Month: April 2014

Dr. Pittard

he was

by my side

through it all

and I knew

he’d see me through

come what may

he knew my fears

even if I never said

he sensed it

like he did

with so many

before

with so many

after

but it was more

than that

more than I would admit

my mother died

giving birth to me

that’s what I always believed

always would

nine months …

of being afraid

then I heard her cry

and he was by my side

telling me how good I did

then he sewed me back up

and my life began

that day

eight years later

he’s the one

who needs to be sewed back up

it’s his heart

that needs mending

no doctor can cure

and I wish there were something

but there’s nothing you can do or say

when someone you love so

passes away

TL

Korea

cherry blossoms

are in full bloom

this time of year

as they stroll the streets

softened by the palest

of pink petals

in years gone by

they had their dreams

that one day

someday

they’d give their children away

under those pale pink arches

and the piano would play

their song

and those would be happy tears

that fell

her hand in his

but the bride she’ll never be

the groom gone, too

and the parents

on the bank

don’t see

the cherry trees

across the shore

they only see

the branches bare

this time of year

TL

“the Lord

is close

to the brokenhearted;

    He rescues those

whose spirits are crushed.”

Psalm 34:18

Easter Eggs

hard shells

will nest

in pink

inner tubes

and run

through fields

of yellow buttercups

and float across

an azure sky

and play ball

at Wrigley Field

and stroll along

Wisteria Lane

and come close

to a sunset swirl

before cracked

and peeled

and salted

white

dipped in

red hot

spice

TL

Missed

a dog

didn’t even

register

content the two

but after

that day

he run out

into the road

those three years

they had him

and all those years before him

and all those years after him

it registered …

what a dog can do

to the contentment

of two

TL

Just Joe

if he’s

scared

he won’t

show it

he’ll think of

something funny

to say

and we’ll all

laugh

 cause that’s his way

but she knows him

too well

he’ll make

the best of it

in that Birmingham bed

and when he comes to

the skeleton crew

won’t feel sorry

for him

cause he won’t

let ‘em

he’ll say he’s sorry

they had to work

Easter weekend

stuck with him

and they’ll laugh

out loud

and fuss all over him

ask him if he needs

anything

and he’ll have

this laundry list

of made-up things

nothing near

the truth

and when he sees

the worry welling

in her eyes

he’ll tell her

to go home

and rest

and come back

later

cause he ain’t going

nowhere

his son will be

right there

and as she goes

to go

he’ll holler

loud as his stitches

will allow

“Reba, don’t forget

to bring me back

a plate …

Jennifer, don’t let her forget

to bring me back

a plate …

Tim can have

my tray!”

TL

Grow

she Will

in her off-white dress

in the country church

a few trees between

where she lived

with her parents and

two brothers

across the street from

her aunt and uncle’s house

through the woods

to her grandparents’ house

not far

from where she graduated

high school

and she could have been

a nurse anywhere

but she never thought about

leaving home

how could she

granny’s cooking Sunday supper

and her cousins are coming over

and Easter’s next weekend

and the baby’s almost here

and her daddy will be plowing

the field soon

like his daddy did

and something good Will grow

in the garden

so long as

you take the time

it takes

to walk the rows

pull the weeds

water the seed

and fix the fences

don’t forget to fix the fences

so the garden Will grow

do this daily

and you’ll never go

hungry

and chances are

you’ll be happy

TL

Parking Lot

they took

the track

where the

old guy

in the tan sedan

got out

and walked

his quota

they took

the track

where the

heavy-set crew

adjusted their pace

to the breath

it takes to talk

on the phone

they took

the track

where the

teenagers

run their race

and fly over

orange cones

they took

the track

where the off-duty

let off steam

patrol pounds

they took

the track

where the children

were at

the ones who

skipped ahead

and left a laugh

a hoot, a holler

they took

the track

where the sun

would rise

and set

where the rain

would drip

and drizzle

where the wind

would whip

chap the lip

where the puffs

were cubes

and the surface

fried an egg

they took

the track

where all those soles

came and went

they took

the track

dug it up

and dumped it out

in piles

turned the oval

square

so they could

park there

they took

the track

and replaced it

with that

and the old guy

the talkers

the teens

the off-duty

the kids

the jogger

we ain’t been back

‘cause they took

the track

thanks a

lot

TL

The Ace

but i remember it

from when i was

how it made me feel

light as air

y o u t h

it really is

a card

and you’re all in

win or lose

who cares

the chances are

and you take ‘em

then you start

to read

the directions

scared to make a move

you count the pieces

how can you play without the pieces

and what about the dice

it’s missing a dot

you can’t count it

if it’s missing

a dot

it all has to match up

make sense

start here – end there

game over – play again

that’s the rule

after awhile

after all

the winning

the losing

the folding

the ties

you just don’t wanna

play no more

so you burn the board

chunk all the pieces

drop the deck

rip the score

spin the seat

but the Ace

you keep

be it a spade

a diamond

puppy foot

or heart

the Ace

you keep

in the pocket

case you need it

and chances are

you’re gonna need it

TL

Asleep

trespass

of a tear

trails back

to ancient times

that first brick

a stack of stones

did you wake

with want

a ray instead

what does that do

over time

ask the house of snow

maybe he knows

or did

before he melted

into tin

the ringing rain

that fell

into the cracks

of clay

and deep

they were

those cracks

in clay

too deep

to fill

with merely drops

a sheet or shower

one window

one box

the door

stayed locked

did anybody ever

knock

or find the key

somewhere

and did it fit

the lock

maybe not

just use

a bobby pin

or a tribe of Indians

or a crowbar

or one of those

sticks that blow up

maybe not

maybe it doesn’t

take a whole lot

just a little

like a scrap

you fold just once

just enough

to say

and push it

under her door

and walk away

and maybe someday

she’ll get up

and go to the door

and open it

and find you

still there

asleep

TL

Things

been buying

bins

for all

those things

sentimental such

the gonna-get-to-rush

the had-to-have-but-didn’t

after all

the feeling-bad-so-bought-it

cha-ching

the gifts they gave and kept on giving

where to put

the useless things

that don’t bring you

anything

but dust

the why-am-i-holding-on

to this …

stuff

been buying

bins

for all

those things

TL

Command

and Tiger’s

not playing

the Masters

what next

still

there he is

down

for sure

surely

not done

many Masters

to come

days in the sun

lives he’s lived

lost

gazing out

peering in

it’s there

in the lift

in the fall

heel to toe

way he walks

the green

up that hill

down that slope

like a lion

in the wind

contained

now at hand

this seat

to sit

high up

in the stands

like an old man

who never knew

he was old

‘til somebody

told him so

grit and grip

take it in

what the dark

demands

the valley

not the peak

where we find

ourselves

again

back to square

uncluttered there

the mind moves

within the body

and returns

the heart

to its soul

TL