be kind to others you don’t know
the smile they show

is their way of grin and bearing
may need caring

of a tender hearted stranger’s soul
to feel whole

and when they growl under life’s toll
please don’t take it personally
their brokenness is what you see
the smile they show may need caring to feel whole

~kat

The Oviellejo is an Old Spanish verse form (derived from ovillo, a ball of yarn). A stanza consists of 10 lines, with a rhyme scheme of AABBCCCDDC. The second line of each rhyme scheme, Line 2,4,6, is short line of up to 5 syllables. The last line is a “redondilla,” a “little round” that collects all three of the short lines.

it’s not normal

it’s become the new normal here
we live in fear

school children practice how to hide
safety denied

lame offerings of thoughts and prayers
proof pols don’t care

that danger’s lurking everywhere
they must protect gun owner’s rights
especially if the killer’s white
we live in fear, safety denied, proof pols don’t care

~kat

The Oviellejo is an Old Spanish verse form (derived from ovillo, a ball of yarn). A stanza consists of 10 lines, with a rhyme scheme of AABBCCCDDC. The second line of each rhyme scheme, Line 2,4,6, is short line of up to 5 syllables. The last line is a “redondilla,” a “little round” that collects all three of the short lines.