Take 5ive Themed Issue : Family
Family is an essential part of our lives that shapes who we are and helps us grow as individuals. They provide unconditional love, support, guidance, and a sense of belonging. It's crucial to have a strong family unit as it helps in building character and teaches important life lessons such as empathy, compassion, forgiveness, and cooperation. Families create a safe space where one can express themselves freely without the fear of judgement or rejection. It's also helpful in times of crisis or adversity as we know they will always be there for us no matter what. In sum, family plays an enormous role in our lives and remaining close to them provides immeasurable benefits that cannot be found anywhere else.
Diane Funston
Monet’s garden
alive with intense color
Giverney
that iconic bridge
we held one another tight
oh kootchy kootchy coo
hide and seek with baby
surprise!
does it tickle?
all the little piggy toes
old strong peony bush
outside my mother’s window
hacked
down every year
so her dogs could look out
Nani Mariani
Healthy family relationships
Have a positive impact on society
Help each other
Many orphans
They are our family
Family is like a tree
Treated with love
Father and mother …
Give real examples
To help each other
Most valuable treasure
in joy and sorrow
is family
looking forward to a long vacation
gathered at the parents' house
Tuyet Van Do
watching
her family grows
she introduces
newborn
to the world
autumn afternoon
proud grandpa
shares
photos of second
granddaughter
crisp cold evening
family dinner
binding
three generations
food, music and laughter
Marilyn Humbert
mother’s day...
I pick gerbera blooms
arranging a bouquet,
rainbows in a crystal vase
my memories of Mum
we wait
beside gran’s bed
for petals to fall
and the waning moon
to drop below the horizon
after lunch
the family joins in
backyard cricket
a willow bat whack
and bin wicket thud
Kathabela Wilson
before twilight
she spread her arms wide
my mama
with peanuts for them all
a blue jay in each hand
after dad left
mom only wore blue
she asked me to wear
her sparkly red shoes
and all the other colors
a Great Wave
hung over her bed
her favorite
Egyptian blue Hokusai blue
mama my little mt fuji
Bonnie J Scherer
the time
I tucked you in at night
the surprise on your face
and mine -
your body so frail
dusting her half
of the room
we share -
the demarcation
of sisterhood
waffles on weekends
for a family of six
topped with sweet syrup
our hearts fill faster
than our hungry souls
Bryan Rickert
lights out
in the bedroom
wishing you
held me as much
as you do your phone
more trips
to the doctor
my child
a little flower
that just won’t grow
stargazing
after your death
our daughter
asks which one
is you
Hassane Zemmouri
my father's shoulders
like snow falling
from a tree
my brother's exemption
from military service
Jennifer Gurney
Love listening to them
Laughing in the other room
As I drift to sleep
Comfort descending like a
Downy blanket on my heart
I wear your sweater
Like a second skin of love
Around my heart
Whispering memories
Basking in the warmth of you
Do you remember
When we ate space food, drank Tang
And watched the landing?
Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon …
We became astronauts
Jon Hare
our politics
and lifestyle differ
our parents
and upbringing the same
brotherly love
holidays
and joyous occasions
the sad days
braided together
by all of our hands
spicy food
learning to love
the things
your siblings
wouldn’t eat
Roberta Beach Jacobson
dad's LPs
all big band and New Orleans jazz
fill my shelves
his musical style is not mine
but I remember every note
Friday
is our spaghetti night
we add
lots of garlic and onions
to nana's secret recipe
family
of possums happy
for apple cores
and other treats we share
at the end of each day
Debbie Strange
sisters
by blood or by choice . . .
these bonds
that hold us together,
even when we are apart
childless . . .
this love bestowed
upon strays
whether human,
or otherwise
they say
I look like my father . . .
the aspen
that has cloned itself
for thousands of years
Susan Burch
no one mentions
that she’s not here
the conversation filled
with everything
but suicide
a shepherd
tending his flock
I spend more time
with my migraines
than my family
the last remaining
human organ
in my robot body
my great-grandmother’s
evil eye
Mark Gilbert
a window
open to the atrium
sounds
of children
making her smile
in the 21st Century,
the mother and father
communicate through me,
the sister and I
through my mother
crushing daisies
the father rolls
down the hill
his son follows
in his footsteps
Wilda Morris
the pastor wore cowboy boots
for the marriage
of my eldest daughter
is that why
her groom walked away
Jackie Chou
my mother
plucking a splinter
from my toe
how easy it is to love
when the pain is gone
shirtless
on a summer's day
at age three
I tell dad I want to be
like women in the movies
my father and I
watching Death of a Salesman
in a playhouse...
