Month: May 2017

Tiger Tough

over the course

of a lifetime

one undergoes

a series of deaths

the loss of youth

is a death

the loss of a parent

is a death

the loss of a friend, your best friend

is a death

the loss of your self …

your worth in the world

is indeed a death

the drainage of loss

leaves a lot of space

to drown in

hold your breath!

‘til your body rises

from the floor

and when you break the surface

get on your back quick

and float

so, when night comes

you can still see the stars

from where you are

and if there are no stars

that night

just close your eyes

and drift to your dream …

there the stars

and when you wake

in the sea of sorrow

get a good stretch in and roll over

on your belly

taste the tears lapping against your lip

feel the waves wash over you

hear the wind rush past

squint your eyes ‘til they adjust

the sky’s still blue

you’re alive

that mystical map

embedded in the soul

will bring you back

from where ‘ya been

and it won’t matter

no more

it won’t matter

no more

‘cause being lost at sea

doesn’t mean

you won’t be found again

but you gotta roll over first

roll over

TL

Traveler

the leveler

of life

is death

TL

Crystallize

the stream

becomes a square

frozen cubes

the button there

crushes squares

into pieces

a drift of snow

at the bottom

of a glass

set it down

somewhere

and forget

you left it

there

distracted by

the sun

no more squares

the pieces run

down the glass

like drops

against a windshield

waiting for the light

to turn

TL

Yes, Please

a peppermint

plant

is easy to grow

repels mosquitoes

and mashed up

will turn a cup

of hot water

green

TL

11 Past 10

she still

loves to run

in the pouring down

rain

she still

cries crocodile tears

if she forgot

to kiss daddy bye

she still

feels sad sorry

for the worm

the ant

the half-wing thing

she still

wants to pick-up every stray

cat and dog she sees

and take ‘em home with her

and have me take care of ‘em

she still

won’t eat

a tomato

less it’s pulverized into oblivion

she still

puts her pulled tooth

under her pillow

and goes to sleep

smiling like a Cheshire cat

she still

plays the piano

for the pure joy

of it

like painting

and dancing

and flipping

on the trampoline

she still

sleeps with Blue

from those crib days

and protects him like a mama bear her cub

she still

has to be first

down the stair

through the door

up the hill

down the street

around the corner

through the gate

she still

hits a golf ball

better than me

or the guy next to me

she still

can do a double round-house kick

over my head

without stretching first

she still

feels the day

and takes it in

like a song

like a sonnet

like a prayer

she still

asks tough questions

when there aren’t any

easy answers

she still

gets lost

in a story

but only if

it’s really good

then she’ll re-read it

five times

she still

has expectations

“Great Expectations”

of how life should be

she still

loves school

and learning

and understanding

and becoming

and being

and making good friends

she still

thinks the same

joke

told 100 times over

is as funny as

the first time

she said it

she still

wants to be BIG

but stay small

she still

has to have

the last word

the last piece

the last laugh

the last shhh

she still

wants to be held

(thank goodness for that)

she still

has a dream …

about a secret garden

and a Tudor-style mansion

and a cheetah as a pet

(why a cheetah)

and me as her maid

and finding a home for all those strays

and helping the helpless

be happy

and I have no doubt

she’ll make it happen

somehow

and it’ll be better

way better

than what she dreamed of

when she was jest

11 past 10

TL