This year I will celebrate my son Mark's birthday by posting  the poem I wrote for him years ago. He has grown to glow in the sun, with warmth and humility and I love thinking of him.

 Lina Elizabeth
Today is a very special celebration of the first birthday of my great-granddaughter Lina. When she was born almost 4 months early in September, I felt the compulsion to somehow connect over the miles from AZ to MD. I sat on my patio every morning and imagined myself holding her and rocking and I wrote her a lullaby, trying to make it similar to the folk lullabies I sang to my children.

A Lullaby for Lina,

September 2016

By Nana Nana, Sharon Smith Gilbert

REFRAIN

Lu lu que lu lu

Nana Nana sings to you,

of butterfly kisses that fly, fly, fly

over the land, across the sky.

Lu lu que lu lu

Nana Nana sings to you,

of butterfly kisses that fly, fly, fly

over the land, across the sky.

1.

Nana sings of her home to you,

where the little grey dove says, coo, coo, coo,

where the sun shines hot,

where the cactus grow,

and the bougainvillea petals blow.

REFRAIN

Lu lu que lu lu

Nana Nana sings to you,

of butterfly kisses that fly, fly, fly

over the land, across the sky.

2.

Sweetly dream of your farm today,

where soon two sisters will run and play.

Where the barn stands tall,

and the kittens meow,

and the doggies run in the meadows now.

REFRAIN

Lu lu que lu lu

Nana Nana sings to you,

of butterfly kisses that fly, fly, fly

over the land, across the sky.

3.On the farm a sparkling stream

Where fishies swim as in a dream

And the water is clear

And the pebbles shine bright

And Stars reflect here when soft comes the night

REFRAIN

Lu lu que lu lu

Nana Nana sings to you,

of butterfly kisses that fly, fly, fly

over the land, across the sky.

Trying to revive my blog today. Four years after I began. I mentioned in my very first blog that I would be posting poetry by other poets and possibly some by me. After a series of successful color parties with my great grandchildren I decided to write some poetry based on color and this is a group of the poems I wrote for RED.

 A collage made on red day by my granddaughter Marissa Adams

RED IS:

Miss Scarlet in a children’s game

Can you guess the mystery?

I wonder if it was

Her crimson hair

That caused all the ruckus,

Or her splendid ruby gown

That swept across the floor

And left a trail of sequins.

Lantana with its brilliant colors,

Intriguing tiny blossoms

Gathered into miniature bouquets,

Blooms in shades of red, ruby, and scarlet,

Gold and orange.

Hot chili peppers!

Shiny, red and beautiful,

Hiding a painful surprise,

One taste numbs your tongue

And your lips.

Watch out! Don’t touch your eyes!

A cherry summer Popsicle,

Cold on the tongue and teeth,

Sticky redness on your arms and hands,

Sweetness melting as fast as you can lick!

©Sharon Gilbert 09/25/2015