High-heeled Surreal

A shoe you might say
Doesn’t make a good planter
Well then, I tell you
Take a trip to Atlanta

You’ll see orchids growing
In stiletto shoes
A fantastical sight
To ward off the blues

The show’s only there
For a short time
But the orchid house itself
Is truly sublime

Where, you ask
Can I see this show?
The Botanical Gardens
So now you know

And while you’re there
Check out the whole place
Lots of great plants
In each possible space

I got lots of ideas
Of things I can do
And yes, but of course
I’ll put dirt in a shoe

And fill it with something
But an orchid likely not
I have a green thumb
But with orchids I rot

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Breakthrough Novel?

A writer’s contest
For beginners
From ten thousand entries
They choose one winner

I sent in my book
I gave it a go
The worst they could do
Is say thanks, but no

Into round three and I’m
Still standing
But winning top prize
I’m really not planning

From quarter-finalist to semi
That is the dream
But one hundred to five
Likely, it does not seem

Mystery-Thriller is the place
For my book
And the excerpt is free
If you want to take a look

Amazon will decide in two weeks
Maybe three
I’m crossing my fingers
And waiting to see

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Here is a link to the excerpt for the Playing With Poison Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award entry

ABNA Quarter Finalist!

March has been a good month for The Cue Ball Mysteries! In case you haven’t noticed it elsewhere in this silly website, Playing With Poison is now a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Also, all three Cue Ball Mysteries are doing well on Amazon’s “cozy mystery” and “humor” bestseller lists. Being nestled amongst Janet Evanovich, Dave Barry, and Douglas Adams in the “humor” list feels very, very fine indeed! Jessie’s sipping champagne, and so is her creator!

Green With Envy

A dinner party
Last night I did have
Everything went well
But one thing went bad

It’s St. Patrick’s Day
So green carnations I had labeled
For the place of honor
At the center of my table

With green flowers in mind
I went to the store
Imagine my dilemma
When I could not, could not score

The first store was out
And so was the next
When the third place said no
I was truly perplexed

So I settled for white
And into a green vase they went
I could have hunted further
But enough time I had spent

Green ice cream! I said
That would do the trick
Oh yes! Green ice cream
In honor of St. Patrick

With green ice cream in mind
I went to the store
Imagine my thrill
When I thought I had scored

Not one, but two flavors
Pistachio and mint
I would serve green ice cream
And it would be a hit

It was time for dessert
And I promised a big surprise
I got out the ice cream
Not expecting my demise

When I opened the cartons
Neither one was green!
I could not believe it
What I was there seein’

Must be green food coloring
Is no longer legal?
The white ice cream was good
But not nearly so regal

My St. Patty’s dinner party
Was greenless, alas
Seems green flowers and ice cream
Are things of the past

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Weather Pleasure

A poem about weather
Oh, what a bore
But all those cold temps
I did most abhor
When winter lingered
And lingered some more

But now it does feel
Like spring has begun
So venturing outside
Can actually be fun
When it comes to spring fever
I am second to none

And with spring having sprung
You know what that says?
Summer cannot be
Very too far aways
And that is the season
That gets my most praise!

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A Tribute by Cindy Lou

For this week’s poem a simple quiz
Do you know who Mister Geisel is?

I’ll give you some clues, although I doubt
You won’t be able to figure it out

He was born yesterday a long time ago
And when he died it was a great blow

Anapestic tetrameter is what he did
I loved his stuff when I was a kid

He counted fish and told me their colors
His imagination was like no others

Speaking of colors, he considered green
A reasonable color for eggs to be seen

His elephant had really good ears
Surely you know what the pachyderm hears?

An impish feline in a tall chapeau
By now I think you have to know

But I will offer one more clue
Then I promise we will be through

His Christmas story included a Grinch
See, I told you this quiz would be a cinch

Happy Birthday one day late
To Dr. Seuss. I think you were great.

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