Today, I came across a Sad tale,
which pained my heart
One of our fellow writers was criticized, here
openly, upon Medium —

— This should Never happen!

And yet, another (reader) had openly written
to Criticized Writer:

“Work on your writing. Your words and sentences are awkward.
This sentence doesn’t make sense.”

Criticized Writer had previously disclosed,
“English is not my first language,”
— not that this need be said, whatsoever!

For, there is No one correct way of Writing,
Writing is about, Who We Are…
moreover, it is far more Important
— How we treat others than about any false…

I’ve got a husband who puts things
into motion
O yes, we played cards tonight
— “Spite and Malice”!

My pile, O so high, whereas his
diminishing,
Well, he’s a clever one at games, Scrabble,
chess, backgammon,
you name it, Joe’s got it, he’s won them all —

Joe maintains, “It’s the luck of the draw,”
were that so, I would win 50–50
perhaps
therein, his kindness shows —

And so, I watch the moves he makes,
offensive, then again, defensive
he’s thought it out, whereas I’m
— in a daze

Perhaps overwrought, perhaps over-thought
the poet’s quandary,
well, cards were…

Mumsey is retired
— but she drives like wildfire
two tires spinning ‘round,
black smoke requires —
no police to show, Mumsey’s on the go!

Energy galore, on Fridays you can find her
— at tai chi
movement so serene, in a group of three
greenery surrounds,
vegetables, wildflowers, and eucalyptus trees,
at Berkeley’s Community Garden —

Often, Mumsey visits good friend Nina
to play duets, upon the guitar
perhaps Villalobos, or someone else
Nina may surprise, and
— play the harpsichord,

Every Thursday, Mumsey can be found
— in her guitar lesson
with aficionado, Jon Harris
whom Mumsey fondly calls…

Amy and Miyabi would stay up late unto the
night, whispering confidences together as
close girlfriends might, talking of Hagen-Dazs
Vanilla Chocolate Macadamia Nut ice cream
(Miyabi’s favorite), and Amy’s penchant
for madeleines, the beauteous cerulean sea,
and Tokyo, Japan’s Olympics, which shall begin
upon this day, of July 23rd —

Amy and Miyabi both love watching Tennis,
rooting for Naomi Osaka, with all their might,
other sports these two enjoy, Fencing, Table
Tennis, Gymnastics, and Archery, Amy and
Miyabi eager for all to begin, celebrating with
Monaka sticky rice cakes in the shape of the
chrysanthemum flowers, drinking fragrant
Jasmine Pearl tea —…

Café — latte
in the morn’, and at eventide
otherwise, what would my day be like
no fuel to make my mind
— come alive!

To read my books,
“Tales of the Dancing Dragon”
stories of the Dao, so that I may
find my way —

Or, “Aching for Beauty,”
the historicity of foot-binding
“golden lilies,” as they were called
feet just three to four inches long
— such practice originating during
the Song dynasty
resulted in 1,000 years of
bound feet —

Or perhaps, “Reading Lolita in Tehran,”
cannot think of anything more intriguing than
a banned book
curiosity would surely…

O my sunshine, where have you gone
gone afar, gone so long
skies of misty grey, hazy lazy-day imperfection
feeling blue, the black dog sleeps by my side —

Obscure day, I must greet you as you are
perhaps a book could rescue this pensive mood
— Ah yes, Emily,
I think of you —

Swells and quells doth arise from the page
— to delight and amaze, dashes and exclamations
excite, O and where might my dictionary be,
the one for vocabulary from the 19th century —

Now mind awake, Emily’s words ignite ablaze!
My ordinary life suddenly otherworldly, cabbalistic
by…