The Pants

Their predecessors had been devoured
By a jealous world
A swirling, glorious black confection
That fluttered around my legs
They sat alongside the tuxedos
Of the Indianapolis Symphony
And they crossed the boards with pride
As Cady Stanton’s latter-day bloomers

I quested for years to find
The perfect replacements
Stores, catalogues, websites
I left empty-handed
Classy, fun
In classic black
My personal spin
On the little dress

One day they called to me
From the holiday sale rack
Draping with the perfect weight
And some tasteful beading
Once again my legs could sway
Within their breezy cocoon
And swish o’er the tops
Of my cutest shoes

Sincerity

Worse than meaningless,
It is an insult to my God
To be less than sincere
In my prayers
In my praise
In my life

No true good is accomplished
By being dishonest
Be it flattery
An unthinking response
An expected platitude
Or advice

When I repent
It must be real
When I say I love
I must show it
When I pray
I must trust

My Offering

As a child
I bought gifts for my parents
With money that they had given me

My tithe
Is a fraction
Of the money God gives me

My songs
Bless Him, and yet
My voice was another gift from Him

My schoolwork
Might be dedicated to Him
But the intellect and the opportunity are His

I can use His gifts
That’s why He gave them to me
But my Father deserves much more

My praise
Is the gift that
Truly comes from me

He makes my heart beat
He fills my lung with breath
But He gave me a will to turn over to Him

Giggle

My hands clamp over my widening mouth
And I draw a slow, deep breath through my nostrils
A few of the neighboring heads turn toward me
With questioning eyes
“What happened?”
“What’s so funny?”

Fortunately the professor missed my giggle
I would be hard-pressed to explain
What he said wasn’t exactly funny
But it tickled my brain

My mind, like my neck
Is very sensitive

Different pressures and textures
Elicit goose bumps or squirming
The caress or scratch
Unknowingly bestowed

Fear not, first row residents
You did not miss a professorial joke
Or droll, dry observation
Your inner imp is having a picnic
With mine, in the left hemisphere
And their espresso just kicked in

Way To Go

My sarcastic morning greeting
When I awaken at 1
And my first class started at 10
Was is worth it?
Absolutely not!
I didn’t really need to know
How two clichéd characters
Beat all obstacles in the name of love
I returned, for the moment
To that cycle of old
Where the escape from my failure
Prevents later success
Romeo and Juliet
Are easier than the OSI Model
For a time, my greatest ambition
Is to vicariously be loved for all that I am
But creeping daylight pulls me
From my fantasy
While anxiety and fatigue duke it out
For the grand prize that is my day
The belt fits fatigue nicely

Sentient Beings

The obnoxious runt knew it
Never tell me
That animals don’t understand us

He knew when I was deciding his fate
And his bulging eyes begged me
To spare his life

He knew when the decision was made
And he avoided me
Like the Grim Reaper himself

He knew where we were going
When I took him to the vet
And he turned his head away

He knew what the vet was going to do
And he tried to stay in his cage
Until we drug him out

As his shivering body stilled and grew cold
The monster’s heart broke
The ogre cried

As I sobbed
And stroked his lifeless body
I knew the chill of my own evilness

A Midnight Dialogue

“Who left all of these dishes in the sing?”

Oh, I guess the ball game let out early

“What?”

Wait, I’m confused now! I thought she lived next door

“I think our kitchen is haunted by the dish ghost”

Maybe he turns the lost socks into moldy bowls

“We need a new cleaning schedule”

How many days can the average human live without on?

“These leftovers are sick!”

Let me know if they need a ride to the Health Center

“I’m too tired for this. I’m going to bed”

Your mom goes to bed! Wait… never mind. Sleep well