Cup in Saucer
there is
a pond
of glass
the mist
figure eights
broken by the sip
of a stained lip
pressed into
the rim
of a heated kiss
in need
of cooling
TL
Poetry
Cup in Saucer
there is
a pond
of glass
the mist
figure eights
broken by the sip
of a stained lip
pressed into
the rim
of a heated kiss
in need
of cooling
TL
Letting Go
think my
window
‘s down
can’t close
to remember
‘til it rains
un-warn
and then
everything inside
gets good
and wet
and floats on out
the crack
in the ceiling
to a place
I never needed
after all
TL
A Moment in Time
first boat ride
was a canoe
and i sat there
in the middle
of the two
staring at the water lilies
fascinated by floating flowers
i couldn’t convey
that day
out there on the water
feeling connected to nature
thinking we’d always be
together
gliding along
like swans
only now do I understand
the depth
for the canoe is gone
and the two of ‘em
never got back in the boat
and the child
in the middle
got old
and hasn’t seen
a floating flower since
but still wants to …
still wants to get back
in the boat
and glide
TL
Lift Your Cup
don’t drink
the dark
the grinds
stir in the cream
the sugar
to balance out
the bitter
TL
When We Drive
took a detour
from the traffic
adjusted the seat
lifted the wheel
and she wasted no time
climbing over the console
to assume her throne
while I work the pedals
she works the wheel
and off we go
round and round
merry-go-round
and the bird gets outta the way
and the puddle
gets a hit
‘cause she don’t miss
and the butterfly
disappears right quick
and the rabbits know
to stay put
and the worms well
it’s tough being a worm
and she loves that song
turn it up!
singing along
laughing like hyenas
round and round
we go
nice and slow
“faster, mama,
can’t we go any faster!”
yeah, no
TL
Ripple Effect
the sound of the sea
calls to me
the gurgle of a stream
meets me
the vibration of a lake
draws me
the rolling of a river
charges me
the sheets of rain
follow me
the pockets of puddles
empty me
the spray of fountains
wish me
the ritual of a bath
centers me
the stretch of a pool
pushes me
the cascade of a waterfall
stills me
the trail of a tear
carries me
TL
Memories Maketh
do things
hold memories
or do you
put the memory
in a thing
a house has no memory
but the people in it – do
and when they leave
they take the memories with them
but the house has no memory
of them
and all the things
stored inside the house
have no memory
of ever being used
or packed
or stacked
or shelved
or buried
but the people
who keep these things – do
and when they leave
the things
they take the memories with them
but the things have no memory
of them
people tend to hoard memories
seemingly never satisfied
never enough
make a moment more
make it less
remake it
replace it
rewind it
revolve it
place it here
put it there
give it more light
less light
no, don’t touch it!
leave it there
but he’s gone
and he’s never coming back
but she’s gone
and she’s never coming back
but that’s all I have … left
of him
of her
of them
what about the memory
do you need that thing
to remember them by
if you lost it
would you not remember them anymore
yes, but …
I need it
I need to hold on
to it
so, don’t touch it!
leave it there
all right, ok, we’ll leave it there
we won’t touch it
but I’m going over here
I’ll be over here
if you need me
right here
if you need me
but I can’t see you
over the stack
yeah, but
you can hear me, right
do you hear me
yeah, I hear ‘ya
TL
Romance
cardboard castles
and stuffed dragons
distressed maidens
and distant knights
the drawbridge up
the drawbridge down
the torches lit
the feast abounds
her hand in his
they dance
without a hint
of longing
chivalrous and demure
a gloved hand
a terse nod
years go by
they dance again
ungloved
without a breath
between them
TL
“Save It For A Rainy Day”
the video’s
like a postcard
sent to somebody
you love
you miss
such a simple lyric
basic and beautiful
and true
it’s like
I’m there
with you
and I can feel
the sun’s ray
wash over me
as it dips
into the blue, blue
sea
TL
T-Ball
took a time
out
beneath the blink
of “Friday Night Lights”
bleacher high
I watched them play
in that easy, wonderful way
before
the scoreboard goes up
and the Crayons put down
#3 is up to bat
and he’s swinging hard
‘bout knocked a kneecap out
ball ain’t even on the stand yet
and he’s whacking the L out of it
patient is the coach
who bends over and stands it back up
10 times
and quickly sticks the ball atop
for the 11th whack
SMACK
“it’s outta here!”
