TWOFER! Because yesterday’s poem was such an unbelievable bummer (for me, too), I have two nice ones today. First, I’m flexing some haiku muscle for Sensational Haiku Wednesday; second, Three Word Wednesday gave us: Adapt, Glide, and Lie. These are also posted at my poetry haven, Poets United. Peace to all, Amy
FOR SENSATIONAL HAIKU WEDNESDAY
Falling Leaves (Haiku)
Leaves color, then drop
as though staying green so long
has left them weary.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
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FOR THREE WORD WEDNESDAY (prompt words in bold)
Heaven Sent
Pregnant teen Kit, big-time cocaine-addicted.
She knew that the baby’d be wholly afflicted
She tried to clean up; she didn’t abort;
but habits and lies and recovery fell short.
She put down her pipe just in time for E.R.
A stranger took pity, drove her there in his car.
He cell-phoned his wife, who rushed down for the birth
(To have their own, they’d have moved heaven and earth.)
Kit wouldn’t nurse baby, pleaded, “Don’t wanna see him.”
The couple, still there, never once thought to flee him.
A tough road ahead for a tough little guy:
a whole lot of tears, in purging the high.
A nurse saw the two, screaming babe in her arms;
“Maybe-Mom” glided over, her touch was the charm.
One look and they knew, so completely enrapt,
that they would not only adopt, but adapt.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
Debbie
Oh Amy! How you capture us with your story poems! Thank you! And beautiful haiku too!
Sharp Little Pencil
Debbie, I knew you would like these both, and so glad you saw them. Also, thanks for haiku compliment – I’m working hard on that form! Amy
dandeliongirl01
Beautiful Haiku. Loved it! And I like what you did with the three word prompt. You tell as much by what you leave out as what you put in.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much for stopping by, D-Girl! I’m coming over to see what’s up with you. Peace, Amy
Roger Green
Ah, that second poem was much more encouraging at the end than I would have thought.
Also love the rhyme, MC Amy L
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you much, o Roger,
You know I’m a form-dodger!
Amy
Old Egg
Both your contributions are really satisfying. Loved the humour in the haiku.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Robin. Fall being my favorite season, I’m always rooting for the trees! Amy
Nanka
Liked your “Falling Leaves” Haiku, as though admonishing them for their behavior!! 😉
The 3WW poem is true to your style a bit sad but all ends well. The last line speaks volumes in just two words ‘adopt’ and ‘adapt’
Sharp Little Pencil
Hey, if you were a leaf and had to process chlorophyll all summer long before being allowed to turn to your natural color for maybe two weeks before the tree dropped you like a bad date, you’d be weary, too! 🙂
Yes, even the poems that end well usually start off sadly with me. I’ve noticed that. I wrote the last line FIRST, then worked backward, believe it or not! Thanks, Nanka, and peace, Amy
dreamingthruthetwilight
What a wonderful story of hope in the midst of despair. How one wishes life embraced the teenaged mother too in a warm loving hug.
Sharp Little Pencil
It would also be helpful to get her to a safe home and into a treatment program… that’s a great thought, Nadira, thank you. Peace, Amy
Pat Hatt
Both were great, but I like the second the best. Of course all the rhyme..haha…but great message there too. Life can change in an instant.
Sharp Little Pencil
Pat, thank you. And isn’t it the truth? Life can turn on a dime. I dreamed up that couple, but they could be any one of thousands who have willingly taken on the privilege of adoption along with the added burden of having a special needs child. Many, many of those couples who adopt special-needs kids are gay or lesbian, and I’ve seen lots of blended and happy families everywhere I have lived, regardless of needs or gender orientation.
Yeah. Me can rhyme real pretty, huh? LOL Amy
mish
Lovely haiku … it made me think of one of my favorite songs … Autumn Leaves !
The poem is lovely … I can relate … I was blessed with a son at 18 years old … today he is a grown man !
Sharp Little Pencil
Did I see this comment before? Anyway, I’ll answer again! (Must have been a brain fuse out)
I love Autumn Leaves, especially Eva Cassidy’s version. Also, although I didn’t have Riley until I was 32, she is out on her own as well and doing great. Thanks, Mish, we are enmeshed! ha ha
Peace, Amy
Daydreamertoo
Awwwww Love a happy ending. Such a shame when girls have to go through this and they’re just too young.
Sharp Little Pencil
I agree. It begins with proper birth control education – not encouraging sexual activity in the young, but explaining WHY guys “gotta have it,” and how to arm yourself in case you are forced or put in the position where saying no is either not possible or… not desirable (not all girls have the same level of self-esteem; also, some were born to teen moms and “that’s how it is,” or they are drug-addicted and don’t even remember who the “donor” was, as with Kit). CONDOMS. Never tell ’em you’re on The Pill. No raincoat, no Singin’ in the Rain. That was my motto! Thanks, hon. Amy
MiskMask
Heaven Sent reminded me so much of my boys, both of whom we adopted. They are indeed a gift from heaven. You caught this one perfectly, Amy.
