walking debonair
the clock ticks
the cell phone needs charging
the day starts
coffee and marmalade on
wheat toast
the infinite sound of your voice
championing
my latest challenge
I make the call
I walk gingerly
my coffee mug
straight in my hand
not such a good idea
I put it down
and continue on.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
A poem from Anita
Hugging the moon
I did alkalize the sun
balanced the dream
2 feet on the ground
I followed
what was a long corridor
and
found in a closet
a skirt of many colors
and danced.
I did alkalize the sun
balanced the dream
2 feet on the ground
I followed
what was a long corridor
and
found in a closet
a skirt of many colors
and danced.
Tomorrow's Branches - an affirmation by Anita Hozberg
Tomorrow's branches
will be today's dream
semblance becomes reality
I never wanted
much
the rain took away my words
the sparrow took away my sorrow
the wind took away my shadow
Nature was my fortress
I never left the house
I viewed it all from my window
I really did.
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
will be today's dream
semblance becomes reality
I never wanted
much
the rain took away my words
the sparrow took away my sorrow
the wind took away my shadow
Nature was my fortress
I never left the house
I viewed it all from my window
I really did.
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
Dawn Song - by Anita (and photo of East Yorkshire dawn by Ann)
Dawn is far a w a y
the song that I always play
the water is seeped with lime
I eat the pulp of the lime
it is sour
dawn song will be coming in
an hour
how beautiful is that! How beautiful is that!
the song that I always play
the water is seeped with lime
I eat the pulp of the lime
it is sour
dawn song will be coming in
an hour
how beautiful is that! How beautiful is that!
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
creating rainbows - Anita
For Mama Rachel:
Melancholy moon I have stood in your light memorizing the rays I have drunk your wine in the finest of days I have sat in throne of mothers toddlers as my charge I have brought you all to the swimming pool I have combed your hair and put on your socks I have held the most amazing dreams for you Now, you are doing all that for your family holding the dream for Owen and Evie creating rainbows. Anita Schiffman Holzberg |
Strength - Anita Holzberg
Once
on the tree top
in a tree house
on top of the sky
I remembered
how infamous we were
how indestructible
how strong
I have never forgotten that
strength is p o w e r
strength is doing something well
even if you do not want to
strength is that spirit hovering
like an eagle
the wingspread can make it happen.
on the tree top
in a tree house
on top of the sky
I remembered
how infamous we were
how indestructible
how strong
I have never forgotten that
strength is p o w e r
strength is doing something well
even if you do not want to
strength is that spirit hovering
like an eagle
the wingspread can make it happen.
Friday, 31 August 2012
leftovers - by Anita
for my part
I left the rim on the shadow
the crust on the bread
the lid on the pot
the visor on the face
I left the leftovers at the restaurant
what I have left
leaves room for something else
someone else
there are no calculations about this
only great patches
of
b r e a t h i n g
space.
IN - Anita Holzberg
In the sea of the morning
I return to thee
I drink a whole pot of
cinnamon hazelnut coffee
before the juices start to run
I am walking
in my truth
I return to myself
time and time again
a feat unimagined
I put powder of lily of the valley over my body
after a long bath
I am home.
STAY - Anita Holzberg
The floor aches
the ribbon curls
the seeping glass of wine
stays
I hold it
like so many things in my life
precarious vision
the cat comes in
my face is lined
the turbulence
we make for ourselves
swims
not so the crackling fire.
Monday, 20 August 2012
some friends - Anita Holzberg
niceness does not count
or courtesy does not cut the rug
surface comments can be biting and cold
we need our friends
when we need our friends
some friends completely ignored me
after knee surgery
some came back to apologize
I can not count on them for the future
We sit, stoic
trying to tough it out
but friends that don't get it are not really
there
I sat her in my house for almost 6 months
That's a half a year
And realized
I was my best friend.
Amen.
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
Friday, 17 August 2012
loneliness - Anita Holzberg
Put aside loneliness:
put it in a paper bag
don't wear it over your head
put it in the incinerator
pray a special prayer
that it never returns
Put aside the loneliness
that infects you
as it gnaws on sweaters
pouring salty tears
My friend was ripped from me
taken, no shout has come from her
I realize now how much I loved her
how much I cherished her...
My dreams are dark, unclear
I must endure this anguish,
conjure a new spirit.
I must.
8 to 6 - Anita Holzberg
8 to 6
6 to 8
8 to 6
6 to 8
The gargantuan exists
the black spider pursue
8 to 6
I don't even see their beadie eyes
or hear them
I must dismiss
8 to 6
6 to 8
today I am very late
Cool Pool - Anita Holzberg
Aside from believing
I believe
like hunting for caterpillars
your head in my lap
memory does not fail me
as I write these lines
as I swim in the cool pool
so much my past is swimming
training for swimming
teaching swimming
I did 5 laps
did not stop
250 kicks
Oh, the cool pool
I float my dreams
my loves all seemingly together
the loves of my life
Owen and Evie highest on the list
cool pool.