TL
Weightless
there’s a lotta
t h i n g s
on my desk
and even though
I’ve cleared it
a time or two
it all comes back
somehow
things ‘ya can’t part with
no matter how
same with the car
front seat, back seat
console, glove
hatch
there’s a lotta that
and this
and the other
how many times
I’ve paused … to wonder
of the simple soul
that travels
near and far
unencumbered
TL
Biographies
suppose
I understand it
better now
the stories
all those stories
I had to read
I had to watch
all those stories
famous or not
dead or alive
a person’s life story
the book I have to read
the movie I have to watch
there is no choice
there never was
TL
Child of Circumstance
just read
his story
in the Times
saw his sad face
there
an orphan boy
left in Myanmar
he missed the boat
to Malaysia
the one that carried
his mother away
along with
his three brothers and sister
his mind understands
what his heart cannot
TL
Soundcheck
before the
seats are filled
to capacity
the cups and candy
what he’ll wear
out there
hat or no
which cologne
shaved or unshaved
boots or blades
in the details
the dust
cranks it up
perfect pitch
nobody but the band
the strings
the sticks
him at the mic
slow dancing
to “the taste
of strawberry wine …”
TL
Rachel Platten
Pandora streamed
your song
VEVO played
your video
Spotify plugged it
online
and radio went
round after round
and knocked it OUT
cold
TL
Inward Eye
on a highway
headed somewhere
out there
the world in a win
dow
and you see it
in a shutter
the mind frames
some images stay
with you
others fade
away
and it could be
breathtaking
but you missed it
‘cause your mind
hasn’t moved
past the first
frame
TL
These Days
their boy
has an arm
a MLB arm
and even when
they can’t agree
on the sun or the moon
or the stars
they agree
on that
their boy
has an arm
a MLB arm
TL
Little Things
took a hankie
outta the drawer
the one I never use
but love
‘cause there’s a cherry blossom
hand-stitched in the corner of it
and even though I never use it
I knew I’d need it
and when it was over
the careful folds were gone
soaked through and through
into a wet, wadded ball
we got in the car
and I was glad I decided to ride with her
over there
instead of going alone
like I’d planned
and after I got home
I realized I’d left the hankie in her car
along with my umbrella
the next day
I found a zip-lock with my umbrella and hankie in it
she’d washed it good as new
dried the tears
and folded it back in place
with the cherry blossom facing up
TL
“Peter Pan”
decked out
in nautical trunks
his goggles
suctioned to his head
this pint-size pirate
was unafraid
to walk the plank
he’d stand
at the edge
and clap his hands together
prayerlike
and raise them up
arrowed over his head
not out like Superman
once his form
was just right
he’d plop on in
and go
and do it
all over again
TL
“The Bell Still Rings”
driving along
and somehow
we got on
the subject of Santa
“has anyone ever seen Santa,
i mean has anyone ever seen him
put the presents under the tree …”
“I don’t know”
“do you think this year
i could maybe set up my ipad
to record … i just want to see him …”
“no, that’s illegal”
“why is it illegal”
“it just is”
“so, if nobody’s ever seen him put the presents under the tree …
then how do we know what he looks like …
how do we know he wears red and has a white beard …”
“well, in the olden days there must have been some sightings …
like Bigfoot … we wouldn’t know what Bigfoot looks like
if people hadn’t seen him; we wouldn’t know how hairy he is …”
“oh yeah, Bigfoot …”
“now, remember what I told you about Santa
and how when children reach a certain age,
he lets the parents take over for him so he can
share the magic of Christmas with all the little kids who need him …”
“what age do you think that will be for me, how old were you …”
“well, I think I was around 9 or 10 or so …”
“at school, somebody told Alex that Santa wasn’t real.
That’s all he talked about after that, and he asked me what i thought.
i told him, ‘duh, of course Santa’s real.’ Alex loves Santa as much as i do.”
“well, you know that some people don’t believe in Santa, and that’s ok.
We all have different beliefs. Some never believe, and some always will.
Teenagers and adults, sometimes, forget how it was with Santa when they were little.”
“i won’t forget …”
“I know. I know you won’t forget …”
TL