Away
this Christmas
give them a book
a story they might unfold
and tuck away inside
their pocket
‘cause ‘ya never know
when they might need it
in their travels
over an ocean
through a desert
past a cornfield
inside a cave
under a tree
beneath the snow
above the blade
where the wildflowers dally
and the songbird lilts
a book can do that
it can take you away
if it’s good
TL
Will You
when I’m not
shiny and new
innocent, too
will you
when I’m not
the rock in the room
but the river run out
will you
when I’m not
light and airy
but a little scary
dark and very
will you
when I’m not
happy just to be
a l i v e
but a bit sad inside
will you
when I’m not
wrong
but always right
right
will you
when I’m not
strong
at all
but the armor is
will you
when I’m not
willing to bend
‘cause I’m already broke
will you
when I’m not
ready to drop
the handle I’m holding
to travel the world
will you
when I’m not
aging gracefully
but aging out
will you
when I’m not
the trusting kind
‘cause I’ve been sold
will you
when I’m not
a face in the crowd
but a homebody at heart
will you
when I’m not
here but there
there but here
will you
when I’m not
nodding yes
but shaking no
to test
will you
when I’m not
a rose
but you think I am
will you
TL
Well Being
the sunlight
gave its energy
to the tomato
I ate
the carrots, the kale, the cucumbers
the celery, the beets, the radish
the spinach, the peppers, the parsley
from the ground they grew
sensing there was more
than darkness and dirt
they kept punching up
and saw the sky
that it was blue
felt the sun
the wind move
drank a drop of water
stood with trees
and petal flowers
watched the day open
and watched it close
night falls
but it’s not pitch dark
for the stars
so many stars
TL
Time Travel
today’s my
dad’s birthday
we only had one together
as I recall
the one before he died
waited all my life to see him again
put college on hold
got on a plane in September
had Halloween in October
turkey in November
Christmas in December
New Years in January
Valentines in February
how would I know
how could I ever know
that’d be The End
think it takes a lifetime
to accept the unacceptable
you don’t ever get over it
when you lose someone
you love
you just live in a different time
and place
but you’re still wearing
his coat, his black coat
‘cause it smells like him
and you wrap your arms around yourself
and pray he’s still alive
you get to the hospital
and he’s there in the bed
looks like he’s asleep
his skin’s still warm
they had to pry me off him
I just lie on the floor
I can’t breathe
it rained all night
I remember it rained all night
picked out a silver casket
a suit for him to wear
a tie I had just bought him for Christmas
I wrote him a letter
and read it aloud at his funeral
I put roses on his grave
and went back to class
‘cause I was in the middle of a semester at UNLV
the professor in my creative writing course
told me he was glad I came back
and didn’t drop the class
he told me how hard it must be
he had no idea
no one did
TL
Art
shadows
hung on the wall
frameless and free
not there for long
long enough to see
the picture change
its form
when i was small
i was a shadow watcher
of walls and streets
and i’d make up stories
in my mind
museums of moving pieces
that played out
like an ocean
with its waves
flowing and unfolding
against the sand
tossing up shells
and seaweed and minnows
in my hand
and watching them fall
like drops
from a cloud
TL
Control
it’s funny how
we choose
with our choices
take a plate
for example
each day
morning
noon
night
we take our empty plate
and fill it
with whatever we like
and sit or stand somewhere
and consume it
how do we feel after
years after
what is the effect
of choice
was it poison
or medicine
we took
food should heal you
never hurt you
it should energize you
not suck the living life out of you
how many special occasions
weekends, holidays, vacations
had-a-bad-day-so-I-went-and-ate-it
does it take
to make somebody so sick
and tired
they can’t breathe right
walk down the street right
sleep at night right
it seems simple enough right
they say 80 percent
is in the kitchen
and 20 percent
is in the sweat
I say 100 percent is self
controlled
TL
The Rise and Fall and Lift
she loved
music
it was something
she understood
something she would say
if she had words
and if she lived
and never died
there would still be
a melody in some
corner of the world
somewhere
waiting for her
to come along
and spin
TL
As is
twinkle lights
in the trash
all connected
but one stopped working
right
in the strand
somewhere long the line
it got burned out
another box
another light
plug it in
and it’s Christmas again
farmed trees still in the soil
executed for their beauty
and planted with a purpose
row after row
rolling down the highway
like months in a year
like years in a month
a product for purchase
everything has a price
a mark
it’s inevitable
invisible
one by one
the bulbs
stop working
right
in the strand
and the tree
with a fresh shave
and a clean scent
looks in the mirror
down the row
and spins around
for the show
small hands are clapping
tap tapping
running through the limbs
and the snow falls in the forest
evergreen
like it ever needed
lights
TL