Guest Post – Karen Sanderson | No Boundaries

A few months ago I had the pleasure of reading a prerelease copy of Karen Sanderson’s poetry collection, No Boundaries. Here’s what I said about it: Guiding us gently and meandering through, Karen Sanderson takes us on a journey of changing circumstance, place, relationships, and seasons. She pays homage to milestones along the way with verses that are nostalgic, sometimes gritty, occasionally mischievous, but always beautifully written and rich with imagery. This collection evoked a longing in me for something I couldn’t quite identify, for a past that isn’t my own, and for people I wish I knew.

Today, Karen is here sharing a couple of selections from her collection. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as I do and hope you’ll check out No Boundaries.

Childhood

Monkey balls and cardboard bases
Metal skates with string-tied keys
Black and white movies, ‘40s stars
Tuna casserole with little peas.

Skating on the local pond
Skewbald pony in the yard
Men first hopping on the moon
Sunday drive into the wild.

Phillies games
At Connie Mack
Hot dogs, Peanuts
Cracker Jack.

Skinned knees from bravado biking
Sledding brings on broken bones
Funny stories ‘bout sumac rashes
Swing, eject, dislocated elbow.

Gin and tonic, once in a while
Speckled pups, winter snow forts
Ballantine in 16 ounces
Backyard parties, phones with cords.

Jitterbug and boogie woogie
Dance lessons, watch your toes-es
On the hi-fi, Artie Shaw
Miller, Goodman, and the Dorseys.

Dictionaries, atlases
Encyclopedia on the shelf
Crosswords puzzles, acrostics
“Look it up,” find it yourself.

Grade school up the road
Running amok in the bowling alley
Army men in plastic poses
Pink bike with sparkly tassels.

Casapulla’s subs and steaks
McSpadden’s luscious barbeque
Better than home-cooked liver
P.U.!

Life at home with Mom and Aunt Ang,
Memories of my childhood
Oh so many years ago
Simpler times, life was good.

I wish I had known you

I wish I had known you
As you grew up in your hometown
When you flew down the big sledding hill.

I wish I could have seen you
When you played high school basketball
And sported blue velvet shorts.

I wish I had known you
When you penned all those diaries
Saved memories from your early years.

I wish I could have watched you
Swing dancing at the lake
Jitterbugging to the big band greats.

I wish I could have cheered you
As you swam the length of the dam
Sleek legs and arms.

I wish I had known you
When you were sewing for wages
You would earn for the family.

I wish I had seen you
when you wore your hair upswept
and slid down the bannister in gold lamé.

I wish I had known you
when you stood up to bigotry
and corporate bigwigs.

I crave again
when you sang to me as we cuddled
in the lumpy armchair in your room.

Karen R. Sanderson was raised by a mother who wanted to be an English teacher and who worked for Merriam-Webster as a proofreader and an aunt who could complete the Sunday New York Times crossword in a day. Their favorite expression was, “Look it up!”

Karen is an editor and proofreader, blogger, poet, writer, and a fabulous grandma. She completed writing coursework through UCLA and the University of New Mexico. Her short stories have been featured in The Rose & Thorn Journal, Every Child is Entitled to Innocence anthology, Valley Living Magazine, BewilderingStories.com, and WritingRaw.com.

Karen is currently pursuing a degree at Minot State University and Lake Region State College in Interpreting and Sign Language Studies.

Connect with Karen on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ and on her blog at www.karenrsanderson.wordpress.com.

Contact karenrsanderson@midco.net.

Find No Boundaries on Amazon.