SAID - Anita Holzberg

Said

we wanted

  green peace

and tapioca pudding

and Mars candy bars

Said

 we wanted

    colored rainbows

and jelly beaned grandchildren

and mustard hamburgers

And we got 

just that

a wind struct summer

baked potatoes

corn hanging on the cob

and we got 

  streaming flags

and 4th of July sunsets

we got all that

and then, 

some.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg

PEACE - Anita Hozberg

In sentences I sing

In beautiful gardens I sit
In the goings and comings I am at ease

P e a c e be with You!

Anita Schiffman Holzberg

A New Day - Anita Holzberg

Seated here

  my trumpet vines blooming

     the open blinds

view the garden

    all lush with summer flowers

Back from Chicago where green 

       lawns landscaped Bevie's house

where the back patio 

       had a barbecue

            and swing

       we viewed it all from

            a beautiful breakfast nook

                  with a white table

                         black chairs

                   and cheery red place mats.

           My travels stood me well

                   I discovered a life that was

               really wonderful

         I watch the day o p e n i n g

            My window to the garden

        always an inspiration.

        

Fragrance - by Anita

Fragrance comes
 I smell her
almost as lovely as
 a rose
 
Fragrance comes
my Coco Channel
always my favorite

You can have Chance
too, Channel in my consciousness
Since my Mother

OK, Fragrance is memorable
Lily of the valley, Carvon
Mrs. Harriet Schiffman
I could smell that acrid sweetness
Across the room
And love, too. 

Searching for Answers - Anita Holzberg

Searching for answers
A needle in a haystack
Time the ultimate river
      of truth
            of waking and dying
Every day
      we die a bit
                every day we are reborn
                          a bit

        the balance
               between: sadness
                                        and  joy

      elation and deflation

Searching for answers
        I pull off the leaves of my hardy neglected
                geranium plant
                             still there
                        still               there.

Anita and Emily

I Will Get There - Anita Holzberg

Tomorrow the dream is written on
    on my sleeve
Tomorrow the dream is waltzing out to lunch
     unencumbered 
Tomorrow the dream is walking down steps
     without a cane 
Tomorrow the dream is dancing to the tune of
     grand kids marching

I will get there
I have to push hard now
I did it before
I will do it again

Tomorrow's dream is close to reality

Be it
Seek it
Wear it
Hug it
                Make it my shadow
                      Make it my foot print
                          Make it my landscape

                              Be. 

Awfully - Anita Holzberg

Awfully full
of a lunch which I said everything I know
    about poetry
I wanted to speak that to a person
    whose poetry I like

Awfully happy
I had lunch amidst the clacking of forks and spoons
A Mexican salad of beans and chips and avocado
I set facing a new/old friend
Her ideas popping out gems

Awfully connected
From Boston blue collar  roots, East coast beginnings
The family car persisted in our stories
How important is that?

Awfully wonderful
We said "Good-bye"
The common tread pulled us
Hugged us close 
This beautiful Spring May Day.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Time is of the Essence - Anita Holzberg

Time is of the essence
No time for brooding and going backwards
The infinite shadows persists
My heart torn and somewhat shattered
But, I know I will recover
Its like walking
It's walking through that gets me there
To the other side of the mountain.

For Inge - by Anita

Not withstanding hope
I write these lines
My new found old friend
Gives me adrenaline
I go with it
Up to the skies
I sit in her garden
the fountain a beautiful stream of white water f l o w i n g
She shows me what she is about
Fresh strawberries and cheese
Freshly brewed coffee
Mix in
With dogs on the other side of the fence
The view very green
The laughter and banter continues
Way past supper time
I drive home inebriated with her spirit
and her lightness.

A New Day - Anita Holzberg

Seated here
  my hazelnut coffee beside me
swing pants on my body
   yoga thoughts
meditation
the going is good, really good
the coming is good too.
I am immersed in song

Momentum - Anita Holzberg

Do you have real momentum?
You know the kind that athletes have?

Do you slip and sway
Ride and Roll
In sneakers?

If you do you can play any piece of music
Or can you?

My piano plays itself in the early morning
"Opening April"

P.S.  Momentum on its own

Up Early - Anita

Up early
  the sky does not hold hands with sun
  the stars flicker yet before they fade 
  the house is quiet as a mouse
  the coffee brews in exact rhythm

I hold these moments
   between being and non being
   between the celebrated sea rolling in
   between the spaces that clear the mind 
   between my goings and comings
   between my settling and unsettling

The world waits for no one
Watch me walk
Wait for me.  

