Taking summer by storm

(What we did on our summer vacation)

The summer memories of the year

Have shifted into higher gear.

As barometric pressure drops,

We raise our hackles. Traffic stops.

An outlook optimal we seek.

The forecast has been mostly bleak.

Metallic-sounding pelts of hail

Attack us with each passing gale.

Midsummer plans are made of clay,

With cancellations and delay.

And polished sandals ne’er grow old,

But sit unworn to gather mold.

Our gardens grumble ‘neath the flood,

By verdant lawns reduced to mud.

Humidity pours spirits low,

Along with added overflow.

A new storm warning hits the air.

We gnash our teeth and pull our hair.

Vacation longings tug our hearts,

As weather spills clear off the charts.

Mosquitoes reaching record swarms

Do flourish with the frequent storms.

We gripe and groan and swat at sores.

Perhaps we’d better stay indoors.

This poem incorporates these blog prompts:

Meme Express – “storm warning”

One Minute Writer – “summer memories”

That’s My Answer – “pressure”

Theme Thursday – “rain”

Three Word Wednesday – “metallic,” “optimal” and “polished”

Thursday Challenge – “old”

NOTE: Unauthorized use in printed materials, online, or in other published arenas is prohibited.

Image/s:

Pixabay public domain image

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A-Z sketches in verse: Yecch! Hit the Deck!

A Rhyming Flail on Extra Mail

I saw a spider in the sink.

He hovered by the drain.

I dropped the bills, and in a blink,

He’d found this new terrain.

The hijacker, I soon dispatched

With tap water and soap,

Then stood as sentry there and watched

Him slide that slippery slope.

At least I hope it was a him,

Not pregnant mother type.

The thought brings creepy crawlies grim

Of spidelings in my pipe.

From this day on, I’ll be alert

When picking up the mail.

I’ll give the postal box a squirt

O’er spiders to prevail.

c2015 by Linda Ann Nickerson

Image/s:

Vintage/public domain artwork

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Bugs and Shrugs

Bugs and Shrugs

Zap-Em Bug Truck - from Men in Black

Our pest control service seems to have a revolving door policy on bug spraying staffers' employment. We have scarcely seen the same technician twice in a row.

To make matters worse, this particular company's  exterminators tend to call the night before they plan to come to our home and leave voice mail messages to announce their planned arrivals ... even when we are out of town.

You might say we are growing a bit incensed at our insect repellent providers, who are becoming pests of an entirely different sort. Here’s the latest installment. This true story is buzzing with irony. No wonder the bugs are celebrating.

Forsooth-Slayer

A Limericked Bye to the Bug-Spraying Guy

A suited bug sprayer, DeVries,

Departed with nary a sneeze.

He set down his gun

And took off, a-run,

Alas, he’s allergic to bees.

Because the man sprouted his wings,

Our domicile buzzes and sings.

We hope a deep freeze

Exterminates these

Before we may suffer some stings.
c2010 by Linda Ann Nickerson

Eating on the Fly

Adkins Diet, anyone?

Now that the holidays are over, how many of us are still trying to stick to our New Year's resolutions?

Here's a surefire way to lose those extra holiday pounds!

Eating on the Fly
A Rhymed Repast on Food Most Fast

I'm living on the Atkins Diet:
Never bread it; never fry it.
When I crave a little snack,
I saddle up my horse out back.

We take the trail among the trees
And there enjoy a gentle breeze.
I tilt my open mouth up high
And quickly catch a juicy fly.

I'm not too worried 'bout hygiene;
My focus, mainly, is protein.
Avoiding carbs and bad trans-fats,
I go for horseflies, fleas and gnats.


OK, are you sufficiently grossed out yet, or do you want to read a bit (er, bite) more? Click here to read "Eating on the Fly."