15 Minute Parking

 

15 Minute Parking

Her warm breath is violent,
forcing fall colors to loose the fight.

They crackle under a
Mother and Child lost in schedules.

A busy Man who talks to his hand,
crunch, crackle, crunch.

A Teen with her life on her shoulder,
crunch, crackle, crunch.

A roar in the clouds passes
through and fades away to exotic places.

The soothing rhythm of words,
a reminder of another kind of travel.

Her breath tickles my skin and she whispers,
“Please, stay a little longer.”

But I have zero minutes left.

– Susan Stone – copyright 2017

A Frog Journal

Day 1
I open my pool and find a green frog sitting on the step.  I catch him and shoo him back to the lake.
Day 2
Two green frogs jump from the step to the water.  I chase them with my net.  They smirks at me from the bottom for the pool where I can’t reach them with my net.  I get my camera and take frog pictures.
Day 3
One frog on the step and another  swimming an impressive Frog Stroke.  What is this, Canyon Ranch SPA for frogs? A Frog Hilton? A Frickin’ Frog vacation home?
I send frog pictures to my son.
Day 5
Two green frogs on the step.  I worry that they can’t get out so I google ‘How do frogs get out of a swimming pool?’  It seems someone invented a frog exit ramp that attaches to the edge of the pool.  The frogs march up the ramp like ants to a picnic.  I don’t have an exist ramp so I put a large rock on the top step. A half hour later I remove the rock.  They seem to come and go just fine.
Besides, I don’t think they want to leave.
Day 8
Two green frogs and a cute little toad on the step.  It’s been raining and I haven’t opened the pool for a few days.  I worry that the frogs might be hungry so I google ‘What do green frogs eat?’  It seems frogs sit and wait for their food to come to them. They eat bugs and sometimes small frogs and toads. I remove the cute little toad.
Day 9
Two green frogs on the step.  I turn Rover on to clean the pool.  Three hours later, I turn Rover off.  One frog sits on the step and Rover is the only one in the water.   I search Rover’s belly.  No frog, but there’s all this yuck.
I text my son.  He says the frog is on a frog adventure and will be back.
Day 10
One frog on the step.  One sad frog.
I text my son that the missing frog IS STILL MISSING and I’m a monster that sent the killing machine that ate my frog.

Day 11
One frog on the step.  She lets me stick my camera right up to her face.  I photograph her for a half an hour.  She doesn’t jump in the water.   Is she afraid of the killing machine that sucked up her friend?  I accept that I killed her frog companion and text my son with the sad news.   He tells me I should get an aquarium.   I ALREADY HAVE A 20×40 foot AQUARIUM !!
Day 12
I open the pool and find the sad frog sprawled on top of the missing frog doing the naughty on the step.   Do frogs go on business trips?

by,   Susan Stone, copyright 2017

Still Waters

 

in still water
a picture of  blue skies-
and nature takes a bow.

by, Susan Stone copyright 2017

Questions and Answers

HELLO,

I’m the answer you were looking for.

WAIT!

I forgot the question.

By,  Susan Stone copyright 2017

White Space

White.
Space.
Negative Space.

Never Mind.

by, Susan Stone copyright 2017

Winter Comes

 

cold’s bony fingers
point to last years harvest
shivering in translucent coats,
soldiers left for dead

Susan Stone copyright 2017

Food for Thought

 

if words were food

would they melt in your mouth like fine chocolate

or freeze your brain like a tasty bowl of ice cream?

Susan Stone 2017 Copyright