Viva La Pippi

She’s been laying in the grass eating Popsicles all day
her tongue has turned a lovely shade of purple
by the way

The clouds that pass by are any number of things
royalties galore
and dreams with wings

And most days now she takes her elfin friend
into town to see a picture show again

She will not be bothered
by the bothersomes of life
she is the new Pippi Longstocking
of mother’s and wives

~Jenny

Wanted: Angst Free Zone

Angst is a German, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch word for fear or anxiety. (Anguish is its Latinate equivalent.) It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of strife. The term Angst distinguishes itself from the word Furcht (German for "fear") in that Furcht usually refers to a material threat (arranged fear), while Angst is usually a nondirectional emotion.
In other languages having the meaning of the Latin word pavor, the derived words differ in meaning, e.g. as in the French anxiété and peur. The word Angst has existed since the 8th century, from the Proto-Indo-European root *anghu-, "restraint" from which Old High German angust developed. It is pre-cognate with the Latin angustia, "tensity, tightness" and angor, "choking, clogging"; compare to the Greek "άγχος" (ankhos): stress. (Wikipedia)

I’m going to invent a new cereal with nuts, bolts and sharp tacks–with a vulture as a mascot that toots “follow your angst.” I will call it Angst Loops.
Or perhaps a new game–Ring Around The Angst.
Skip to my Angst?
Red Rover, Red Rover, let Angst come over.
It Angst got that thing, if it Angst got that swing.
“Knock-knock”
“whose there?”
“Angst”
“Angst who?”

Ahh Angst, so glad you could come. Sit, would you like some tea? What’s that? You would like to stay in the guest room for a while? Why sure, let me get you an extra blanket.

~Jenny

Katana

I broke my anklet that day
that you were sprawled out
on the street
dying?
I had to put aside my anger
and rush to your side
in spite of
your ribs ripped open
nothing came out
do you not bleed?
And where were your ex girlfriends then
too busy with nails and hair
to attend to your wounds
while my wound
was left gaping

~Jenny

These Dreams

I had a dream last night that I was half Chinese
I had not known this my whole life
I just discovered it,
and was slightly relieved
to have an answer to why I do not belong
And I set out
in search of my people

~Jenny

Look out--she's reading "The Art of War"

"Use order to await chaos.
Use stillness to await clamor.
This is ordering the heart-mind."

"Use the near to await the far.
Use ease to await labor.
Use fullness to await hunger.
This is ordering strength"

(The Art of War--Sun Tzu)

The Equator

“Here, have a sunflower seed on me,” she said
as she passed the tiny nutty flavored treasure to her friend.
She took it with her dirty fingers and mulled it over in her hand,
turning it over and over in her palm
before placing it in her mouth and smiling.
“Mmm” she said, “much better.”

“After all, it is summer, you know, sunflowers and all.”

“I hate summer,” she said with half closed sad eyes.
“I wish it would go away, the year before last was the worst,           
I can never sleep, it’s too hot, and that’s when the insanity always
seems to set it, people just go crazy, the world goes crazy,
and people seem to die in these months, people you love.”
She slumped down in the wooden chair that was too low
to the ground, but nicely cushioned.

“Well you always have the option of moving back and forth
each year, between the northern and southern hemisphere, that way
you could have an eternal winter–until that it is, you come to hate winter too.”

“Sigh” and she said nothing more again until the seasons changed.

~Jenny

A Rainbow In The Dark

welcome longest day of the year
remember when we swam in naked in your stream?
Welcome shortest day of the year
on the other side of the hemisphere
how I wish we could trade
your lovely winter
for this summer
and early dark nights
by the firelight
as wood crackles deep
in earths comforting sleep
in our half of the land
she is too much awake
and cannot slumber peacefully
for heavens sake
Give us marshmallows for watermellon
and hot cocoa for iced tea
give us an excuse to be lazy
beneath leafless trees

~Jenny