my erudite dad
I've always admired
Jerome Berglund
a small man
with a small mind
imparts
a small chromosome
and it is crowned
Green Gables
where you can
sometimes get mad
accidentally break things
without being carted away
Sreenath Mysore
son moving abroad
I'll miss
my granddaughter . . .
sinking into the sofa
Laughing Buddha still smiling
when the only child
is no more
no mother wants to live
pall of sadness
blankets their house
summer holidays
all my cousins
come home
a riot of games
memories for a lifetime
Ram Chandran
dropping
my son at the school gate,
it seems as if yesterday
my dad dropping me
at this same gate
on the beach sand
writing the names
of his grandchildren...
he forgets
the name of the last one
must be
a bird song
in her dreams...
the little girl
giggles in her sleep
Gen Aguinaldo
black ants
in straight line
following an old gum
sudden raindrops---
family dinner
picture day
mother whispering
everyone be quiet
father thinking
if he brushed his teeth
Olivier-Gabriel Humbert
vacation
grandmother and grandson
back from fishing
empty-handed and frozen
but singing in tune
through the keyhole
of the old wooden door
the children are watching
their great uncle
grumbling while tinkering
old cap
near the workbench
two sisters in silence
are sharing the same memory
of their father
Ruth Holzer
dad with a smile
lifting his fragrant
apple pie
out of the oven
mother with her knife
one day
everyone in this picture
will be gone--
parents, uncles, aunts
row of cousins at my side
tonight
I hear mother's footsteps
again
just as she would hear mine
when I wasn't there
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
the family helps
define something
essential marking
the focus where
things matter most
endless words can be
used to describe
a family
images of strength
and passion for life
C.X.Turner
working around
another birthday
gathering
those close to me
I love
kicking
moonlit pebbles
down a mountain path
the strength it takes
to let go
fragile
in its elements
my eyes trace
the outline of you
in silk for the last time
Christina Chin
5-year-old aunt
shares her twenty-cent
pocket money--
extended
family
doing dishes
before everyone
finishes--
I wipe
my hands
leaving home--
the younger siblings
takeover her chores
three girls
and a boy
Randy Brooks
elderly siblings
bread and butter
sandwiches
for some of us
a fond memory
both parents gone . . .
now officially
my job
to fret and worry
over her
back home
from Mom’s funeral
a porcupine shows up
on the porch
for the first time
Richard Jordan
grandma’s warm breath
on the picture window
to clear away thick frost --
as geese fly south
she turns and asks my name
I lift the trout fly
as my father did
to early morning light --
a perfect cinnamon sedge
the last he ever tied
Anthony Lusardi
the rust under
an old fashion tractor
still in the same place
where he once stood
and grabbed his heart
weekly facebook posts
the latest pics
of us all
growing and aging
together
tour of duty;
in the family portrait
mom and the little ones
plus dad
through an iphone
Mona Bedi
cityscape --
the sun starts to settle
on tall buildings
how long should I wait
before you return home
trumpet lily
the soothing chatter
of grandchildren …
what would this life be
without a family
family photo
we all dress up
in finery
but it’s our puppy
who steals the show
Chen-ou Liu
a silence
after the bedroom quarrel
envelopes us ...
me and my dog again
on the pullout couch
Family Day Festival
in the morning sunshine
one laughter
running after another
through a tunnel of blossoms
pulling out
the last groundsel
from her garden
my wife admits the cracks
in our marriage
Tracy Davidson
blood
not always thicker
the unwanted child
wanted and welcomed
by her new family
no snores
in the nursery
sleepless
new parents
running out of lullabies
family holidays
exhausting
every car game
another wave
of are-we-there-yets
Peter Larsen
my cousin Charley
was the naughty one
I always thought…
the truth years later
it was really me
retired at last
my father took over
cooking dinner
he was experimental
and my mother patient
my sister
flips her playing cards
jokers all
finally chooses one
who brought his own deck
Rupa Anand
years ago
a father’s guidance
on women’s education
before marriage
unusual for these parts
she was
family for decades
our love now
gathers apathetic dust
— what women do to each other
Steve Wilkinson
fractured family
the winter ice
cracks
beneath the weight
of betrayal
flowing
from the hills
to the sea
DNA trickles down
from the trunk to the twig
cost of living crisis
the mothers and fathers
that go without
so that their children
do not have to
Monet’s garden
alive with intense color
Giverney
that iconic bridge
we held one another tight
oh kootchy kootchy coo
hide and seek with baby
surprise!
