Snow on the Mountain (Sexain rhyming abacbc)

Paterica loves her rustic garden;
Her green thumb is a plus for growing things;
A walk in the garden gives her free pardon,
For all those people who have done her wrong;
Such inner thoughts, give her the eagle's wings
To soar amid the clouds among the throng.

She misses her Christmas spent in the snow;
She sighs, this tropical place is boring;
Cane arrows and wild flowers are on show;
In her dreams she sees winter wonderland,
Where the snow drips on things like cake frosting,
A snowy Christmas is ever so grand.

This idea nurtured in her dreamy head;
Atlas! A twig planted not a seed;
Her plan was enacted nine months ahead;
As she watched her spurge grow in the sunlight,
In mum's garden she stood near her ghost weed;
A blooming white Christmas would be all right.

Strolling in mum's garden on Christmas morn,
A beautiful sight caught her by surprise;
On her euphorbiaceae not a torn,
But a crown of wee white flowers appears
During a torrid Christmas caught her eyes;
Like snow on the mountain, that name it bears.

© Paterika Hengreaves
December 2008/Barbados

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

(Third Person Persona Omniscient)

“Water, glycerin, oil or gel”, she yelled;

And thinks kids don’t have a clue how to spell;

Anxious boys rubbed their heads before the bell;

Today, the tap runs slow; she said “Oh well,

Drench them now before their skins burn like hell”.

In her mind’s eye she sees water abuse

This issue she likes to bring up with Bruce

Lather every body part up and down

Face first; “What for?” he said “in front the clown”;

“Wash very well between those locks and curls”;

She said to him, “Get off my bloody nerves”.

“See now they all have eaten the hors d'oeuvres”.

Cleanliness is uppermost in Sue’s mind

Thinks gluttony is a child of a swine

“Hey, see those trees all dressed in coats of snow

On their trunks, leaves, limbs; Oh how well they glow;

Spring has come to wash them from head to toe,

Refreshed with food” she said, and so much more;

In her eyes she mused; spring is at man’s door;

She fancies prancing in crop-over band,

Sweet calypso vibes, with her toes in sand...

“Mom always sings in bathroom” said Michelle

“Then off she goes to work fields at Bakewell”;

She likes wearing shoes from Mademoiselle;

Holding noses they shouted as they ran

Thinking that skunks are hiding in bedpan,

In that house that is never spick-and-span;

To romp and roll with mahogany bird.

“Deadly tornado struck Oklahoma,

Wind speed has moved on to Arizona”

Said the storm chaser to the Governor;

Anderson Cooper from cable network

Said, “First responders’ knees deep, in hard work”;

Garbage and flattened homes carpet the scene;

Cleaning up all the mess is their routine.

© Paterika Hengreaves

June 2013/Barbados  

Rhyming for True

(Third Person Persona Omniscient)

“Water, glycerin, oil or gel”, she yelled;

And thinks kids don’t have a clue how to spell;

Anxious boys rubbed their heads before the bell;

Today, the tap runs slow; she said “Oh well,

Drench them now before their skins burn like hell”.

In her mind’s eye she sees water abuse

This issue she likes to bring up with Bruce.

Lather every body part up and down

Face first; “What for?” he said “in front the clown”;

“Wash very well between those locks and curls”;

She said to him, “Get off my bloody nerves”.

“See now they all have eaten the hors d'oeuvres”.

Cleanliness is uppermost in Sue’s mind;

Thinks gluttony is a child of a swine.

“Hey, see those trees all dressed in coats of snow

On their trunks, leaves, limbs; Oh! how well they glow;

Spring has come to wash them from head to toe,

Refreshed with food” she said, and so much more;

In her eyes she mused; spring is at man’s door;

She fancies prancing in crop-over band,

Sweet calypso vibes, with her toes in sand...

“Mom always sings in bathroom” said Michelle

“Then off she goes to work fields at Bakewell”;

She likes wearing shoes from Mademoiselle;

Holding noses they shouted as they ran

They are thinking that skunks hide in bedpan,

In that house that is never spick-and-span;

To romp and roll with mahogany bird.

“Deadly tornado struck Oklahoma,

Wind speed has moved on to Arizona”

Said the storm chaser to the Governor;

Anderson Cooper from cable network

Said, “First responders’ knees deep, in hard work”;

A transvestite was seen fleeing the scene;

Ghastly faces say their fears are routine.

© Paterika Hengreaves

June 2013/Barbados