Sonnet 19 - There Comes a Time

For Jennie, Christmas 2018

There comes a time in the life of a car
when systems malfunction and trouble lights glow;
when it's dark and it's cold and you have to go far
over slippery roads through the ice and the snow.

Once you peel your white knuckles off of the wheel,
you find on the Internet just what to buy --
a practical all-wheel drive automobile
that can comfortably hold both you and your guy.

But suddenly fate knocks you flat on your ass
just when you thought things were going so well;
antler and fur, mixed in with steel and glass,
yield a total loss up, with a new car smell.

A strong woman finds the exact car that she seeks,
then buys the same car again in just two weeks.

Sonnet 18 - You Go Beat a Stick

For Betsy

You go beat a stick of softened butter
and sprinkle grains of pure white sugar on it,
while I think of a few sweet words to utter
and fit them into phrases for a sonnet.

Then go and add two eggs, one at a time,
so flour and the sweetened grease adhere,
while I think of a couple words that rhyme,
so lines from out of memory’s web appear.

But we’ll forget, and no one will recall
this poem or the things it meant to say.
It will prove to be as ephemeral
as birthday cake that’s eaten in a day.

That’s why our days of happy marriage take
A constant flow of poetry and cake.