Ortega Park no.2
Softly the dawn comes
it lands on Ortega Park
it lights the green of the lawns
the water flows
the tables for lunch
waiting
for us to come again
my new found old friend
it feels right eating at those tables
sharing a lunch
in the interlude of a
sunny warm August afternoon.
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Ortega Park - Anita Holzberg
I visit Ortega Park once again
after many days of missed walks
hanging around my house.
Today's different:
this time I take Bill there
for a picnic of
yogurt & cabbage,
dill pickles,
wonderful mini-pasta.
We pour cold water from
stainless steel water bottles
into clear plastic cups
I read Bill my 2 favorite
Neruda poems...
somehow, two poet's voices
penetrate the warm day
of t-shirted ball-players
babies & kids, moms
roses that bloom
effortlessly!
like this day,
like this precious
poetic moment.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
First Marriages - Anita Holzberg
If the world did not wink to us
if the world did not blink to us
if time was the barometer
I would watch it tick
sometimes, I would rather time travel
We spoke about our first marriages
my only marriage
and how significant it was
because we grew up together
we had kids together
we started a life together
Even now,
when the shoe is on the other foot
when dancing is as close as walking
when life is the unsettled cloud
your face launches
I remember who I was
in that marriage
who I now have become.
pan de leche - Anita Holzberg
Morning comes
Hazelnut coffee drips
pan de leche
soft bread
filled with air
I bite in
it does not crack my teeth
the taste is marvelous!
the texture like clouds
I highly recommend this bread
Bread the staff of life
its ingrained
to love bread
daily
wheat bread, pita bread, pan de leche bread
walk into my breakfast
I celebrate my bread
daily.
Sunday, 5 August 2012
If you do not have visions - Anita Holzberg
If you do not have visions
the world is a place
that does not laugh,
does not dance
does not sing
I talked to you about a vision
an action, a plan for yourself
your reaction positive
as the summer breezes come
as the linens on my bed clean
as my kitchen evolves into a celebration
of spices and sounds
as my day starts
with these dancing in my head
as my book is written
as my chance for you not altogether
understandable
as the day moves forward
always the vision wakes
and so my dreams become
a waking reality.
August then and Now - Anita Holzberg
Quiet mornings
abound
waking to the wonder
of the world opening
like a soft chord
memory besets my thoughts
August,
the month when Emily was born
yellow shorts
the lake
Rachel 2 years old and then some
the New Jersey heat
I prayed for mercy in that hot humidity
Tomato plants on the vine
A garden full of zucchini
I was married to the master gardener
Tuberous begonias lit my path
Spring Valley does not seem so far away
What is 37 years, I say
Those years were amazing
Now, I move into August
the summer sun does not fade my spirit
I walk taller
This knee replacement was good
I make another barbecue
This time, I am the Master Chef
All things will abound here
Friends of the neighborhood
coming together
I stand in the cool pool
Its been a year
I have my pool pass
I am moving on.
Have a beautiful day!
August 1 - Anita Holzberg
Let the summer roll
the umbrella of sweetness
happy times
I spend most of my days inside
not looking to be in the sun
surrounded by wildflowers
I stop occasionally to pick
a plum
that rolled on my deck from the tree
above it
eaten by birds
the purple flush against sky
I stop often to dry a swimsuit
or a sundress from the pool
in my descent to the out-
doors
summers of the past emerge
the barbecues
the lake
the swimming pool
barelegged and shorts clad
diving into the pool
no cares really
the days went quickly
when we were young
no real care about that
We come to mid summer
or late summer
the very last month
hot weather prevails
and fruit flies hover
over half eaten watermelon
the goal is never to underestimate
the end of summer
romance
stir fried afternoons
students opening notebooks
the goal is:
be true to thyself
let the summer come in
still one month to go
in late June I hum
in early August I harmonize
with all that has
happen
green eyed trees
and leaves of memory
make it even better.
Nine - Anita Holzberg
Nine geese ride into the wind
flying
against the words of nature
these birds,
a beauty to behold
Nine herons walk the beach
I spotted them before
never nine
what a sight!
nine moons dancing
nine fingers flying across
a keyboard
Sing!
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
Sunday, 29 July 2012
If you do not have visions - Anita Holzberg
Moons have their own aura
floating moons
into rooms
I see your face
in full view
not hiding behind the Moon
Floating moons
bring us back to the round-
ness
the truth of human kindness
the truth of
who we are
between sunlight and moonlight
I ride the great divide
many moons.
