Once

Once,
when we were lovers,
the world stopped
in that moment
when we found
the lost kitten,
just a few weeks old.
We held it together,
our faces touched
as we came in close
to the wonder.
Our breaths
sucked in the same air
as we passed
the softness between our hands
so light and warm.

It squirmed and squealed,
a short distance away,
the mother beckoned.

The world started up
again.

Here's my bio for my poetry reading on Tuesday, April 29 7:00 pm Lyon Bookstore.
Feel free to share this;)

Lisa Anina Berman, M.A, earned her master's degree in English, Creative Writing, as a single mother in her 40s. She has been published in several publications and won 2nd place in the 2013 Chico News & Review Poetry 99 contest . SaltWild is her first book of poetry. It is a collection of lyrical and narrative poetry that follows a path of loss, recovery and redemption. She has begun writing a second book called WetWings

Poetry reading at Lyon Bookstore.
Tuesday April 29, 2014 7:00 p.m.
Bring your friends and family:)
I'd love to see you!

Orange Slices

One morning, while peeling an orange,
I offered my son a slice. He just looked
at me and said, "I get it, you know,
why you left Dad."

He was 5 when I left his father
6 years ago and no reason I gave was good
enough, in his mind, for me
to break up the family.

Our cat, Blue, walked up
and plopped down in front of us.

We stared at him for a long time.
Finally, my son said, "I guess
what I'm saying is, I don't understand
it, but I get it."

I smiled deep into the mist
and offered him the orange slice
again.
He took it.

That night, in bed, I pulled
the covers up close, to my face,
and breathed deep.

I caught a faint scent
of oranges on my fingers.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

Memories--

temporary imprints of ourselves

lost and found in the sand.

Whirling seagulls,

squealing children,

doped in the moment

by the calm of your hand.

At the water,

the waves drew us out--

bubbles forming a heart,

popping in the sand.

At low tide,

awed by its stench

a dead sea lion

drew us in,

to us.

Mother and sons,

making footprints and memories

Minus one.

Poetry Reading

Mark your calendars! I will be reading from my book of poetry, "SaltWild" at Lyon Bookstore on Tuesday, April 29th. from 7:00-8:00. Hope to see you there!

Sherry

Sherry

In memory
 
 
You drove alone
east
into the fading line.

There are only

so many roads
on our map
 

and you drove

the only
one you hadn’t tried.
 

Along the way,

you pushed the pedal hard

then harder.

Needing to get there

fast,
first.

When you ran out of gas,
you slowed
to a stop

and walked into the wilderness.
Your shadows grew
in the moonlight.

Specks in the Sunlight

She watches a speck
dance in the sunlight

and slips into childhood,
a child.

Her aged hands reach
for the sparkle.

It slips away
before she can touch it.

She reaches for another.

Still Open

It sits,
still open
right where we left

it, when we got up
and walked
away. It's thick 

with memories.

I may need your help
to put it away.

Every Thornbush has a Rose

She outlived them both:
the one they accepted
and the one they didn't.

Torn by faith and tradition,
Rose married, not for love,
but out of obligation.

He turned to hitting
when drunk and once
threw her into a rosebush.

"Now you're a real rose!"
he mocked and slapped
his knee until he stumbled

over his own stupid humor.
When she left him,
the church frowned.

She went to California
and fell in love with a new man.
When she tried to marry him,

the church said, "You are
impure, Rose. We can't
marry you here."

But that didn't stop her,
she sent her children to church
so she could get the message,

pure,
filtered through their innocence.

SaltWild Available on Amazon

Here is the link to "SaltWild" on Amazon. I hope you enjoy the read:)
~Lisa Anina Berman
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=saltwild&sprefix=saltw%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asaltwild

The Winning Team

Parents beam at sweaty teens
and pat each other
on the butt. Buzzing higher,
smiling wider, than their kids.

Link to SaltWild

My book is live on Kindle! I will be sharing the link for bound copies of this book within the week. Bless your day! ~Lisa Anina Berman

http://www.amazon.com/SaltWild-poems-Lisa-Anina-Berman-ebook/dp/B00I6QRH56/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391542124&sr=1-1

Beautiful

Who knows what pain
a caterpillar
must endure
before becoming beautiful?

Who knows how to measure
time that allows the ocean
to create gems
from broken glass?

Who knows how a vine
can seek out
a speck of light
in the darkness?

