Falling
they took a walk
and the road
never gave out
and they talked and talked
and it was better
than talking to the wall
or to the dog
or to the stranger
or to the mirror
or to the operator
or to the headstone
or to the neighbor
or to the ticket taker
or to the “man in the moon”
or to the “woman in the shoe”
or to catmando
yes, it was far better
than talking
to the
nothing
to the
nobody
to the
nohow
to the
noway
to the
maybe
to the
if
to everything
up until
this
TL
Choice
which is worse
the afflicted pain
or the self-inflicted kind
all I know
there’s too much
of both
from here to there
folks I know
those I never will
was there a choice
for them
if so
why pain
why choose it
then multiply it
why
when there’s gold
in the meadows
glory in the hills
grace in the willows
why
when there’s a song to be sung
babies that need love
children that need
all of the above
why
when there’s still time
soil underfoot
and the road still bends
why then
TL
Annie
across the street
the carousel was calling
and my kid heard
laid down a $20
and bought some memories
and then some
the woman standing next to me,
a grandmother watching her granddaughter,
she tells me that Annie’s 6
and how happy she is to see her laughing
she could have stopped there
and said, “have a good day …”
but didn’t
Annie had a baby brother
but that was three years ago
it was a hot day
too hot to be left in a car
for that long
the on-duty officer turned the grandfather away
and then threw up
the mother, drugged out of her mind, had forgotten
her baby
now, she’s serving time
and her daughter, Annie, is growing up
without a mother, without a brother
she’s got her dad, but not really
her grandparents are the ones
who take her to town
to ride the carousel
TL
“Leap of Faith”
she’s talking
about 14 kids
her kids
how she was 10
when she gave birth
that first time
hard to stomach
but there were no lies
in those eyes
those sad, sad eyes
now turned inward
facing incurable cancer
said she refused to take chemo again
so she spends the last of it
in a corner shop
taking tourist’s pictures
in Tennessee
$12 an hour
three years she’s been there
her husband’s been dead that long
esophageal cancer took 25
she lights a cigarette
and takes a drag
and rolls up her sleeves
and reveals her strength
frog tattoos
“do you know what F.R.O.G. stands for?”
shake my head, “no”
“Fully Rely On God”
TL
Early October
the trees
of Tennessee
were lit
… a welcome warmth
to the wayward traveler
who, in quiet desperation, left
the wires hanging
the boxes muted
turning down a two-lane
blaze of gold, crimson cast, orange peel
dripping wax down the sticks
puddles mixed in a slate dish
cool to the touch
a rain of ash
pouring down
that mirrored mountain
steeped in running rivers
and piping hot
a chimney cup
topped in
heavy cream
and dusted off
with cinnamon
TL
Millisecond
hummingbird
at her window
peeking in
zoom she went
grabbed her camera
off the counter
and flew back
to her room
hummingbird
was faster
TL
“Mirror, Mirror”
the king, the queen, the commoner
the legend, the lover, the loser
the matriarch, the minister, the mockers
the priest, the pirate, the pauper
TL
Aunt Cindy
she was
the younger sister
the golden child
always a lady
she married young
and had a son
and ended up
raising him alone
she was good
with numbers
and made a life
her mother came to visit
and never left
and there she was
young and beautiful
caring for her baby and mother
took its toll
weighed down on a small frame
heavyset and puffing
no one to turn to
so, she turned to food and retail highs
and as the years drew by
she found God
and cancer found her
and gave her back a small frame
she had no funeral
ended up in ashes
her soul finally free
to go home
TL
Retired
they don’t sleep
at night
they don’t wake up
in the morning
in late afternoon
they shuffle
there’s nothing
new in the paper
or on the tube
they’ve lived it
there’s nothing in the store
they’ve bought it
there’s no need for pills
they’re used to it
to this ache that never wanes
inside their shells
they’ve only just met
at the dime drugstore
and shared a milkshake
and held hands
and traded rings
and bought a house
and found the bedroom
their favorite room
and babies were born
and work was work
and children grew up
and they grew old
and the pilot light went out
and the night drew long
the wait unbearable
and they can’t even scream
they’re too tired to talk
they don’t sleep
at night
they don’t wake up
in the morning
in late afternoon
they shuffle
TL
Candles Burn
number’s changing
on the wall
level now
gone
the distance
half past
mirror down
fingers thawed
