I Still Think of You Everyday

A year and a half later,
despite the fact that I
haven't seen or spoken
with you, I think I may
still be in love with you.
As hard as it would be,
sometimes I wish you
would get married so
that I would be forced
to get over you.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Sundays

Sundays are meant
for napping,
meals with family and friends,
leisurely walks in the park,
and movies in the den.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

trying to decide whether to
get up and be productive or
sleep until the last possible second

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Sunday morning --
savoring each
moment of sleep

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Special Green

There's something particularly
wonderful about the green
pepper -- how a fresh, tingling
flavor bursts forth with each
crisp bite. Every mouthful
reminds you that this is no
ordinary fruit or vegetable --
not just your "average
garden variety." Its aroma
is one of distinction, as if to
signal, "Take note: You are
about to encounter
something very special!"
You can tell that its siblings --
the yellow pepper and the
red pepper -- are related,
but neither one of them have
quite the same spunkiness
as the green pepper.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Climbing the Ladder:

Trading Comfort for Awkwardness

Switching departments
at a corporate company
is like going from being
a high school senior to
a college freshman. You
leave a place that you
have outgrown, yet in
which you feel comfortable
and confident, for a place
that's new, exciting and
utterly nerve-racking.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Hugh's Hot Dog Dinner

The scent of smoke
lingers in my hair,
a reminder of tonight's
bonfire and warm summer air.

We sat on the patio,
enjoying grilled hot dogs
and crisp chips with dip,
watching the sky
turn colors and the
lone lightning bug
fly by, as if to say,

"Remember tonight, for soon
fall's coolness will
replace this night's warmth."

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

That'll Teach Me to Read Mary Oliver Poems Before Bed

I shut the door
in the face of
a poem last night
as I pulled the
covers over my
shoulders and
refused to get
out of bed.

* * *

I just got out
of bed
for a poem --
this better be good.

* * *

You know you've
got it bad when
you leave the computer
on all night and
a journal by your
bed to be ready
when the next
poem arrives.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Unknowingly

She doesn't know that
she reminds me of
someone I know,
someone I knew.
Nor does she know
that every time
I walk past her,
I am greeted by
a flood of memories
about the woman
that she resembles
unknowingly.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Another Work Poem (Alternate Version)

for Lindsay, Taryn and Janine

I write my best
poems at work on
company stationary
and company time
on rainy Fridays when
all I want to do is
escape to a coffee shop
and sip the day away,
or tumble onto the
couch and drift off
into a movie marathon
with a fuzzy blanket
and a warm cup of tea.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

A Smile for Hope

I was on my way to the bank when
my cell phone rang. It was time for
my annual call from my alma mater's
alumni fund. I pledged a small increase
from last year, as I listened to fellow
Hope alumnus Sufjan Stevens' new
disc spin in the CD player. I smiled,
driving down the Nashville thoroughfare,
catching a glimpse of the Hope College
Alumni sticker on my back windshield
through the rearview mirror,
glad to be reminded that
Hope and Holland, Michigan will
always be a part of me, no matter
how far away I might travel.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

May Memoir

During a live radio
broadcast of the
Mother's Day concert
featuring songwriters from
Memphis and Nashville,
I looked around our table
for eight, taking
mental snapshots
of the faces
of the ones
I love, the friends
who make me smile.

Josh, the well-spoken
brains and brawn behind
brilliant tech art; my
sister, Lindsay, who is
much more than a sister --
my closest friend
and part of my heart;
Aimee, a sweet spirit
who sees the world
through the eyes of
creativity and warms
a room with the sparkle
in those eyes; her roommate
Joanne, a delicate one
who enjoys life's little
things and stirs me to
celebrate the ways of
womanhood; Matt, a man
who inspires me with
his songs, zest for life
and wide-eyed wonder-
ment; dear Danielle,
a strong and beautiful soul
who sings with the voice
of an angel and speaks
with the voice of reason;
and James, a gentle man
who knows how to treat
a woman like a lady.

I want to remember this
night. All I must do is
pull out the pictures I've
stored in my mind's eye,
the photos tucked away
in my heart.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

how can One
with such great might
work such miracles
in the minute

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Sometimes

Sometimes
I think about you
and wonder
how your life
has changed
since we last spoke.
I wonder if the
band next door
still keeps you
up at night.
I wonder if you
still read in bed
when you can't sleep;
if you still watch
old movies
and drink
green-apple-flavored
Jones soda.
Do you still bake
chocolate chip cookies
for the firefighters
and hem pants
for your co-workers?
Sometimes
I wonder:
do you think of me
as much as I
think of you?

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Beginning Besides

I am indebted to the stellar folk duo Over the Rhine for the title of this blog. The initial batch of pieces to be posted here have been imported from my other poetry blog, Line Upon Line. I wanted to give the poems and haiku yet to inhabit this blog a home next door to LUL. They will be neighboring family, if you will. They come from the same parents, but have different qualities. Welcome home.