Posted in Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged hugs, lady bug, Love, nature, play, poem, Poetry, Poetry for children, whimsy on May 11, 2017| 24 Comments »
(For a future children’s book, maybe….)
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Dotty little lady bug,
I would give you such a hug
but if I hold you close to me
I’m afraid you’ll cease to be
so I shall place you on my finger,
maybe you won’t go, but linger
till a breeze lifts you away –
another flower, another day.
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© 2013, 2017 Betty Hayes Albright
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(A re-post. Photo from http://www.wallpaprest.com)
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Posted in Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged children's poetry, just for fun, lightning, nature, poem, Poetry, rain, rhyme, storms, thunder, wind on March 12, 2017| 10 Comments »
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(Just for fun 🙂 )
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Said Lightning to the thunder:
I am in charge of you!
You haven’t any color
but I’m electric blue.
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Said Thunder to the lightning:
I’m the one you hear.
You’re just a random fork of light
but I inspire fear.
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Said Lightning to the thunder:
I turn night into day,
I’ll wave my whip and sheet the sky
while you just roll away.
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Said Thunder to the lightning,
‘tis I that moves the air.
You’re just a ziggy-zaggy flash
but I give earth a scare.
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Said Lightning to the thunder:
watch me, I’ll make a flame
by striking every target
while your rumble has no aim.
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And from the ground rose Fire
writhing towards the sky:
I am master here now,
both of you can say goodbye.
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Then just in time came Rain, who cried:
this land is all my own.
I’m putting out your careless fire
now go – leave Earth alone.
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And still they argued back and forth
till Wind came out to play.
He laughed and roared with wild delight
and blew the storm away.
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© 2013, 2017 Betty Hayes Albright
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(re-posted from 2013 – a children’s poem, for grown-ups too.)
Posted in Poetry 1990's, Poetry for children, tagged Gaia, nature, poem, Poetry, rain, storm, tempest, wind on October 14, 2016| 6 Comments »
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(from 1993)
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When morning woke in silence
and you heard naught but a prayer,
when the earth was scented misty
came a tightness in the air.
And soon the winds were hammering
from sea and onto land
giving chase to charcoal rain
and knocking down what couldn’t stand
the battering and the beating
and the gusting of the gale
as steeples fell, and great old trees
splintered in its trail.
By evening the tempest waned…
the storm released the air…
and as darkness draped the silence
you could hear naught but a prayer.
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(c) 1993, 2016 Betty Hayes Albright
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(We’re in the midst of very stormy, roaring weather in the Pacific NW – hoping to get this posted before the power goes out.)
Posted in haiku or senryu, Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged Crows, flickers, haiku, nature, poem, Poetry, visitors on September 21, 2016| 21 Comments »
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Sleep interrupted –
someone’s knocking on the roof.
Crow comes for breakfast.
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Peace interrupted –
someone’s knocking on the door.
Flicker comes for lunch.
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© 2016 Betty Hayes Albright
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(Photos were taken in July.
They’re a bit fuzzy because they were taken through a window.
At least that’s my excuse this time. 🙂 )
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Posted in Poetry 1960's, Poetry for children, tagged children's poem, nature, poem, Poetry, rain on August 16, 2016| 2 Comments »
A children’s poem – written waaaaay back in high school.
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Rain says on the roof:
these are joy-tears I weep,
hush now, my patter
will sing you to sleep.
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Some days it shouts: Ha!
You’re all wet, April fool,
my friend it was warm out
but now you’ll be cool.
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And rain will play tricks
and fall in hard stones,
or crystals of whiteness
and silvery cones.
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And these say: Come play,
let me nip at your ear
until a warm day
makes me all disappear.
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(c) 1965, 2016 Betty Hayes Albright
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(A note to everyone living in the drought stricken areas of the country: I hold you in my thoughts. It has been dry even here in the northwest, but not as devastating as those states to the south and southwest. Wishing you all rain, and containment of the fires.)
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Posted in Poetry 1970's, Poetry for children, tagged children's poem, Christmas, gifts, light, poem, Poetry, snow, solstice, spirituality, winter on December 18, 2014| 28 Comments »
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(written for my young sons in 1979)
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Children, lay your presents down,
come look and see what I just found –
a tree outside all flocked in snow
that doesn’t need a wire to glow;
playful squirrels – the romping kind
that you never have to wind.
A snowman’s outside every home,
not one is made of Styrofoam.
There’s peace and quiet for your heart
not found inside a shopping cart,
and living color in a smile
that’s brought to you without a dial. *
The wind is singing up the street
to rosy cheeks and dancing feet,
to easy laughter, mellow sighs,
whispering of the grand surprise
that comes on winter’s longest night –
the promise of returning Light.
So children, lay your presents down,
behold the gift that Love has found.
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© 1979, 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
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* Waaay back in the late 60’s and early 70’s, certain t.v. shows were “brought to you in living color” (as opposed to the more common black and white) – on televisions that still had dials. Funny – seems so antiquated now.
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Posted in Poetry 1990's, Poetry for children, tagged Children, growing up, mothers, nesting dolls, nostalgia, perception, poem, Poetry, sons, vision on December 5, 2014| 26 Comments »
Like those nesting dolls
in graduated sizes
my sons became
encased each year
inside of bigger boys.
Now grown and sealed
inside tall men
they’re unaware
I still see through
a mother’s eyes
to all those younger little boys
still playing deep inside.
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(c) 1992, 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
Posted in haiku or senryu, Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged autumn, future, haiku, maple seeds, nature, poem, Poetry, spinning on October 15, 2014| 15 Comments »
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The air is spinning!
Squadrons of maple-copters
take the fertile earth.
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(c) 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
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(Image from morguephoto.com – free photos.)
Posted in Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged children's poem, daddy long legs, guardian, nature, night, poem, Poetry, spider, uneasiness on October 9, 2014| 24 Comments »
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(a children’s poem)
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Daddy long-legs
on the ceiling,
can you know
how I’ve been feeling
as you lurk
above my head
while I lie
tucked in my bed?
Just keep in mind
my policy:
don’t spin
in my proximity!
Stay overhead
and you can be
guardian watching
over me.
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© 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
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Photo 10-8-2014 – apologies for the blurry photo again.
This little guy has been above the bed for a month now. Might have to name him.
Posted in Poetry 2010 - present, Poetry for children, tagged beauty, butterfly, children's poem, Monarch Butterfly, nature, perspective, poem, Poetry, spirituality on September 23, 2014| 13 Comments »
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Photo: “Monarch In May” by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson
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(a children’s poem)
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Butterfly lands upon a mirror,
sees himself from front to rear,
hairy body, skinny legs,
“It seems I’m made of pegs and bags –
we butterflies are ugly things!”
Alas, he cannot see his wings,
how elegant he is from here
where we see him above the mirror –
so with his beauty still unknown
the monarch flies back to his throne.
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© 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
Click on image for more info.
Seasonings 