does it tickle?
all the little piggy toes
old strong peony bush
outside my mother’s window
hacked
down every year
so her dogs could look out
Nani Mariani
Healthy family relationships
Have a positive impact on society
Help each other
Many orphans
They are our family
Family is like a tree
Treated with love
Father and mother …
Give real examples
To help each other
Most valuable treasure
in joy and sorrow
is family
looking forward to a long vacation
gathered at the parents' house
Tuyet Van Do
watching
her family grows
she introduces
newborn
to the world
autumn afternoon
proud grandpa
shares
photos of second
granddaughter
crisp cold evening
family dinner
binding
three generations
food, music and laughter
Marilyn Humbert
mother’s day...
I pick gerbera blooms
arranging a bouquet,
rainbows in a crystal vase
my memories of Mum
we wait
beside gran’s bed
for petals to fall
and the waning moon
to drop below the horizon
after lunch
the family joins in
backyard cricket
a willow bat whack
and bin wicket thud
Kathabela Wilson
before twilight
she spread her arms wide
my mama
with peanuts for them all
a blue jay in each hand
after dad left
mom only wore blue
she asked me to wear
her sparkly red shoes
and all the other colors
a Great Wave
hung over her bed
her favorite
Egyptian blue Hokusai blue
mama my little mt fuji
Bonnie J Scherer
the time
I tucked you in at night
the surprise on your face
and mine -
your body so frail
dusting her half
of the room
we share -
the demarcation
of sisterhood
waffles on weekends
for a family of six
topped with sweet syrup
our hearts fill faster
than our hungry souls
Bryan Rickert
lights out
in the bedroom
wishing you
held me as much
as you do your phone
more trips
to the doctor
my child
a little flower
that just won’t grow
stargazing
after your death
our daughter
asks which one
is you
Hassane Zemmouri
my father's shoulders
like snow falling
from a tree
my brother's exemption
from military service
Jennifer Gurney
Love listening to them
Laughing in the other room
As I drift to sleep
Comfort descending like a
Downy blanket on my heart
I wear your sweater
Like a second skin of love
Around my heart
Whispering memories
Basking in the warmth of you
Do you remember
When we ate space food, drank Tang
And watched the landing?
Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon …
We became astronauts
Jon Hare
our politics
and lifestyle differ
our parents
and upbringing the same
brotherly love
holidays
and joyous occasions
the sad days
braided together
by all of our hands
spicy food
learning to love
the things
your siblings
wouldn’t eat
Roberta Beach Jacobson
dad's LPs
all big band and New Orleans jazz
fill my shelves
his musical style is not mine
but I remember every note
Friday
is our spaghetti night
we add
lots of garlic and onions
to nana's secret recipe
family
of possums happy
for apple cores
and other treats we share
at the end of each day
Debbie Strange
sisters
by blood or by choice . . .
these bonds
that hold us together,
even when we are apart
childless . . .
this love bestowed
upon strays
whether human,
or otherwise
they say
I look like my father . . .
the aspen
that has cloned itself
for thousands of years
Susan Burch
no one mentions
that she’s not here
the conversation filled
with everything
but suicide
a shepherd
tending his flock
I spend more time
with my migraines
than my family
the last remaining
human organ
in my robot body
my great-grandmother’s
evil eye
Mark Gilbert
a window
open to the atrium
sounds
of children
making her smile
in the 21st Century,
the mother and father
communicate through me,
the sister and I
through my mother
crushing daisies
the father rolls
down the hill
his son follows
in his footsteps
Wilda Morris
the pastor wore cowboy boots
for the marriage
of my eldest daughter
is that why
her groom walked away
Jackie Chou
my mother
plucking a splinter
from my toe
how easy it is to love
when the pain is gone
shirtless
on a summer's day
at age three
I tell dad I want to be
like women in the movies
my father and I
watching Death of a Salesman
in a playhouse...