Sharp Little Pencil
This came together while I was waiting in my therapist’s office. Thought of all the kids who have been adopted and given a new chance… Bless you both for being adoptive parents. It’s a calling, and one of the best. Thanks God for folks like you, Marilyn. Hugs to you – Amy
brian
nice…the first resonates as i love fall…
the second is sad but with a ray of hope…
so do you work int he mental health field as well?
Sharp Little Pencil
Brian, first, Fall is my favorite season as well. Moved back from the tropics to experience it again. The second is sad, but yes, hope is alive.
I don’t work in the mental health field, but I am an enthusiastic “consumer”! Manic depression and PTSD, also incest survivor, managed well by meds and therapy. Lots to get over, but I consider myself no longer a victim of DNA or my dad, but a survivor of life in general. My husband is to also be credited for standing by me through all diagnoses and hard times. He is a gem.
Thanks so much for stopping again! I’m coming your way now… Peace, Amy
tigerbrite
Well done both.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Tiger! Glad to see you on my blog today, and now I’ll pay you a little visit as well! Peace, Amy
Jae Rose
Staying green..staying trapped in an addiction drives you weary..even if you’re only 18..but there is always something that moves..shifts..falling leaves flying up to a new heaven..Jae
Sharp Little Pencil
Jae, you comments are as enigmatic as your poems. It’s hard “staying green,” because, as a person who’s M/D PTSD in a world that considers itself sane, there were years when I tried to “stay green” to fit in. So I really get where you are coming from there… love your falling/flying analogy: Rebirth! Thanks, Jae, and peace, Amy
TheMsLvh
Amy, not only did I really like both these poem, I followed a link which took me to a site where you read your poem about the beach in San Juan. You are one talented lady Amy!
Congratulations! You have a beautiful voice, and the way your passion flowed when speaking your poem was soothing. Have a wonderful day.
Sharp Little Pencil
Ms L, thanks so much! Yes, Buddah Moskowitz’s site is quite something – you should call in yourself and record a poem… it’s so good hearing a poem read by the person who crafted it. Peace, my friend, Amy
Altonian
I love your haiku Amy – perfectly expressed.
Heaven Sent is a tough one; plenty of social comment there, but with a nice finish that gives hope for the young one.
Sharp Little Pencil
I’ve known babies like this little boy, who were adopted by loving couples – many of them gay or lesbian, as those seem to be able to provide the extra attention and support a child with special needs requires. But straight or gay, God bless adoptive couples everywhere! It’s not my calling to raise another child, and with my mental issues, I doubt we’d ever be approved, so I wanted to create a scenario of hope. Thanks, Leigh, glad to see you again! Peace to you and yours, Amy
Buddah Moskowitz
Two gorgeous poems! Ach! I’m plotzing they’re so good! Love love love to love love you baby love them!
Much luv to you to my sister who can raise a blister (in a good way),
Mosk
Sharp Little Pencil
Frank Zappa, ha ha ha. Thanks, bruddah o’ mine, for your practically spritzing and qvelling over my humble offerings.
Hey, someone else got turned on to the Reading blog – I told her she should call the number.
Love love love peace peace peace… you rock! Ameleh
Sheilagh Lee
both poems are lovely, I love that the couple want the baby and will adapt for it.
Sharp Little Pencil
Sheilagh, I started with that line and the idea of adoption and worked my way backwards. Those three words this week could hold anything – and did! I don’t normally tell a story as long as this, let alone in rhyme, but I wanted to honor parents who adopt, especially children with special needs. I have found the couples who are especially good with special-needs kids are gay and lesbian couples, not sure why – perhaps there’s the identification of being in some way “different” from an early age… or perhaps it’s just the couples I know who adopt have HUGE hearts! Peace, Amy
booguloo
Nice Haiku and a beautiful story.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Michael. I’ve really been working at the haiku since a recent post that described the process in more detail. Damned if I can remember who posted it, though! Yikes! Amy
jannie funster
This left me with tears in my eyes, happy for the couple whose love knows no bounds.
And the haiku is 13 words of awesome. Staying green must be a lot of work!! Love that thought.
Thanks for your wonderful comment. ( I have let my kid watch too much tv, shhhh, don’t tell, but I hope overall I’m doing okay.) 🙂
Going to order your chapbook!
Sharp Little Pencil
Jannie, if you have a chapbook, we can do a trade. That goes for ALL you poets out there!!