Close to Home - Anita Holzberg

In truth
 the budding mini roses say it all
Stay close to home
  live breathe the garden

In truth
  the dancing picnic
     before a moveable feast
this summer's barbecues
   I can taste them

So much has transpired in the last three weeks
  I am humbled by this wonderful turn of events

I stay close to home
Remember who I am and who I will be.

I Follow Her - Anita Holzberg

Staking out the sun
I follow her
patches of light fall
  so silently
on my books, my favorite arm chair
the wind is in the room
curtains fly
the cat is in the yard
everything has its place

I never change much
Life is about comfort
warm slippers and teatime
life is about all that can make you happy
if you do find a soft bed to fall on.

The Balancing Act Begins - Anita

UP EARLY
Up too early
the sleep machine works
Optimum sleep
I do not care if it is noisy
I feel better, I really do
I plan to organize a family barbecue
I plan to walk the steps at Kaiser today
Dr. Chi at 1:45
The balancing act begins

Riding the tide
I straddle the components of my mind
Will I arrive with more walking
Walking for the Bart and Oakland
I need a few weeks of rehab
Lots more rehab
Water aerobics next week

The sun is shining on my face
There is abundance now
Abundance of friendship
Abundance of affirmations
Now.
Watch me, if you can.
Say a prayer for my recovery.

Thank you.

Infiite - Anita Holzberg

Infinite rain
 non existent this morning
with the sun s t r e a m i n g
Her face shining in my living room

Infinite shadows
  I do not feel you creeping in my veins
or the foreshadowing of the day ahead

Infinite madness
   I run around the house to find napkins
blue napkins and they are missing
Oh, well

Infinite goals
I want to be happy
I want to walk and take the Bart to Oakland
to see Owen and Evie

Infinite light
that floods my heart, my head
every day now
Who knows really why?

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Up Late - Anita Holzberg

Up late
  the AC humming
Like a night owl
I go through mail
Riveting memories
I organize a bit
Company on Thursday
Get religion, here and now

Up late
  the detective program over
the night clear
   Christal clear
just breezing with the breeze

Amazing after 10 what can get done

Clear spaces

Until the next day with mail collecting

Where are you now
My dear feathered friend

Where are you now as I overkill my
words
I reach for you somewhere out there
Beyond my covers

Up late.

I am returning to my regular life - Anita

The bloom is on the rose
Arriving
The first word out of my mouth is
Wonderful
Arriving
I open the door to my mind
And let the sunshine come in

Where I have been is over
Where I will go is coming into focus

The world waits for poly wogs
Wait for me.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Up Early - Anita Hozberg

Up early
  grey cloud cover
I won't let that take away my spirits
  or the caterpillars that creep
      or the balloon man
         high or deep

Up early
    a poem writes herself
the popcorn of the mind remembers
     old movies
     Mom and Dad
     the drugstore
     meatball sandwiches on Thursday
     Park Avenue
     William Carlos Williams
     My 2 wheeler
     My black and white house

Up early
      too early to hear your voice
          but
      I hear it anyway

How are You?

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Extraordinary Dream - Anita Holzberg

Extraordinary dreams
I hear the drummer
I see my whole world opening
like a roll
like a seed flowering

Extraordinary dreams
the coin is in the pond
the memory is written on the wind
the dream is on top of the mountain
the sky is so high, I can taste it

Extraordinary hearts
beating to the beat
In sync with the morning sunrise

I take this time
when my friends have been there
when my poet friends and I rejoice
It is Spring
The river is flowing
And the small child holds the dream.

Owen and Evie I send you kisses

Mammy

Up 4 AM - Anita

Up 4 AM or rather 4:30
The birds are sleeping and my heart
awake
I put away the cheese
I put away the wine from my wine and cheese
Picchu is sleeping too
Everyone is sleeping
The whole world is sleeping
and my beloved is sleeping too

Who says being awake is so great>
The G-ds have it
And the piccolo player sings. 

Watch Out Clouds - Anita Holzberg

Watch out clouds
Bill's got a girl friend
Watch out clouds
Black birds dance
and the siren blows
Watch out heart
Hang it up to dry
You missed the beat
You missed the window
Just when my world is opening
   his is too

Watch out clouds
Cover your heads
No tears, now

Watch out
For life is just like that
Pervading sun
Then the clouds come 
Watch out. 

