Bard
by Ted L Glines

Oh, ye poets,
ye minstrels, ye bards,
history harkens your name
from that darkly time
before Romans raped our moors,
ye traveled and sung
great deeds of Kings,
if not for the bard
warriors' glory victories
shields shriven on bloody axes
would have gone unsung
maidens ensorceled
unwrit
dragons' flames and faery kisses
unknown
lost in the black extincting hole
of timeless time
and gods would have cried
their works forgotten
were it not for those songs
of the bard.

Salut!
to the poet
go forth with godspeed
for your roots
are a hard act
to follow.

Beautiful Baby
by Ted L Glines

This is a note
to all the mothers of the world,
no ifs or ands or maybes,
there ain't nothin' pretty
'bout the slimy mess
of gruesome newborn babies!

Its face all grey
and all puckered  up
and this thing hanging outta its belly
makes a dad wanta cringe
and run away
with his knees a-shakin' like jelly.

The scariest thing
I ever did see
was the birth of my two boys.
The mother was fine
but I was a wreck
in the midst of their awful noise.

So give us a break
with this "beauty" stuff;
of beauty, there is a lack.
Clean him up
and get rid of that junk
from the amniotic sack.

'Bout two days later
when he's all prettied up,
you can put our baby on show.
Us guys are tough
but not tough enough;
we're weaker than you know.

"What a beautiful baby,"
said the new dad;
worst lie he ever told,
but it made mom happy
like he knew it would;
sometimes his words were gold.

My Son
by Wendy Baral Cooper 

He came out yelling screaming,
But a perfectly formed little human.
All yellow from jaundice but I
Thought he was beautiful.

Learning to walk and talk
"Pick me up Pick me up"
First it means literally in your arms
Then it means from the mall, or a friends.

I read out loud to him
At nights with the light on
To keep the monsters away
Until he learned to read to me.

On to school, letting go of my hand.
Learning things better then me
Differently then I did
Better then I ever could.

Off to college-ohh so soon.
Letting go once more-
From a child to a young man
Off to make his mark in the world.

Published
The Writing Forum 09/10/2008

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AnkleBiter
by Ted L Glines

Some humans call me an ankle-biter
but I'm a BIG dog - a ninja fighter,
messin with me is too much for YOUR plate,
ya better back off before it's too late.

Talkin trash and strutting my stuff,
this is my turf and I'm callin your bluff!

My human is one of those silly girls,
dressin me up in ribbons and curls,
but let some guy just get down wrong,
he'll back up quick - sing a new song.

Roars like a lion - strikes like a snake,
teeth like needles and they don't fake!

Bonaparte never had a thing on me,
one false move and you'd better flee,
I ain't your toy - no piece of fluff,
let me know when you've had enough,
'cause I'm a mean one - believe you me!

-----

Memories of Life
by Wendy Baral Cooper


My memory shifts
I see places from long ago
Unchanged in my mind’s eye.

People I remember some have changed,
Some the same, some no longer with us.
In my mind they remain.

Time changes friends, places, family.
Memory is changed.
Good times remembered, bad times forgotten.

Soon I will become the memory
In my children’s mind.
This house and town a page,
In their scrapbook memory.