Hey, my Riley watched her share, too; hence the fact that, although she was Valedictorian of her competitive high school, most of her homework had little Majun-Boos and other characters in the margins, LOL.
That factoid about trees manufacturing their green, isn’t that cool? They turn their REAL colors in fall. Thanks so much, Jannie! Amy
Mike Patrick
Great fall haiku.
On “Heaven Sent:” lovely emotional poem. I believe I read a couple of years ago that the children born addicted to cocaine were doing much better than the doctors originally thought they would. There was an immediate problem after birth, in effect detoxifying a baby, and then some early developmental problems that were outgrown at a relatively young age. It was a long time ago, but I believe that’s what I read. I remember breathing a sigh of relief for all those courageous parents willing to adopt what they thought were going to be special needs children. I hope I’m correct on this.
I’ve never heard anything about how the Meth babies do.
Sharp Little Pencil
Mike, I did meet a couple who had adopted an 18-month old whose crack-addicted mother was finally forced to surrender him. Thank God. He was not only born addicted (and was able to wean off), but then propped up sideways with pillows in a crib while his mom went out to get more crack… didn’t know how to walk. Today, he’s a shiny new penny thanks to loads of therapy with his moms. They still do have special needs, but not in the same was as, say, cystic fibrosis or other defects.
About meth babies, I found this: Babies exposed to meth in the womb can be born smaller than the average size baby as their growth is many times stunted by the exposure to meth in the womb. Other issues can arise such as prematurity, clefting, cardiac anomalies, and even death of the unborn baby.
God, how many ways can people find to mess up the world? And whatever happened to condoms? (Oh, that’s right, we can use them again now that the last administration’s ban on funding family clinics that practiced abortion – and did most of the birth control education – can get fed. funds again.) Incidentally, Planned Parenthood was recently cited as having 99% of their activities being abortion. It’s actually 3% and the congressman admitted he was lying. Oy! Thanks, Mike, Amy
Amanda
Nice to have you in Sensational Haiku Wednesday, I love this Haiku it has a great traditional feel to it! You’re 3 word is lovely and sad all at the same time with a wonderful dose of hope at the end.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Amanda, and a special thanks for visiting me as a participant! I’ve been working to get a better handle on haiku, including seasonal mentions and the general feel of the words as they come off my tongue, so I was pleased to have somethng to offer. Peace, Amy
Mike
A lovely haiku Amy.
The idea of leaves being tired of being green was very clever.
Thanks for a great read.
Sharp Little Pencil
Yeah, Mike, that’s a scientific fact. Trees force green in summer to produce chlorophyll; they turn their “actual” colors in fall. I just gave them a bit of emotion about it, is all…! Thanks, Amy
Jessica P
A very cute story. Great use of the words!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Jess. Oh, I love 3ww and Brenda’s wordles… perhaps because I’m an avid crossword puzzler, too? Amy
Old Raven
I loved the Haiku. Like yourself, I am working hard at haiku. I have been cranking them out for a few sites maintaining the 5-7-5 thing, but this was really my only focus. So, I am reading a good bit about haiku along with haiku from different periods and places. While counting, I had basically lost the real point of haiku. Thank you, I also enjoyed your other poem.
Sharp Little Pencil
Raven, I’m so glad I’m not the only one in the Haiku Conundrum! Yes, there is so much more to it than I thought, which makes sense, since the Japanese aesthetic is so complex. It had to be more than a syllable count! Since you are a fellow student like me, I take special note of your compliment and thank you very much! Peace, Amy
Inside the Mind of Isadora
I loved your Haiku. It reminded me of leaves turning to beautiful autumn colors.
Soon fall will be here and we can enjoy them.
Sad description of a child having a child but there was hope in the end.
wonderful, as always.
Isadora
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Isadora. Yes, they turn their REAL colors come autumn – something my husband taught me! They masquerade as green all summer…
I wrote the happy ending for the child first, then backtracked… odd way to tell a story, but the ‘adapt’ in the prompt led me to ‘adopt,” and there you go.
Thank you again for your kinds words. Peace, Amy
Madeleine Begun Kane
I love them both!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you, my dear! Amy
Jenn @ You know...that Blog?
Fantastic; both of them. Love your take on weary, and your other poem was heartbreaking and full of hope.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, thanks so much, Jenn. Really appreciate your words… heartbreaking AND full of hope can indeed coexist, given the right circumstance. Peace, Amy
MM
Awesome haiku, never considered that being a leaf might be such hard work, will definitely look at trees in a different way from now on:)
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, MM. I’m on a public computer and your site “timed out,” so I’ll have to take a look at your work another time, sorry.
Yes, trees are the unsung workhorses of our environment. Wish they could hang on to their “true colors” longer! Amy