Since I can’t write each of you a poem for Christmas, I thought I’d share some of the pieces I’ve written for other people this year….I hope it’s not too cheap a gift, but I am a struggling writer after all. : )
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or have ever met me in real life, then you know how much I adore Greg & Ashley Garrison, the owners of Hop Ice Cream & The Hop West in Asheville, NC. When I started drawing illustrations for my upcoming children’s book, I was inspired to do something for them as well. If this doesn’t entice you to go visit Hop Ice Cream for yourself, then I haven’t done them justice.
Let’s Go To The Hop.
Enter a world of delight,
where vegetables taste like treats.
Waffle cone-scented happiness.
The atmosphere drizzled in sweets.
A place where caramel is salted
and spinach can be an ice cream.
Sorbet, almond milk or chocolate,
every scoop is a bite of a dream.
The flavors are always homemade.
Each cake has a filling of love.
A family-friendly community,
that should be covered in fudge.
Free music rebounds off the walls.
Magic and poetry breathe.
All that is whimsical calls….
Just one nibble and you will believe.
*** Hop Ice Cream & The Hop West are active on Twitter & Facebook. Follow and “Like” them for event info & all their phenomenal ice cream flavors.***
My friend Wendy Lou was given another poem this year. I wrote one for her about a year ago, which was quintessentially her. However, I thought it might be fun to use her name in one of my children’s pieces. About 3 hours after I had that thought, the poem was done. I sent it over to my friend Catherine Wells & she gave it a quick & ingenious edit. It was so perfect that I had to keep her changes. Anytime this piece is published, she will be credited for her assistance. While this was intended to merely use Wendy Lou’s name, I do believe it carries the essence of her as well.
Wendy Lou will stitch your Dreams,
a dollar at a time.
Make sure you get there early,
there’s always quite a line.
For 50 cents she’ll make repairs,
or you can start from scratch.
She barters if you need to
but of course there is a catch.
You have to bring your Wishes.
You must trade in your Fears.
Strong Dreams are made with Kisses,
she’ll even take your tears.
So make a Dream for you
or to give to someone else.
Just take your Hopes to Wendy Lou….
‘Cause Dreams can’t make themselves.
Speaking of the lovely Catherine Wells, she also received a poem from me this year. Catherine’s former Twitter name was “verybadcat13″….hence the “very bad” line in this piece. She is a wonderful friend & an incomparable writer. But don’t take my word for it, I’m certain that after reading anything on her website, you’ll be an admirer of her work as well.
I hate to topple your tables,
but “Very Bad” is a relative term.
Her wit will slice through your cables,
her Faith must always be earned.
A Grace of unenhanced Beauty.
A Voice quite alive in her Pen.
Her shoulder is always on duty,
to care for the Hearts of her friends.
This last piece was written for a very wonderful man I met through Wendy Lou. His name is Tres & when we met he was in the back seat of her car. I was in the front seat & could barely hear him over the radio & open windows. From our first misunderstood sentence of “That’s so Amish” I knew he was someone worth knowing. Our friendship has flourished on Twitter & Facebook and he is one of the first people I showed my new artwork to. Such a sweet & genuine person….I am fortunate to know him.
that’s so amish….
a witty voice i strained to hear.
odd circumstance which brought you near.
talk of amish & silly jokes.
worth the effort for words you spoke.
now i must “like” the things you say.
since we speak in keyboards every day.
i offer up hugs in the digital world
for you rarely see this poet girl.
and so i write these words for you
and hope you find a piece of truth.
sometime soon we’ll meet again….
and be far more than facebook friends.
That’s all for now. Have a happy holiday and, as always, thanks for playing.
: ) barbie.
6 Responses
Lovely poems, Barbie, & I love the Hope Ice Cream drawing!
thank you so very much. : ) i really enjoyed drawing the picture for the hop. i stopped in the middle & wrote down the poem….i think that’s a good sign.
Based on the results in the poem, I’d sure say so–really liked that one!
sweet. : ) thanks again.
Lovely work, as always. 🙂 I really like “that’s so amish…” and think the new Wendy Lou poem is perfect for a children’s book.
thank you joseph. : ) i’m so glad you enjoyed them. i plan to make the phrase “that’s so amish” popular around the globe. i’m happy you liked wendy lou’s poem too. children’s poetry is so tricky.