my erudite dad
I've always admired
Jerome Berglund
a small man
with a small mind
imparts
a small chromosome
and it is crowned
Green Gables
where you can
sometimes get mad
accidentally break things
without being carted away
Sreenath Mysore
son moving abroad
I'll miss
my granddaughter . . .
sinking into the sofa
Laughing Buddha still smiling
when the only child
is no more
no mother wants to live
pall of sadness
blankets their house
summer holidays
all my cousins
come home
a riot of games
memories for a lifetime
Ram Chandran
dropping
my son at the school gate,
it seems as if yesterday
my dad dropping me
at this same gate
on the beach sand
writing the names
of his grandchildren...
he forgets
the name of the last one
must be
a bird song
in her dreams...
the little girl
giggles in her sleep
Gen Aguinaldo
black ants
in straight line
following an old gum
sudden raindrops---
family dinner
picture day
mother whispering
everyone be quiet
father thinking
if he brushed his teeth
Olivier-Gabriel Humbert
vacation
grandmother and grandson
back from fishing
empty-handed and frozen
but singing in tune
through the keyhole
of the old wooden door
the children are watching
their great uncle
grumbling while tinkering
old cap
near the workbench
two sisters in silence
are sharing the same memory
of their father
Ruth Holzer
dad with a smile
lifting his fragrant
apple pie
out of the oven
mother with her knife
one day
everyone in this picture
will be gone--
parents, uncles, aunts
row of cousins at my side
tonight
I hear mother's footsteps
again
just as she would hear mine
when I wasn't there
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
the family helps
define something
essential marking
the focus where
things matter most
endless words can be
used to describe
a family
images of strength
and passion for life
C.X.Turner
working around
another birthday
gathering
those close to me
I love
kicking
moonlit pebbles
down a mountain path
the strength it takes
to let go
fragile
in its elements
my eyes trace
the outline of you
in silk for the last time
Christina Chin
5-year-old aunt
shares her twenty-cent
pocket money--
extended
family
doing dishes
before everyone
finishes--
I wipe
my hands
leaving home--
the younger siblings
takeover her chores
three girls
and a boy
Randy Brooks
elderly siblings
bread and butter
sandwiches
for some of us
a fond memory
both parents gone . . .
now officially
my job
to fret and worry
over her
back home
from Mom’s funeral
a porcupine shows up
on the porch
for the first time
Richard Jordan
grandma’s warm breath
on the picture window
to clear away thick frost --
as geese fly south
she turns and asks my name
I lift the trout fly
as my father did
to early morning light --
a perfect cinnamon sedge
the last he ever tied
Anthony Lusardi
the rust under
an old fashion tractor
still in the same place
where he once stood
and grabbed his heart
weekly facebook posts
the latest pics
of us all
growing and aging
together
tour of duty;
in the family portrait
mom and the little ones
plus dad
through an iphone
Mona Bedi
cityscape --
the sun starts to settle
on tall buildings
how long should I wait
before you return home
trumpet lily
the soothing chatter
of grandchildren …
what would this life be
without a family
family photo
we all dress up
in finery
but it’s our puppy
who steals the show
Chen-ou Liu
a silence
after the bedroom quarrel
envelopes us ...
me and my dog again
on the pullout couch
Family Day Festival
in the morning sunshine
one laughter
running after another
through a tunnel of blossoms
pulling out
the last groundsel
from her garden
my wife admits the cracks
in our marriage
Tracy Davidson
blood
not always thicker
the unwanted child
wanted and welcomed
by her new family
no snores
in the nursery
sleepless
new parents
running out of lullabies
family holidays
exhausting
every car game
another wave
of are-we-there-yets
Peter Larsen
my cousin Charley
was the naughty one
I always thought…
the truth years later
it was really me
retired at last
my father took over
cooking dinner
he was experimental
and my mother patient
my sister
flips her playing cards
jokers all
finally chooses one
who brought his own deck
Rupa Anand
years ago
a father’s guidance
on women’s education
before marriage
unusual for these parts
she was
family for decades
our love now
gathers apathetic dust
— what women do to each other
Steve Wilkinson
fractured family
the winter ice
cracks
beneath the weight
of betrayal
flowing
from the hills
to the sea
DNA trickles down
from the trunk to the twig
cost of living crisis
the mothers and fathers
that go without
so that their children
do not have to
