Author Archives: Miss Kitten

For My Students on the Day Before Christmas Vacation

I didn’t have time to write a poem for you.
I just couldn’t come up with anything new.
A Christmas poem sure would have been nice,
About Santa Claus and elves and snow and ice.
But I just can’t think of a rhyme for snow.
These things don’t write themselves, you know.
So I offer my apologies, and wish you good cheer.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Butter Rich

Did you happen to read,
In the paper today,
Of the shortage of butter,
Over in Norway?
So ill-timed and cruel,
This sad deprivation,
Leads Norwegians to look,
Outside of their nation.
They can use margarine,
As one way of faking,
The lack of real butter,
In their holiday baking.
But a butter black market,
Is what Norway’s needing.
So let’s bootleg some butter,
From butter rich Sweden.

Discarded

I couldn’t help but
feel a pang of sadness.

Someone had left a bag
of soft toys,
big and small.

And spilling out
onto the ground
next to the dumpsters.

A large teddy bear
lay face down on the
recycling bin.

Face down as if in despair.

I wanted to hold it.
Cuddle it.
Comfort it.

Eww..don’t touch that!
I was told. I know.
Someone put it there
For a reason.

Silly of me.
To feel sad for the toys.
But they were once loved
and adored by children.

Now abandoned,
discarded.
And forgotten,
on the ground.

Someone couldn’t even
be bothered
to throw them away properly.

Heavy December

It’s December in Sweden,
Darkest time of the year.
When we’re all needing,
Snow to bring us good cheer.
For our hearts to brighten,
And our souls to lighten.
Snow, if you please.
But it’s too warm to freeze.
So the wind just throws rain.
Endless rain at your pane.
Endless gloom fills the room,
Fills your head and your heart.
And your soul feels so heavy,
In the dark.

Be Lagom

If you’re forming a plan,
Of moving to this land,
Then there’s one Swedish word,
That you need to understand.

It’s lagom, the foundation,
Of this excellent nation.
Simply translated it means,
Average, in moderation.

But it’s so much more than that.
Lagom is a caveat.
And more of a lifestyle,
Than just a word, in fact.

Don’t over do it, or be proud.
Do not stand out in the crowd.
Do not bother, or talk
To your neighbors. Not allowed.

It may seem isolating, cold.
Hard to handle, and truth be told,
It takes some getting used to,
This lagom lifestyle foothold.

A lagom Swede causes no strife,
Keeps to his family and his wife.
Doesn’t try to cause a stir.
It’s the Swedish way of life.

So take pleasure, but be lagom.
Don’t take it all, but have some.
Not too little, or too much.
And leave enough for everyone.

A gentle reminder…

Those of us living by the sea,
Are at Mother Nature’s mercy.
A storm blew through,
And reminded us who,
Really runs the show.
It’s Mother Nature, you know.
She’s so unkind, so cruel.
We may think we rule,
But when up to your neck,
In water, all your tech,
Won’t do a thing. Yesterday,
It was nature, all the way…