Calms outbursts tucks hanky in sleeve.
A safe port in fierce storm.
Irreplaceable treasure, guards key to contentment.
Uses Seeing Eye dog when necessary.
Pulls rabbits out of hats daily.
The best medicine, money can buy.
Unpaid cook, maid, and phone operator.
Domestic goddess trained on the job.
Gray hair, chipped nails, bright smile.
Sensitive tornado sweeps away unreasonable conflict.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
MAY SLips in
May slips in unannounced
humming
bringing style and verve
as last month’s voice loiters
in a sad corridor
released from the cast.
A bouquet of white and purple lilac follows
freshly cut and arranged.
Their sweet scent lingers
long into the night
exciting
young noses
singing
a new song.
humming
bringing style and verve
as last month’s voice loiters
in a sad corridor
released from the cast.
A bouquet of white and purple lilac follows
freshly cut and arranged.
Their sweet scent lingers
long into the night
exciting
young noses
singing
a new song.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Mendacity
Mendacity
detects you from a corner
next to the potted Anthurium,
a poster child for normal behavior
in the ghetto.
It sneaks up and tries to get cozy
then proceeds to suffocate you with an invitation
to ponder
justifying past deeds,lining them up for the firing squad
aiming for the whites, in a sea of gray.
Drowning in delusion
it comes up for one last gulp
one last vain attempt,
to stay alive.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Lawns Horses and Pigs
We moved into our new, old house in 1985.
A new adventure, on
a dead end road in the country,
away from the noise and traffic,
a piece of the rock to call our own.
2.1 acres that we had to rope and tame
rough doesn’t even begin to explain it.
Imagine carving out a lawn with hand tools
and brute strength and doing it after work with lanterns into the night.
It took years to even think about having a lawn,
fifteen years to be exact, by then we had two houses
and a three car detached garage.
Add fruit trees, flowers and a pond not to mention a giant lawn.
Our ancestors would have been proud.
In the beginning we purchased a bull
and went to work.
During the day we had our business to attend to
Roofing and Vinyl siding, when it was slow we painted and did interior renovations, hell we did it all.
After work sometimes by flashlight
we would pull weeds, and hack away at California grass
about six feet high tough and tangled
choking upon itself in the humid tropical clime.
Bully the steer was our first new addition to the family, and then before I knew it we had Billy and Jennifer, two goats and then chickens and roosters, not just any chickens mind you, we had feather dusters. After that the ducks came along, six of them, and they would be joined by six geese, two horses Beauty and Hoku, which you couldn’t ride just one, both had to ridden or else, and I began to think the farm life was for me--except for one thing
I object to ducks swimming in my pool-- too much poop
and with the poop came the flies, so many flies
that I couldn’t enjoy laying out by the pool in the sun after work when I wasn’t doing anything--yeah right!
Oh and did I mention the pig--
did you know that horses and pigs don’t get along?
A new adventure, on
a dead end road in the country,
away from the noise and traffic,
a piece of the rock to call our own.
2.1 acres that we had to rope and tame
rough doesn’t even begin to explain it.
Imagine carving out a lawn with hand tools
and brute strength and doing it after work with lanterns into the night.
It took years to even think about having a lawn,
fifteen years to be exact, by then we had two houses
and a three car detached garage.
Add fruit trees, flowers and a pond not to mention a giant lawn.
Our ancestors would have been proud.
In the beginning we purchased a bull
and went to work.
During the day we had our business to attend to
Roofing and Vinyl siding, when it was slow we painted and did interior renovations, hell we did it all.
After work sometimes by flashlight
we would pull weeds, and hack away at California grass
about six feet high tough and tangled
choking upon itself in the humid tropical clime.
Bully the steer was our first new addition to the family, and then before I knew it we had Billy and Jennifer, two goats and then chickens and roosters, not just any chickens mind you, we had feather dusters. After that the ducks came along, six of them, and they would be joined by six geese, two horses Beauty and Hoku, which you couldn’t ride just one, both had to ridden or else, and I began to think the farm life was for me--except for one thing
I object to ducks swimming in my pool-- too much poop
and with the poop came the flies, so many flies
that I couldn’t enjoy laying out by the pool in the sun after work when I wasn’t doing anything--yeah right!
Oh and did I mention the pig--
did you know that horses and pigs don’t get along?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Excavating Bones
Inspired by Poem a Day--Academy of American Poets April 2010 and by Spencer Johnson's, "Who Moved My Cheese."
Excavating Bones
Skeleton in ice
gently thawed
and cradled;
hair
and bone
and bone
worn down to marrow.
Frigid strength
icy lover;
your contact sears
callous scrutiny.
I can hear your muffled scream
preserved
in time’s frosty cavern,
concealed in cheese
station C, and me
in E, advanced and alone.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Caterpillar Dreams
Caterpillar Dreams
Inch your way
on tiny feet
climb into the tree of dreams.
You are not yourself
the monarch lurks inside.
Spin
a strong silk pad.
Sleep,
you are not yourself
the monarch lurks inside.
Hunger for
red clover
goldenrod and
fluttering breezes
beneath the cool shade
of the
stately palm.
You are not yourself
the monarch lurks inside.
Awake
from nature’s baptism.
Shed your former skin.
Declare your magnificence.
Dance atop
yesterday’s fragile petals
soar into the callous wind.
Fly
dazzling insect.
Show off your large
tawny orange and black wings.
Rise
potent prince,
wander throughout the provinces.
You are magnificent.
You are Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
Fly brilliant monarch,
Fly!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Compost at Dawn
Up at Three—not a pretty sight!!
They say the older you get the less sleep you need.
I’m here to tell you that they are WRONG whoever THEY ARE.
It is a bald faced LIE.
Those THEY’s need a good bitch slapping
and I know just the person to do the job.
No thinking about it or talking it over--just a grim reaper.
That’s what you get when you mess
with a crazy person—two shots directly
into the brain—no questions
no dilly dallying
just cold hard steel
right between the eyes
and then I’ll go work in my garden,
start a compost pile.
Don’t you love fertilizer?
The flowers love it
I can hear them screaming now
pile it on—we’re starving here!!
And by the way--Have you ever heard of this other element—it’s called WATER!!!
We don’t have any feet or THUMBS,
so if you could just
pay us some attention
we will show you
something nice to look at
tomorrow morning,
when you are still awake
and NOT SLEEPING!!
They say the older you get the less sleep you need.
I’m here to tell you that they are WRONG whoever THEY ARE.
It is a bald faced LIE.
Those THEY’s need a good bitch slapping
and I know just the person to do the job.
No thinking about it or talking it over--just a grim reaper.
That’s what you get when you mess
with a crazy person—two shots directly
into the brain—no questions
no dilly dallying
just cold hard steel
right between the eyes
and then I’ll go work in my garden,
start a compost pile.
Don’t you love fertilizer?
The flowers love it
I can hear them screaming now
pile it on—we’re starving here!!
And by the way--Have you ever heard of this other element—it’s called WATER!!!
We don’t have any feet or THUMBS,
so if you could just
pay us some attention
we will show you
something nice to look at
tomorrow morning,
when you are still awake
and NOT SLEEPING!!
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