Thomas Sean Connery
my dad loved
movies
so
he appreciated
a great story
told
his favorite one
he shared with me
one day
“The Hunt for Red October”
must have reminded him
of his old Navy days
sailing away on some distant shore
somewhere
he’s missed so many marvelous movies
so many great ones
over time
but he did get to see
one of the greatest movies
ever made
starring one of the greatest actors
that ever was
(August 25, 1930 – October 31, 2020)
TL
Fixed Point
under the lid
of eyes
the clouds go by
in the dark
and the grand old clock
ticks back tears
and drops them in the well
and the flowers float up
like a balloon
lifting laughter off the page
taking notes
for empty chapters
12 numbers on a round face
clockwise
and counterclockwise
time travels
through a portal
of trees
climbing up to the top
to see what it sees
and then scaling back
to touch
the ground
a grain of sand
before it falls
like a flake of snow
behind the cloud
running from the sun
it disappears
like rain
falling asleep in the sea
becoming more
or less
it rolls in waves
turning over sand
changing the shoreline
it reaches back
and springs forward
lifting and letting go
the new and the old
mapped in roman numerals
that can’t tell
time
but rather feeling
it felt
the mortal moment
of a single second
that counts
what cannot be counted
subtracted or divided
it adds up
the sum of all things
made known
to the unknown
TL
Dear Dad,
I can hear
an ambulance
before I ever see it
coming
as I sit there
waiting
for the distant cry
to subside
the night falls
dark
full of flashing lights
flying down the road
but I never see where
they go
they just keep flashing
on and off
like they never gave up
trying …
to save you
TL
The Seal of the Sun
I walk
under emeralds
looking up at chandeliers
swaying in the wind
all aglow
high overhead
these dripping jewels
I wear
TL
Keep Driving
been going
through rooms
with a minimal mindset
not quite there yet
and might never be
but I try anyway
and it ain’t easy
let me tell ‘ya
it ain’t easy
it’s like losing weight
once you do
you gotta maintain it
for life
getting rid of stuff
is like yo yo dieting
losing the weight and then packing it back on
what good is it
if I carry stuff out
and end up replacing it
and that’s what I tend to do
over time
I clear things out
and then clutter it back up
I’m past the denial stage
and the acceptance stage
think I’m now in the
all gotta go stage
and stay gone
so, I made a lot of progress yesterday
then woke up this morning
and passed a yard sale
laughing to myself
I love yard sales
and they love me
and I wanted to stop
and jest take a little peek
like a person trying to quit smoking
jest a little puff
but I kept on going
moving past it
I got enough to deal with
as it is
don’t need no more
stuff
TL
Tennessee
the ridge of mountains
disappeared
in the smoke
and reminded me
of a window seat in a plane
looking down
at the covering of clouds
hiding the earth
below
there’s a relief in things
that remain
nature has a way
of telling us
it’ll be ok
no matter what
happens or doesn’t happen
the rivers will run full
catching leaves and rays
and the eye
of a passerby
TL