Poolside Follies

By Victoria Crawford

 

Frolic -
tangled, soaring
butterflies flutter by
airy ballet over the pool
tango
young backpackers
poolside preen sun-oiled sheen
ballroom wannabes for their first
dance class

----- xx ----

 

Sonnet of the BRAT

By Victoria Crawford and George Ross

 

Feeling punk? Diarrhea? Stomach flu?
Could it be a cruel intestinal curse?
We have a world-class curative for you,
Straight from the lips of an elderly nurse.

It's our Florence Nightingale's BRAT diet,
It stops the cramps and runs and tummy ache,
And binds you up with nary a pain, so try it,
Your gut will love it, for goodness sake's!

But don't expect an instant cure from BRAT,
It's just Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast,
Humble fare fit for an aristocrat,
Stop-action soothing comfort food for most.

The ancient rule says first to do no harm,
The old nurse passed it down with "BRAT’s the charm!"

 

Among the rice paddies and mountains of northern Thailand, two poets became writing partners collaborating to publish works in journals such as ColdNoon, Parousia, and Ekphrastic Review. Victoria Crawford is a Californian often writing about nature and has been extensively published. George Ross, from Boston, Massachusetts, is a retired teacher. Both have lived in countries all around the world.