Category: Poetry

As I passed an elderly woman,

I knew I had lost my way.

I was in a foreign city

feeling confusion and panic that day.

The older lady held the secret

to know the lay of the land.

She must have been in her mid-eighties

with beauty and knowledge as old as the sand.

Years of loyalty to one zone or town

gives infinite knowledge of the space.

The sags and wrinkles she proudly wears

serve as a guide from place to place.

As we sat and chatted she shared many stories,

the awe in her voice made me stare.

She offered a plethora of information

no GPS or map could share.

As our conversation came to a close,

I gave her a gentle touch.

I was no longer concerned with being lost,

for her roadmap offered so much.

Stay groovy,

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

In no particular order…

Reading,

eating chocolate.

listening to music,

playing guitar,

sipping wine,

laughter,

sitting before a fire,

Netflix,

cuddles with your puppy,

cuddles with your partner,

cuddles in general,

writing,

chillin’,

visiting with friends,

listening to the rain,

cooking a good meal,

enjoying a good meal,

singing your heart out,

interpretive dance,

hanging out with family,

a bubble bath,

relaxing in bed,

a leisurely stroll,

baking bread,

baking anything,

reminiscing,

a back rub,

a nap,

taking photos,

observing artwork,

creating anything,

clean sheets,

a burning candle,

the scent of someone you love,

a fluffy blanket,

feeling your best,

a new journal,

…just to name a few.

How about you?

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

 

Feel the peace.

Feel the groove.

Feel the magic sound.

 

Feel the joy.

Feel the zen.

Feel the love abound.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

I

can

no

longer

be

the

person

you

have

come

to

expect.

 

I

must

now

find

the

me

that

was

really

me

all

along.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Some people are sticklers for time.

Others of us prefer to chill.

If you find you’re never in a hurry,

you just may be living life in the -ish.

 

You see, when my friends and I make plans

to meet for a meal or a drink,

and we are coordinating the meetup we say,

“How about 11:00ish?”

 

It may mean 10:55, 11:05, 11:15,

11:30 or even 11:45.

It’s not about the arrival time

but about how we spend the time – together.

 

If someone runs “late”, it’s not a concern.

We just order a drink and bask in our surroundings.

And when they arrive, we are happy

and pick up from where we left off previously.

 

Living life in the -ish is a great place to be

the stress is low, the joy is high.

Just try it once, and you might like

living life in the -ish.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

There’s a certain feeling you get early in the morning.

The kids are still asleep

and the birds are, too.

The house is still with quiet and peace.

 

You may hear a slight snore

or perhaps a sigh as one of the children turn over in their bed.

The gentle sound of coffee brewing indicated the day has begun.

The wonderful smell wafts past your nose.

 

Then the gentle sound of birds awake

just as the sun begins to rise.

They each have a particular song they sing.

You wonder if that song has significant meaning to another one of its species.

 

You sit down with your hot cup,

and you open the newspaper or boot up the computer to catch up on the news.

As you sip the coffee, the room gets more natural light from the rising sun.

The birds begin to converse more, and that brings a smile to your face.

 

But the largest smile is yet to come as you hear the children stir upstairs.

They skip down the steps two at time.

They’re hungry for breakfast

and ready to start the day.

 

The house begins to bustle.

The morning races ahead.

And only you are aware of the peaceful nook

that is present before the day officially begins.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

The Calm

 

With the hustle and bustle of modern times,

we are continually bombarded by stimuli.

Where is the calm?

 

We need a daily calm to keep our life in balance,

keep us kind to others,

and keep us moving in a positive direction.

 

How do we achieve the calm?

You must find what works for you.

It may be yoga, running, meditation, or medication.

 

Don’t be afraid to try what you must,

because the calm is better than the frantic pace with which most humans race.

The calm…Seek it…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

This piece was written when I was on the cusp of recognizing that pursuing an advanced degree was not in my best interest.

 

The grade…

 

Work, study, work, study

read, read, read.

Prepared in every way I could,

But did I really?

 

Test arrived via e-mail.

Panic, panic, panic…

WHAT??????????????

Worked as hard as I could.

 

Tight timeframe:

Kids needed me,

Test needed me,

I needed me.

 

Do I really want this?

Do I really need this?

Do I really know this?

Why am I doing this?

 

78

 

Stay groovy…

Susie

(Copyright 2018 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

 

 

 

I recently embarked on a new career direction. I am still an educator, but I have moved to an online platform. One of the challenges I faced teaching in a traditional classroom was my low tolerance for the extreme noise level. Luckily, teaching online allows me to do what I love without having to hear the mind-numbing din. The poem below reflects upon that maddening period of my life working in a traditional brick and mortar school.

 

Noise

Susie Krivacic

 

Pencil starts tapping:

Tap,

tap,

tap.

 

Pages turning:

Swish,

swish,

swish.

 

Gum snapping:

Snap,

snap,

snap.

 

Knuckles cracking:

Crack,

crack,

crack.

 

Foot tapping:

Tap,

tap,

tap.

 

Sniffle,

sneeze,

snort,

and cough.

 

Sniffle,

sneeze,

snort,

and cough.

 

Clear the throat;

Rub the nose.

Clear the throat;

Rub the nose.

 

Computer keys:

Tap, tap, tap,

tap, tap, tap,

tap, tap, tap.

 

Printer buzzes:

Buzz,

buzz,

buzz.

 

Voices whisper:

Louder,

louder,

and louder still.

 

Laughing,

chuckling,

talking,

and conversing.

 

Up out of a seat,

a figure runs into a desk.

“Ouch!” Tim bellows.

“I need a band-aid,” he whimpers.

 

“Patty said a bad word!” Mary hollers.

“No, I didn’t,” Patty retorts.

“You both said a bad word,” Sarah interjects.

“Stupid’s not a bad word,” Joe clarifies.

 

Maddie bumps her head.

Johnathan skins his knee.

They beg for the clinic passes

to get ice to soothe a bump.

 

“You’d better stop running!”

“You’d better stop calling me names!”

“You’d better stop grabbing my arm!”

“You’d better stop looking at me!”

 

“Teacher!”

“Teacher!”

“Teacher!”

“Teacher!”

 

Inside my head, my mind screams,

“SHUT UP!!!!!”

Instead, I clap my hands in a rhythm to gain the focus of the students.

They respond by echoing my clap.

 

All is quiet for a moment.

 

Pencil starts tapping…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

Copyright Susie Krivacic 2018