"Poopa's Garden" by Matt Bergin

Happy birthday, Dad. We  all still miss you. 

Poopa’s Garden
by Matt Bergin 

My dad said, “Let’s go visit Poopa's Garden!”
I shrugged and said I thought that sounded swell.
But then I had to ask Dad, "Who is Poopa?"
"He’s someone special that you didn't know so well."

So we took a drive upstate to Poopa's Garden.
And on the way, Dad said who 'Poopa' was to me.
"I once had a daddy, too," is how he put it.
"And that’s the Poopa we are on our way to see."

I then asked why we called it Poopa’s Garden.
"I’m glad you asked. I know it's a pretty funny name…"
"Grand Poobah" is what he wanted us to call him.
But he misspoke, and now our sense of humor is to blame."

So I figured we’d have fun at Poopa’s Garden.
He sounded silly, which to me just sounded great.
Dad knew a laugh is what I was expecting, and he smiled.
"A good joke is something Poopa could appreciate."

We stopped along the way to Poopa’s Garden.
We bought some flowers, which my daddy let me pick.
"How ‘bout these white lilies?" he suggested.
But I liked yellow daisies, which he said would do the trick.

"I have to warn you, before we get to Poopa’s Garden..."
"You won't SEE your Poopa there…like with your eyes."
I didn't understand the tremble in my daddy’s voice:
"You see, Poopa ... my daddy ... well … he died."

We stood silent at the gate to Poopa’s Garden.
As it opened, Daddy held me. “Don’t be scared.”
"Is Poopa scary!? I asked nervously of daddy.
"No, not at all…it's just scary when you lose someone who cared."

I wasn't scared, or sad, or mad in Poopa's Garden.
There was nothing to upset me there at all.
Just a sea of roundish stones on a field of fresh-cut grass,
And a few trees I bet look pretty in the Fall.

I got to play around in Poopa's Garden.
It wasn't quite a park, but it was close.
I circled trees and bobbed between those rounded stones…
And I took care to not disturb the resting ghosts.

We spent the day, my Dad and me, in Poopa’s Garden.
Dad showed me pictures and told me stories of way-back-when.
I guess I did feel kind of sad to never know him…
But I’ll be happy when we visit him again.

The End (is never really the end)

Visiting dad at Gates of Heaven ~2010

Visiting yesterday. There are more of us now. We brought candy.

Fluffless Gets Political on World Rat Day

Join the Rattie Uprising! And watch this space for updates on my next story release, Fluffless: A Squirrel's Tail, with artist D.L. Skandle.  

Art by D.L. Skandle

"No Thin Skin With The Skin I'm In" by Matt Bergin

Eczema doesn't hurt, per se, but it's a real pain in the butt. A severe case comes with the nuisance of lifestyle changes and lifelong regimented care, not to mention constant questions and uninvited stares. We're right in the thick of it with the real Lesky Lee, her latest outbreak covering her in angry red patches from her shins to her chin. Now we're weighing steroid creams vs immunotherapies and contemplating putting our eldest child, Charlie the Cat, out on the street to remove the most irritating irritant from our otherwise clean, carpetless home. And let's not forget that bathing-suit weather is right around the corner. We're all already practicing our angriest glares in the mirror for the first fool at the pool to mention ringworm or poison ivy! But like the poem says, this girl's got a thick skin and can handle whatever life throws her way. (Although, to be honest, she may have a hard time catching it with moisturizer all over her hands all the time.)  

Rats!

There's a World Rat Day!? What an odd thing to discover while fast at work on my next picture book project, which happens to feature a rat who thinks he's a squirrel. And how serendipitous that that day (April 4th) is the deadline for submissions for a rat-themed art exhibition?

Reaching out now. Let's see if Fluffless can make his debut on a bigger stage than Amazon CreateSpace.

Join the Rattie Uprising! 

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters concludes

The Month of Monsters has come to its end. Thanks so much for following along. If you like what you've seen, I encourage you to order your very own complete copy of Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. The Kindle and Comixology versions collect everything you've just read in a complete digital reading experience, while the print-on-demand edition includes the full book PLUS a few bonus pages showing the origins of Lesky Lee as I originally drew her, way back in the olden days of 2012 for the Brooklyn Museum's Sketchbook Project.

Special thanks to my illustrator (who could also be yours -- he's freelance!), Zach Wideman, who helped me create such a vibrant and professional looking book for the second time. (If you haven't seen the first, by the way, it's pretty darn good, too.)

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 35 + 36

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

((Thanks so much for following along! I've got one more post coming to wrap up the Month of Monsters tomorrow, leaving you a few extra days to get ready for Halloween!))

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 33 + 34

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.