LADYBUGS

Life was so serious today.  For instance, at noon I was called to the refugee complex up the street to help the management deal with piles and piles of roaches and filthy carpets in one apartment, not exactly my favorite thing to do.  I was asked to help teach these particular people how to clean, which I may do, and means that the bathroom, fridge, and stove, and cupboards in this particular apartment could be a real challenge. Don't know when/if this cleaning teaching will be officially dropped in my lap, but I'll help if I can.  [I could be tearing my clothes off on our front porch before I let myself in my house then, but...]  However, between that and a couple other smaller situations, I'm tired today of seriosity.

Because of this intensity, buried on my heart, I decided to post a poem I wrote in October, '01, which is funny and chuckly.    At the time I wrote it, I was hiding out on the North Shore of Superior, trying to deal with brokenheartedness connected to 9/11's life and death. Much of my writing during those days was very serious, very dark. This was one of the only light pieces, and I've enjoyed sharing it with friends and family ever since...even did it at church at a talent show once and made lots of people laugh.  That was a good thing.
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                                     LADYBUG

“Grandma” -- eyes wide, he asked -- 

“weren’t you a-scared, camping ... 

in the woods ... 

in the dark

... alone?”

“Of course not!!” I answered

 .. and then added,

“well, maybe a little ...

But God was there --

and so were ladybugs.”

“Grandma, were there bears?
BIG, Black or Brown,
and Furry?
Did ya see ‘em?”

“No,” I said, “No bears, no scary stuff at all

[unless you count spiders],

Just squirrels and chipmunks, and, ...

Oh, yes ... I saw ladybugs.”

“They flew into my shirt and my
pants and my hat – and stayed there --
all red-orange and black on
my purple and blue and magenta.

And I brushed them away --
Oh, so gently
[one never wants to hurt a ladybug].”

“Did you have fun on your trip? --
Did you miss us and want us with you?”

“Of course!!” I answered,
wondering how a sometimes 

Grumpy Gramma
would do with all the munchkins.
“I thought you would like the water and the rocks,
and the trees -- but mostly,
you’d LOVE
the ladybugs.”