

One never knows the morning scene

As I wipe sleep from weary eyes

What will I find when I arise?

A kitchen tidy, clean and neat?

As I wipe sleep from weary eyes

I search for his latest feat.

A kitchen tidy, clean and neat?

A hidden danger lurking near?

I search for his latest feat

A great disaster's what I fear.

A hidden danger lurking near?

Hark! someone's feet begin to creep

A great disaster's what I fear

When everyone SHOULD be asleep.

Remodeling 2013

Remodeling 2013     

Another pantoum with repetitive lines.  I do like this style a lot.  I find it challenging and satisfying.


Remodeling is fun
Excitement and change
Till the day is done
Things are being arranged

Excitement and change
All around me I see
Things are being arranged
It makes me happy!

All around me I see
Workmen coming and going
It makes me happy
Seeing progress showing

Workmen coming and going
Lots of noise and dust
Seeing progress showing
Is a remodel "must"!

Lots of noise and dust
Till the day is done
Is a remodel "must"!
Remodeling is fun!



                                                               

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