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
Saturday, 21 July 2012
I Will Know My Name - Anita Holzberg
In time I will know my name
the name of my granddaughter
Evelyn Rose
sweet, innocent, happy
I will hold her in my arms
I will carry her from room to room
I will feed her
and let her hold her bottle
In time I will know my name
Evidenced in truth found
among the papers
among the rafters
In the spot where books were written
years ago I will know my name
my name among my writing
In time I will believe I have written
throughout my life
and become more from the writings
In time I will know my name.
Introspection - Anita Holzberg
In thought out sequences
I do the dance
of eating less
of braving it out
of taking care of me in
the biting silences
I read, I write, I wash
dishes and remember
how it was
how it is now
If by chance I meet myself
coming and going
I will walk in the way of the meadow
walk in the way of the stream
walk under the trestle of the train
I have been there
almost 70 years
taking chances
in my stockpile of memories
every decision was a chance
every step forward is
determined by where I had been before
the killing ground
looks good, it really does.
Friday, 20 July 2012
after all the trees sing - Anita Holzberg (Ed by Bill Costley)
After all the trees sing,
violets bloom,
the sense of wonder asserts
that satisfaction was had
i'ts over
liked warmed milk, luke-warm
in all that we said & stated
it's over, until:
the next chapter writes itself
& the next student appears
the next bff (?) comes into view
I await the next.
violets bloom,
the sense of wonder asserts
that satisfaction was had
i'ts over
liked warmed milk, luke-warm
in all that we said & stated
it's over, until:
the next chapter writes itself
& the next student appears
the next bff (?) comes into view
I await the next.
It's become almost a ritual - Anita Holzberg
Its become almost a ritual
I walk in
you there in a wheelchair
I kiss you on the lips
You kiss back
Its become almost a ritual
I talk, you a few words
You nod
I continue
Its become almost a ritual
I tell you how handsome you are
You thank me
And its a ritual
I come home
you can not be here
it is like a whirlwind
that has happened
I can not bear it
I immediately get some water
I do not break down and cry
Yes, my beloved was taken from me
I am grateful he did not die
I repeat that phrase over and over
What is it like for him?
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
I Held on to the Roses - Anita Holzberg
I held on to the roses
pink, orange, violet, and red
I held on to the roses
the golden touch in my life
the pitter patter
the fragrant rose at my dining room table
the rose that lit my kitchen window
the rose that stood by me in my darkest hour
Sometimes, the rose was her own piece
my own piece of heaven.
Anita Schiffman Holzberg
Slowly - Anita Holzberg
S l o w l y
I taste the wine
S l o w l y
I write the rhyme
S l o w l y
I start my day
S l o w l y
my face dismay
S l o w l y
I pay my bills
S l o w l y
I take my pills
S l o w l y
I put aside sadness
S l o w l y
I replace with happiness
S l o w l y
the world does not wait
S l o w l y
I hesitate
S l o w l y
I plug into view
S l o w ly
its me and then, You.
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Love Story - Anita Story
noticing fog
a comforting thought returns
under the fogged in skies
how much did you love me?
I know it was a lot
I was the receiver of so much
I never once questioned it
we were sympatico
the seasons rolled
we were sympatico
the words came to the
tip of my tongue
the silences when the TV blared
the silences when we slept in each others arms
or Cocoa in between
How much is lost in time
your face never leaves mine
your heart beats with mine
even Now.
Monday, 16 July 2012
NICE DREAMS - Anita
Nice dreams
red velvet cake
I wanted to serve it to you
I wanted to touch your face
in the sunlight
I begin again
each morning a revision
another day to get it right
so to speak
to read volumes
to walk in the park
to hold truths in the palm of my hand
How are You?
I Walk - Anita Holzberg
tenacious heart
beating to the rhythm I walk on sand in bare feet I walk into life as a brisk day with the geraniums blooming with the fierce river rolling with the sun in the sky like an orange ball shining I hear you when I am in the shower when I am in the yard when I start the barbecue you were here and the memory is sweet I lost you now but I will never leave you I bought you chocolates and strawberries Tenacious love holds the rudder through time. |
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
silence is golden-Anita Holzberg
silence is golden
awaking the small
spaces revisit the dream
silence is golden
the large spaces
gather in
silence is golden
the day begins
wings
surface
I am f l y i n g
amidst the s i l e n c e
the dream comes c l e a r.
Monday starts-Anita
clamoring
Monday starts
a blue Sunday recedes
the kitchen counters crowded
roast chicken pans
small tangerines
garlic and dill
olive oil
clamoring for attention
the pots and pans unwashed
the latter too hard to do
it will wait
like everything in my life
it will wait.
Saturday, 7 July 2012
newness dances - Anita Holzberg
newness dances on feet unknown
a cleared up table
papers gone
disappear and vanish into boxes
clear cut tablecloth
ready
clean for company ready
as the day progresses into mid-day
no shower, no hair wash
no eyeliner, lips covered
I sit in my pajamas
watching the hours fly
thinking at 4 PM I will go to the park.
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