things as they are
under the tree
that prayer I prayed
answered in a different way
everything to live for
disbelief in all things good
believe the bad
the cruel, the custom-made
that comes a knocking
at your door
without a coat
of camouflage
muddy boots
and tracks
it’s the new
the squeaky clean
the polished patent leather
that’s got me shaking
parade of style
mask of power
steel toe
bolt the door
hush, don’t cry
barefoot in the corner
under the tree
TL
Midnight
three steps back
for every one
circle the floor
look up
at the chandelier
hear the strings
the ivory keys
was that my heart
somebody’s blocking
the door
it’s getting late
gotta go home
sometime
the gown’s too heavy
the slipper’s too tight
the expectation too much
there are no white knights
that was just a story to tell
but you can’t budge
the woman at the window
she’ll grow old there
like Mrs. Havisham
so, here’s a cup of tea
with honey
and here’s your song
hear the strings
the ivory keys
now, where was I …
TL
Funerals
nevertheless
she showed up
dress and heels
string of pearls
commandeered
an empty pew
way in the back
and found a spot
on the floor
and stared at it
it got her through
the appointed speakers
the poster prayer
the clammy hands
and out the door
to the blinding sun
and long, low shadows
to where the grass grows
and each crack in the sidewalk
draws you closer to your car
get in and shut the door
and take a breath
and turn the key
and drive away
wipers swishing
TL
Common Sense
the fly
found the fruit
pick up the magic wand
and he disappears
his radar ripe
in practiced flight
he’s gone to Kalamazoo
but he’ll be back
he always comes back
when I’m gone
TL
Bravo
there’s a small bird
that sings
in this tree
outside my door
and it’s still dark
with the moon about
but this bird doesn’t know
the difference
tweet, tweet, tweet
and the sun must have heard
spotlight’s on the bird
it draws a second wind
TWEET, TWEET, TWEET
TL
Peaks and Valleys
could feel
the static
slight turn
smile waiting
familiar
but can’t place it
fumble for words
for he knows me right off
but I can’t quite
and it’s a game
gives up a point
and tells me
of course
now, I know
and it’s good
to see him
to hear his voice
his laugh
and know he made it out
should have said as much
but there was an audience
so we reached
for the weather
and football
and “have a good day”
and watched him
walk away
back to life
TL
Understood
you bore me
but I never say that
just nod
and inject, “Oh, yeah …”
they never notice
trailed away are they
some blessed distraction
and gone I go
to the books I know,
and they know me
from long ago
the girl I was
turn the page
and there I am
in the apple orchards
of Avalon
TL
Golden Years
they don’t talk
anymore
they don’t laugh
or yell
they don’t touch
or dance
they’re married
too long
they have separate
corners
they eat standing up
get even, sitting down
they’ve aged
early
they’ve stayed
late
they’re dead
on their feet
TL
Excavation
never saw her
again
the way she was
back then
never saw him
again
the way he was
back then
but the choices
were never mine to make
the heart doesn’t care
what you think or say
it goes its own way
through the dark forest
into the cave
over the bridge
across the desert
and into the sea
least I tried
got on the boat
and never bailed
went down with the ship
lungs burning
guns blazing
but love wasn’t done
hadn’t taken enough
so it drank the ocean
and ate all the trees
’til all was left
was summer sand
and a hand to dig
for water
TL
Fireflies
these are the days
marking the wall
the pinnacle place
sizing shoes
something new
a lighter hue
the songs you sing
and there’s the moon
and there’s the sun
and there’s the bug
where’d it go
can we keep it
and there’s the wrapper
I didn’t eat it
it must have been a ghooooost
or sooooomething, you know,
like that bad old, bad old, troll
oh, all right, all right, I ate it
and there’s the mud
and there’s the water
and there’s a butterfly
and there’s a bee
and there’s a frog
and there’s a fly
see that spider
watch that worm
is that a cricket
catch that caterpillar
did you see that
there it is
do you see it
right there
do you see it
did you see it
turn your head
now, do you see it
do you see it
yes, I see it …
I see it
TL
Car Wash
there’s a waterfall
hidden in this hole
in the wall
and for a few bucks
you can watch it fall
crash and cascade
like the rush of a wave
then drizzle and drip
“calm before the storm”
rumble of rain in the belly
bubbles blinking
then smack
goes the blue wax,
flecks of green and purple pigment
like seaweed swimming
feel like a fish
in a tank
nose against
the glass
TL