“Middle Distance”
in a room
of books
just off the side
walk
on a Sunday
sometime before
like an afterthought
they had picked up
all the Poetry
they had
and shoved it
to the back
far corner
wedged between
a rack of magnets
within the realm
of children’s books
near the barista
that talks
and the cashier
that talks
and the parents
that talk
there was jest
enough room
to stand
and reach
and it was there
in the middle of my life
that I first met
Stanley Plumly
TL
Temporary
it was
periwinkle
in color
appearing
like a blue day
I watched it
flicker
like a flame
and even then
I knew
TL
Easter Bunny
I name him
Jack
he appears
on the lawn
before the lights
come on
in the house
I never see
which direction
he comes from
he’s already there
and been there
a while
I watch him
out the window
as he munches
clover
it rained last night
so he has more on his table
he eats fast
he knows there’s a cat
that’ll be up soon
prowling about
he saw what he did
to the chipmunk
last week
and it wasn’t pretty
he eats faster
grab-and-go
is his motto
at least that little girl
ain’t chasing him
down
wonder where she went
he ain’t taking no chances
she used to sneak up on him
and try to catch him good
while his head was down
but the Robin
on the line
always warned him
before she got too close
his white tail
flashing
like a taillight
in the distance
he could hear her hollering
Come Back !
TL
the Christmas tree
is brittle brown
weighted in the rain
it lies there
dead
surrounded by a forest
in spring
five months ago
it was green
standing giant in the room
bare and beautiful
before the jewels
or crown
it was stunning
in its natural form
rooted in the ground
growing in its branches
lifting in layers
sturdy and strong
the wind within
rushing through
and out
dispersing drops
like twinkle lights
amid the tinsel of snow
and glittered frost
an ornament
in its hair
cardinal red
quietly resting
there
TL
Air Jordan
in 1 hour
and 52 minutes
the stars aligned
creating movie magic
in theatres across the country
where you forget where you are
and you let the story
take you back
in time
hitting the pavement
and knocking on doors
and losing sleep
and never wavering
from belief
the belief that one day
someday
a mother’s dreams
for her child
would be realized
worldwide
and she’d watch him
fly
as effortless as an Eagle
across the sky
TL