POEM - Form vs. Function

I liked it until I knew better

And grudge is a strong word

But even to my 3rd grade mind

It inspired strong emotions

When I got it

I loved it

When I premiered it

I understood

Sadly

Where the design went wrong

The plastic Peanuts lunchbox

That I had proudly lugged to school

With the thermos full of milk

    And a PB&J

            And celery sticks

                  And the little metal pudding cup

Just laid there

         Wide open

              For all the world to see

Like my lunch was Exhibit A

And I tried

I tried every which way

To make the thing sit up

Like everyone else's

             Wonderful lunch sanctuary

A bit of privacy

In the micromanaged world

That is elementary school

But it didn't work

And I continued on

Exposing my culinary secrets

Each and every meal time

Unguarded

On display

Exposed

My lunchbox

A similar lunchbox exposing the design flaw

POEM - Hugs

Neurologists tell me

All this worrying

Causes activation in the insula, 

          Anterior cingulate, 

                   And dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

And to settle down my worrying circuits

I need a real good hug

That is some good science

But isn't that the way

That it takes an international team

Of psychoanalysts and neurologists

Working for years

With control groups

Double blind studies

Full brain scans

Intensive metadata analysis

Just to confirm what we all know

What we've known since we were infants

When you feel bad

A hug, most often, makes it better

An embrace of a loved one

Drives out the pain

Anguish can be squeezed away

Vaporized

        Forgotten

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex 

Finally stops being so complicated

At the same time our knees falter

Our legs shake and collapse

The world is left to drop

From our portion of Atlas's shoulders

As we crumple in a relieved heap

Bouyed up only

By a simple hug

POEM - Gray

In the monochromatic twilight
Of a frozen morning commute
I blurry eyed and struggling
Fight to retain consciousness
Dancing through the radio dial
Wandering and searching frantically
For something in my key
That I can sing along to
Loudly
Energetically

In the pre-dawn office building
I sore muscled and uninspired
Take circuitous paths
Through darkened quarters
Just to avoid arriving too soon
At my lonely quiet office
Where I slump down
Apathetic
Lazy

It is gray
The day ahead
Half-lidded
Stopped time
Tangential
Distracted

Only the faces that enter
Snap me back from the brink
Of abysmal boredom
Lackluster enthusiasm
A distraction from my distractions
A welcome lifeline
From fellow humanity
Discussing the merits
Of the latest remake
The quality and richness
Of the latest indie release
The tones of the vinyl
Recently rotated across warm turntables

A little grace
In gray worlds
Golden tones
Wake slumbering ears
Monochrome dissolves
In technicolor conversation
Warmly
Richly