21 May

Posted at 19:54h in Poems by

I'm learning a lot as I head into the 2nd week with STARK RAVING DAD on book store shelves.  Probably the biggest is that the word "poems" scares a heck of a lot of people.  It's so hard to get them to see past the idea of organized verse, even when the prose is disguised as irreverent, parenting, potty humor!!  However, when they actually DO read the poems - I've gotten a lot of chortles, joy, and people telling me they've "laughed out loud"!  That's such a great feeling.  It's an even better feeling when people tell me they've lived through all of these - and that they totally "felt" each of these captured moments.  I'm so thrilled to know that my "misery loves company" parenting poems are reaching people. However, sitting on the Barnes & Noble "Father's Day" table doesn't mean shoppers are going to crack that cover and look inside.  That word "poems" is still staring at them.  Sadly,...

12 Oct

Posted at 16:30h in Poems by

Oy!  So here's a poem I wrote about flushing my son's fish, then replacing it with another without telling them.  I'm not really proud of it.   So I thought in this post I could kind of explain my rationale.  Some of it is in the poem...

18 Jan

Posted at 03:34h in Poems by

I never thought I’d do it I never thought I’d lie But I’m staring at a third fish That had to go and die   Tears, moans, wails and whoa Stare up in clouded eyes A ruse to dodge a little grief Should come as no surprise   A fish is a fish, and a flush is a flush So off to the store I go And when I return with a new Mr. Bubbles No one will ever know   Ok.  so this one's a little tricky cuz the kids still don't know!  I'm not sure if this is betraying their trust.  I guess it is.  But honestly, Mr. Bubbles died shortly after the cat got run over and it was just a little too traumatic.  Or so we felt at the time.  So when the kids went to school...

14 Dec

Posted at 20:28h in Poems by

So this poem really has nothing to do with what i'm writing about - except for the fact that it's a food item and it hints at how the silliest, most mundane things have become important facets of my life!  Uncrustables and Oreos!  Go figure. I had to laugh yesterday when I realized I was sending my wife a sweet, loving text as I was grabbing 2 giant boxes of uncrustables.  (you know - those peanut butter & jelly sandwiches - pre-made with the crusts cut-off for really, really picky kids.  And one of my kids still won't eat them!!)    Anyhow, it occurred to me that this was pretty much the most unromantic moment you could imagine...

30 Oct

Posted at 15:58h in Poems by

What is the hardest thing in the world?  Well at 2am, in the dark, its one of those small wooden blocks painted with a letter!!   I wrote this poem the day after stepping on one.  And frankly, I was AMAZED at how much it hurt.  It probably didn't help that i was very tired, and very grumpy.  I quickly learned my lesson - you should turn on the light before you wade through the mine fields.  Of course, at that time, I had completely forgotten that our living room was a danger zone. I do remember trying not to scream (the kid was asleep finally!!) and boy did I want to scream.  That little brightly colored block hurt SOOOO much.  And I've stepped on tacks, nails, glass, sharp rocks...