40.

One, standing alone, feels a tremor,
that sure sign the sky is falling,
so, rushes to alert his
neighbors, excitable gents. One tells
another, three overhear, five demand
action, until all, wanting the honor
of breaking the news, make a mad-dash
to Central, causing a ripple-effect of
flailing limbs. Exhausted, all collapse,
waiting for the Watch-Tower-call: All is Well!

39.

Where, O, where did my baby girl go?
O, where, O, where can she be?
I've searched up and down and all through the house,
but it's only her pictures I see.

There is a girl here who answers her name,
but she's way too big to be she.
Although her blond hair and sparkling blue
eyes make me think that it really may be

That once where my baby with dimpled arms sat
and a smiling, laughing cute face
sits a darling big girl with a laugh in her voice
and that smile in the very same place.

But Mama's not ready to let her grow up,
and Time won't let us stay here.
So I'll remember each moment she gives to me now,
holding each to my heart, very dear.

38.

Barren, once fruitful, arms reach
toward Heaven, praying scattered
children find lush havens in
fertile Mother Earth.

37.

Are you writin' another poem, Mama?
I like it when you do.
You write about my sisters,
and me and Mommy, too.

Can you read them over and over, Mama?
I never get tired of it.
I promise I'll listen quietly
if on your lap I sit.

Will you always write them down, Mama,
the poems, every day?
And could you please just write one now,
before I run out to play?

36.

I get to go out (I can't wait!),
with my beautiful, wonderful mate.
We're gonna take bets
to see who more frets
over leaving the girls for this date.

35.

I haven't had time to write.
I've been working every night.
And time slips away
when there's no time to play,
but I know what I'm doin' is right.

34.

There once was a girl named Paige,
who always looked tall for her age.
All her clothes she outgrew,
so quickly gone through,
and no stopping could anyone gauge.

33.

Decisions are tough
when words aren't enough,
because little hearts bleed
when it's loving they need.

32.

My little girl dressed fancy in her very first play.
And then she acted fancy, as she trounced around today.

Those fancy braids, her hair just so;
It couldn't be plain, "Oh, no, no, no."

She danced in step, decked to the nines.
She knew each one, her fancy lines.

She made us proud up on that stage,
My fabulous, stupendous, darling Fancy Paige.

31.

Welcome little baby boy.
Your birth day gave us so much joy.
Nine long months since you were due.
Your Mama loves you, Daddy too.
Snuggle in your family's arms.
You'll always be so safe and warm.
No matter where your life may roam,
their love will guide you safely home.

30.

I'm tired of washing my hands.
I don't care where the germs may land.
Ok, so I'm lying,
but the water's so drying,
and they're burning so much I can't stand (it).

29.

There once was a boy named Dan,
who ate all his food from a can.
"Dear me, dear me,
there's no more Chef Boyardee.
I'll guess I'll settle for Spam."

28.

I've half a mind to speak the truth,
no matter what may fall.
But words can hurt and every truth
is not the same for all.

I'd like to think that honesty
will lead us to the light,
but till we all can live in truth
we stumble through the night.

And searching souls and baring hearts
is oftentimes so slow,
But silence heard in honesty
is louder than we know.

27.

When the policeman pulls you over,
it's never good to cry.
Just sit there so politely
and look him in the eye.

Start by saying, "Sorry,
I know I blew that light."
or "I'm sure that I was speeding;
I hate to drive at night."

And when that ticket's written,
don't fret or come unglued.
Just pay the pricey ticket
and know your insurance will go up too.

26.

Five poems behind. My meter's in a rut.
I've got to break this rhyming scheme
before I'm called a nut.

The words are there, the subjects, too,
but sounding all the same.
And metaphors and cadence are big players in this game.

But pushing on to achieve my goal
means taking shortcuts, too.
And with 340 left, I'm sure I'll bore a few.

25.

