Tag: life

~Writing Poetry

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Haibun, Poetry1 Comment 
I have my dictionary, a thesaurus and a laptop filled with billions of pieces of information at my fingertips. There’s a staggering number of words, and combinations of words, hidden in my keyboard. Like scrabble pieces spread out on the table, all I need to do is lay them down in the right order, at the right time, and with the right flow to create the right image. Aah, this should be easy.
writing is easy
getting your words to make sense 
is the hardest part

~The Particulars of the Privy

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Haibun, Poetry1 Comment 
The family outhouse wasn't just thrown together willy-nilly. Oh, no. It was an object of pride. A showcase of engineering and ingenuity and a symbol of prosperity. There was a true science used in the construction of 'the throne'. 
It had to be built using only the best quality lumber. Generally, with 2" x 6" floor joist, cedar walls if possible but most likely just good white pine. Usually, the roof was just wood, but a fancy privy could have shingles and the la-ti-da privy might have had a tin roof. The roof slanted away from the side with the door towards the back to allow maximum rain roll-off. Also, you needed less height to sit on the crapper bench than you needed to drop your long-johns.
A standard structure was about 6 feet wide x 5 feet deep with the roof measuring approximately 8 feet tall at the highest point. Of course, those measurements would depend on whether it was your simple one-holer design or the more elaborate two-seater. A good coat of white paint would definitely set yours off from the neighbors and become the envy of the whole county. Don't make the door fit too tightly and remember to cut a crescent moon shape in it for proper ventilation and the only source of light.
A good supply of Montgomery Ward or Sears catalogs and a fly swatter were luxuries fit for the queen.
the important things 
will often go unnoticed—
until you need them

Now That I’ve Reached a Certain Age (Part Four)

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Haibun, Poetry5 Comments 


I'm getting a better understanding of what life is like at 1:30 AM— 3:30 AM— 5 AM. At least what it's like between the warmth of the bed covers and the shriveling cold of porcelain. Between those stumbling adventures, comes a lot of time spent staring into the darkness of what if, what was and what might be. Wrestling with those decisions made, the paths taken, and wondering where the paths not taken might have led. Now that I've reached a certain age, I've become aware of each breath and the sigh of relief that comes in knowing that the last one was not—the last one. It seems that each minute slides by just a bit faster than the one before it. I know that I can't afford to waste a single one.
seconds steal away
til they become a lifetime—
how quick they escape

Now That I’ve Reached a Certain Age (part three)

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Poetry, Free Verse3 Comments

the topic of conversation
always ends up the same
it seems we’ve become
the experts on
ailments, aches and pains

which type of treatment
works for what
which drugs work best
for this or that
which ones leaves
us constipated
which ones will make
us splat

the when, where and what
of pooping
some say it’s a science
some say an art
which foods
give us gas
and how bad
it makes us fart

the one subject
that is guaranteed
of this there is no doubt
the person
not at the gathering
is the one the gossip
will be about

~I’m No Poet~

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Free Verse, Poetry1 Comment


I know the best
poetry is
suppose to live in
broken love,
death, regret,
and fear of facing
another tomorrow.
Those things
that drag emotion
across the heart,
or stab
you in the brain,
with
pain and
sorrow.

But has there ever been a poet
that’s not known
such tragedy,
has no knowledge of heartbreak,
been hurt or wronged
because he didn’t fit a mold.
Whose stomach
is always full,
never had to
sleep in the cold.
One that has loved
without regret
never had to beg
or borrow.

Call me a
presenter of possibilities
mediator of metaphor
encourager of exaggerations
implementor of imagination
or facilitator of fakery
but
I am no poet