Who knows if love
isn't captured
in a rainbow
and splashed across the sky?

Where Was I?

Where was I
when I heard a woman
sobbing silently?

Tell me,
where was I
when I watched a couple
let go
and walk apart?

Please tell me,
where was I
when the fireworks splashed
across the night sky
and I wasn't awed?

And tell me,
where was I
when my gut knew
before my heart
and my head
that we were through?

Life Jacket: Poem for the week of Jan. 19-25

Life Jacket


On that cruise to Mexico,
the crew called us out

for a life boat drill. You,
a little fuzzy

at 10 a.m., came out
with your hair

and life jacket undone.
You found me on the deck,

a little tipsy from the waves.
I warned you about the dangers

of getting tangled up
in your straps, and the crew

warned of the dangers of the sea.
When the drill was over,

you gave me a smile
and turned to leave.

Your straps got wrapped around
your ankles and the more

you struggled, the tighter
they constricted. When you stumbled,

you reached out,
grabbing on your way down.

Beauty Shop Treasures

The young Vietnamese girl walked outside, visibly upsetting Julie, my manicurist. Julie whispered sharply to another co-worker, in Vietnamese, to prevent me and all others from eavesdropping on their gossip. Although I couldn't understand her whispers, her body language and tone shouted how put off she was about the whole thing. I started to get a little put off myself when at one point as Julie was careening to get a look outside, she polished my finger instead of my nail. Not missing a beat, she absently wiped off the polish and got up to get a closer look, leaving me there sitting with 8 out of 10 nails polished.

Soon, Julie came back and finished my nails. She focused a little more and did a good job. I never found out what was so scandalous that they had to whisper their grievances. In an instant, I realized I didn't care. I let go of my frustration with her distraction. I let go of her discomfort. I embraced the moment of relaxation and getting my nails done.

At the drying station a beautiful woman in her sixties smiled her way over to me. Instantly, I knew we would connect. She had a newspaper in her hands. I asked her if there was anything good in the news.

"I don't care about the news," she blurted, "the paper is protecting the treasure underneath."
She lifted the newspaper to unveiled the treasure, a Dr. Seuss children's book on learning French.
"Leave it to Dr. Seuss to make learning French fun! Every sentence in French rhymes with the English translation!"
I was delighted.
"I'm going to St. Bart's. They speak French there."
"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "How exciting for you. Thank you for sharing the thrill of this moment with me."

We went on to talk about her trepidations and anticipations about her trip. We connected. We laughed. It was lovely. By letting go of the beauty shop drama, I was able to bridge the distance with another. I found hidden treasures along the way.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10247/30-things-to-do-before-you-die.html

My teenage son, Jacob, is disconnected. He is hunched over his iPod, skull candy in his ears. I tap him on the arm to get his attention.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"She's not talking to me, mom. Shouldn't she talk to me? I am her boyfriend."
"She is having a hard time right now. You can't make someone talk to you if they aren't ready."
He slouches down in his chair, "This is so hard."

I feel his pain and am reliving my teenage angst through him. Each day in his world is so full of life and the joy and suffering of being fully human.

Recently we went on a vacation to Hawaii. On the bus, he met Katelyn, a girl from Australia. I watched the whole courting go down. She was sitting 3 seats away. Slowly, she made the moves toward him and he sat there letting her move in. It was very sweet and it lightened me up a bit. The next night, she asked him to meet her on the beach. Jacob asked me if it was okay to go. I asked him if his girlfriend, Adriana, back home would be okay with it. He said, "Of course, mom, I'm just going to the beach."
I let him go. I let him go the next night, too.
Then his girlfriend found out. She was not happy. On the last night of our vacation, my son had to call off his rendezvous with the Australian girl.
"I'm never going to see her again, am I, mom?"
"Probably not."
"Adriana is mad at me. Why did you let me go to the beach with Katelyn?"
"Because everyone needs to feel the magic of a holiday romance."
"I didn't even hold her hand, mom. I didn't even hug her."
"I know, but what is the greatest memory for you from our vacation?"
He looked me straight in the eye, "Sitting on the beach and talking to Katelyn."

Now that he is going through this pain with Adriana, I am struggling with my decision of giving him the freedom I gave him on vacation. I am questioning if it is my job to protect him from this pain or if my only job is to tap him on the arm and ask him if everything is alright.

My gut is saying that giving him that freedom and experience was worth it. My gut is saying it's all going to be okay.