Day Breaks (For Bill) - Anita Holzberg

Day breaks
As I see your face this morning
A white wave
Sparkling
In the
morning dew.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg
For: Bill

Returning Health - Anita Holzberg

In truth, the rose is on the bloom
God rearranges life for me
My health is coming back
I walk mostly without the cane
I am a little fearful, but nevertheless
   I am doing it
Time comes about time is on my side
10 good years left or 20
But who is counting
Dear Ann
Write to you
It is almost noon
my daughter walks 6 miles
Her back healing and
the mother rejoices
like the rejoicing I do every day
about her health and mine returning.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

New Beginnings - Anita Holzberg

The song of songs
  remembers the days of searching
loneliness
   peaceful mornings toughing it out
The psalm of psalms  remembers
the truths we said around an oak table
so many years ago

I touch a leaf
I am memorizing the rain
I am enchanted this opening April
With new friends
fabulous sunsets and 
1,000 sunrises begin my day

I am enchanted this opening April. 

Lightening strikes - Anita Holzberg

Lightening strikes but once
The bloom is on the rose
The incredible dream before me
I open the door
I am standing on the precipice
Night is coming into day
The world is sweeter
I will take that sweetness and follow her
Like the wind in early 
April
Like the summer breezes and 80 degree weather
I will open my heart
And let the summer come in.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg

In the spirit of Now - Anita Holzberg

In the spirit of now
  I write the lines that carry me to another place
In the spirit of now
  I sing the songs that have to be sung
In the spirit
  I walk with a new pair of shoes
In the spirit of now
  I take my life and move it forward
Visiting friends I see universals
Visiting friends who open their hearts and home

In the spirit of Now
  I see your face launch 1000 ships
Maybe I am dreaming
In the spirit of Now.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

For Nathan - by Anita

For Nathan:

I never met your Mom, but I have
In the conversations with you, she bloomed

I never met your Mom
Fiercely Independent

A Mother of mothers
A rose in your garden
It will ever flower
Making you the wonderful person you are
Your heritage blossoms like her and your day
A man among men
The fighter, the kindness, the generosity of spirit
  That all that you have now
And the generations that you nurture will
   Have this wonder, too

Anita Schiffman Holzberg
I cherish our friendship

Dreams - Anita Holzberg

In the background of life
 there is this little light
pushing us forward toward the dream

I dream of sandy beaches
  trips to the country
a friend to hold me in the still summer night.

What do you dream about?

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

The Infinite Battle - Anita Holzberg

In the goings and comings
  In the brink or on the brink
I fight my battles with a growing waistline
always and always
I've tried and been successful
Then, my world falls apart as the weight
follows me back

In this insane state of being
I buy more clothes
I feel less than
I wander who I am really

So goes the weight I walk better
So comes on the weight I walk not as good
Isn't that reason enough

The carrot is out there
Eating well, feeling well is out there
In that state of state
I can't even hear this

I get on the bike, my salavation
I walk into the pool
I eat less and juice more

I never ever give back
Even if the weight follows me back
I fight the battle and let the sleep come
over me like a cloud
I float in the meaning of Now
Now is the time to get the body back
Now is the time.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Life is about these Sparks! - Anita Hozlberg

A veggie omlette
        fixed to perfection
Roasted red potatoes
        I sat at a restaurant
So much like a cafe
        Sharing the chatter
and clanking of forks

I arrive home
after this meal
and find my neighbor
   to converse with
Reading is the topic

We always can communicate
We always can be friends

The April sun decides to come out
I shed a little light on a child that I see
  every week
Positive vibes this Spring Day
Worries aside
An instant message photo
Owen in an airplane
with a grin on his face
Life is about these sparks
It really is.  

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

APRIL - Anita Holzberg

There is a hint of breeze
     a smidgin of cool
           the trees are blooming
                 the birds are singing
       I can't help loving the sky
          can you?

Life as we Know It - Anita Holzberg

The April sun comes quietly
   a dusting of flower blooms on my deck
The fountain turns over and I stand it up
   a Grecian urn not forgotten
The lattice lounge chair waiting for Picchu to return
I type these lines
     as a I should be exercising
I press a button and get a nutritious drink
Its red, the color of strawberries
I think that nothing will take away this moment
     and for thee
         I wish you the same
So quietly the April sun shines