Three little ones, five mouths to feed
in this economy,
means working hard to make ends meet
for those, our family.

Life throws its curves, its obstacles,
each harder than the last.
But lessons learned along the way
bring knowledge from the past.

And being strong for each of us
is all that we can do.
And holding on to what we love
will surely get us through.

24.

It's hard to be three
with two little sisses,
because they pull hair
even though they give kisses.

Too little to help much
or go out to play,
too big to be held
at the start of each day.

From being just one
to now one of three
makes being the oldest
the hardest, you see.

But Mama and Mommy's
loving arms hold,
no matter how little,
how big or how old.

23.

Polly's getting her first tooth.
I swear to you, I speak the truth.

It's poking through, just out today.
No wonder she won't eat or play.

She's gnawing, drooling, biting too.
She has to get that toofer through.

Sleepless nights and cranky days
have been the price she has to pay.

She'll work that tooth with little tongue
and a pearly white she'll have 'fore long.

22.

Slobbery kisses on my cheek.
Older one plays hide and seek.

Pudgy hands grab both my lips.
Got each settled on my hips.

Sister plays her little games.
They're starting now to know their names.

Bubble-blowing they can do,
smiling, giggling, sitting, too.

I can't believe five months flew by,
I think I must've blinked an eye.

Three little girls are growing fast.
We've got to make these moments last.

21.

Anger is the driving force
to make a situation worse.
Step back to see the path it brings
before you say those angry things.

It doesn't matter who is right,
if all you do is fuss and fight.
The time it takes to make amends
is worth the effort in the end.

20.

Heavy-fringed curtain falls,
covering sand-encrusted orbs.

19.

Heartbeats, translated
into electronic beeps,
march quickly, then race.
Pausing, fatigued, abrupt halt,
until, surging through vessels, a
liquid Grand Marshal salutes,
commanding order from
Deadly Chaos.

18.

The baby peed on my hand.
I really can't understand
why she has to let it go
as soon as Mama tells her, "No..."

I've got the clean one just right here.
Can't you wait Miss Phoebe, dear?
I know the cold air hits just right
and makes it hard to hold on tight.

I thought those special little joys
could only come from little boys.
But Mama's learned to move real fast
'til Phoebe's covered up at last.

17.

It's the end of the day and all three are asleep.
We're all alone and neither's uttered a peep.

Too many distractions throughout the day
leave too much to be said to recap in some way.

We're tired, we're worn out. There isn't much else.
We have to recharge and take time for ourselves.

Sometimes I miss them, the good olden days.
Where nothing much mattered; we had time to play.

But our loving and planning have placed us right here.
At the end of the day, so far yet so near.

16.

Phoebe doesn't like the bink.
She chews her hands until they're pink.

Polly loves her little Nuk.
She cries until she gets to suck.

But they both love their sister Paige.
I think that three's their favorite age.

They stop their fussing, crying too,
when she first steps into their view.

On not much yet do they agree,
but loving her it's plain to see.

15.

My wife went on a run.
She says it's so much fun;
she says she wants to get in shape.
I think she runs just to escape!

14.

Baby screaming in the car.
How much longer? Is it far?
Doctor says she's motion-sick.
Dramamine won't do the trick.

She cries until her eyes are red.
She won't rest her little head.
Our nerves are frazzled you can see
from crying babies one, two, three.

For when one cries it triggers two
and what are moms supposed to do?
When baby girl can't settle down
for trips across this little town.

Our families please must understand
that we can't travel 'cross the land.
Until poor Polly handles miles,
we won't be driving for a while!

13.

I can't be honest and say
that I've written a poem every day,
but starting my day at night
means the timing just isn't right.

And waking when the day hasn't changed
leaves me plenty of time to arrange
those thoughts within my head and heart,
until realizing with a start,

That today isn't the day that I thought
and try as hard as I ought,
this nocturnal shift is creating a rift
so I'd better catch up, and swift!