--Dusty

Everyone thought Jean

had a sweet cat,

Until the day it jumped

on her neighbors back.

Horrified, Doris didn’t know

what to do,

Her blouse was thin,

the pain was great, and

the cat’s claws ripped right through.

Well, Dusty got grounded for a while,

Until Doris got back her smile.

Now Dusty may not ever receive

fortune and fame,

But Jean loved her just the same.

In fact she’s loved so much,

Jean painted her picture on her

fingernails.

And someday stories about Dusty will be written,

In a book titled “Jean’s Fairy Tales.”

Patricia C. Machado

--Saint Valentine’s Day

Now, good old Saint Valentine’s Day is here,

It’s the most romantic day of the year.

If Valentine, himself, were here to see,

Romance is the same as is used to be.

I’ll bet, then, that he would still do his part,

To keep romances going, bless his heart.

Sylvia Sonntag

(Feb. 6, 2010)