Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Hobo Man's Rhyme - Sun, Oct 4, 2020

My shoes are loose
the latch is bust
leather’s puckered—
still good enough
musty, dusty
water damaged
rings of rusting
‘round the edges
I drag ‘em by my kneecaps
sweaty leather shore get heavy
the sole flaps, claps on the
bricks and concrete
I sit by the street lamps
begging bread from strangers
coins get heavy when I hold em
put my coppers in my booties
I keep my loot inside my shoesies
I trust em more than pocket holeses
‘sides I spend it 'fore folks knows I has it
Before the sun goes down on Brookline
It’s danger town when sun goes down
I take the bus line down to Copley
I find my bench inside the square
when p’lice stop 'trolling, I sleep out there
Under the moony


When the big clock tolls 7
I know it’s morning
I check to see if I’m still here
pull the papers off my face
stuff my trash bag in my knapsack
and think about ma breakfast
I wash out by the docks
then I meet the Polish lady
who feeds the ducks
where Mother Goose is buried
she always gives me bunny bread
and on weekends, if I’m lucky,
I get peanuts at the farmer’s market—
and whatever’s dropped, too bruised, or moldy

People wonder why I don’t go down to Flord-y
They say it’s better wet'r for a panhandlin'-daddy
but I’m like the green stuff on a copper cladding
I’m part of the city
Like the rust on rails,
or padlocks on fences
I’m the sleeper on the subway benches
I’m the reason for Hobo’s Lullaby
I’m the conscience naggin' the white shirt/black tie
I’m the reason the church keeps open
I’m the tired, poor, and huddled masses
I’m the reason people count their blessings



Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Duchenne Lines (January 19, 2024)

Duchenne lines are the marked signs of genuine happiness

And little sparks like comets shoot across her eyes 

Her smile squeezes them moon-shaped


She’s showing off her happiness beside the one who brought it out in her



Though, not being a first-time bride, there is a first time glow about her


For the widow who is twice blessed, 


having put herself aside to be nursemaid through the end times


is deserving to be blessed


This is her happiness: her crown of vitality that now nourishes her countenance


She has been watered by the sweetness of new love in bloom


And new life has poured into her roots



A bloom that has come out in winter is more striking


It’s rare, and I’ve never seen it before


I have been in this case— gobsmacked 


But this look of love is very beautifying


It has done something to her countenance that is new



She reached contentment first, but God granted her happiness


It was the gift given for the completion of her first vow: 


to God and to her husband.


And once it was fulfilled, she was set at large in her own field


To become who she was and is on her own.



She made strides and grew into herself 


She brought her talents out and delved them


She took trips and helped parents


She saw their two children married and settled


Then, she was again alone, but contented.


And somewhere along the dusky road of grief and letting go


The sun rose and it was golden



Duchenne lines are the marked signs of genuine happiness


And she has them.

Like a Dream When One Awakes (Jan. 22, 2024)

When I awake with the sun already shining in my eyes
And the first dream of what the day could be is in them
My feet frisk across the floor in slippers
And I run to a mirror to see if the night has been good to me.
If the half-moons are under my eyes, then its been a bad one
But if it’s a new moon with no crescents, I am young and beautiful
And ready for breakfast.

The dream still sits in future and its potential to become real is still there
The oatmeal is over quickly and the toast is long gone
The beverage has been sipped, and the napkin, crumpled
A small quarrel takes a swat at my mood, and leaves me tottering on maybe’s
I ought not ask that the dream come true when I have put a knot in mother's tail

A rejection notice comes over the email before I’ve even put my day clothes on
I make tea to warm me inside and raise my mood again
The temperature is low in the house and the tea chills before I’ve finished
Still, I hold the dream like a cool white egg between my fingers, wobbling.
Like a silly, desirous child, never mentioning what it is
I hope it will be the shared dream of us all so that it will be 
perfection

Going to my room, I start a compromise that I could easily drop
if the dream were to come true.
I tap out words on my keyboard, I write them in pencil in my notebook
I stare out my window at the once sunny sky,
now glazed over with a hazy blue background becoming less and less
Naked trees and power lines crisscross in front of the sky
My white gauze curtains bring in the grayish white light
And here I sit, still waiting for the dream to come
But it was time sensitive, and not likely, now.

Written on Jan. 22, 2024
Nina Ricci Music Poetry ©2024


Thursday, January 18, 2024

Fall Wind Blows written by Nina Ricci



The fall wind shakes the nonsense out of trees

And blows the ne’er-do-wells into hiding 

It upheaves the musks of earth that turn the leaves colorful

And it’s an early sign to wildlife to make their houses sturdy


Like spring, the high breeze shakes leaves 

and builds a roaring voice that rouses the inner man to fear God 

pushing the calloused feelings to the surface and standing hairs on end

It’s intensity builds to a climax like a gripping sermon 

And releases its wrath like a come-along grip— 

All the vessels relax and the playful leaves circle around the ground 

chasing each other like silly squirrels

Dancing to a halt in the dirt


From the porch rails, I watch the ground 

listening for signs of life in the forest 

wondering if it’s alright to breathe 

because it feels like the air has been sucked out of the world

And I’m left standing on an empty planet

In these vacuous moments, time slows down like a walk on the moon

And like a shaken snow globe, the glitter falls till there’s no motion at all


I believe I could right the wrongs if the world stopped like it does after the fall wind blows

There’s a depth of no motion, and a profound “pause” that makes me wonder if people keep time in Heaven?

I rest on my laurels in the great sea of peace that has spread across the world  

When— a rustle behind me in an appointed tree starts the tickle that begins its coarse 

running through the forest like mischief building speed

—Like the wrist flick that strikes the whip

Another fall wind blows


“Fall Wind Blows” ©2023 Nina Ricci Music, All Rights Reserved

Friday, March 1, 2019

The Bread Maker



"The Bread Maker"

Strong arms rolling dough over dough over dough
burnished in the glow of the heat of the sun and fire
from the light coming in and the great oven dome
Tanning dough, baking fast, turning over 
setting on a flat wooden oar, parsing sweat from pores 
dirty apron, dirt floor
muscles shining wet and pumping
dough over dough over dough
Staring at the dough in the flame like a show
timing burn even glaze in the blaze
lining bread in a box in a row


Posted 3/1/19
Written by Nina Ricci

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Photographed In Love



Photographed In Love
by Nina Ricci

Our eyes caught glints like sunlit glass
They were a double pairing of marbles,
Four pools at odds, four corners of a square
Within, woodwinds spoke perfect speech
That human mind could pen to libretto
Some internal digger of deep caverns
Lit a fire to see by, and we, the beneficiaries of warmth
stand like statuettes torched and cooling.

In the same way canning jars are
Ready to receive contents of cinnamon apricot jam,
So was I to receive your first words
You could have spoken pleasant things
But didn’t need to
-Contentment, leveled pleasure-
I could have remained on that plain a lifetime
And I did, and I do

Nina Ricci ©2014


Tuesday, September 1, 2015

My Happy Dance
















My vision blazes into the rush
Colors blush feverishly
on the cheeks of flowers
who do smile as gaily as I.
I wear a dress of white cotton
with light pink flowers embroidered on the hem.
Dance comes naturally,
at variance

A knee-lift, toe-touch, step-together:
Jig of joy!
Blessings
There is sunshine
It emblazons golden light on green shrubbery
and incandesces the latitudes of my grin

Chirruping surrounds my ears
in the language of delight
Euphoria is my name
and this is my happy dance.