Dad
Sad you see
Wished it’d been me
Never felt the rain
For all the pain
River wide
Closed my eyes
Sent up a prayer
Like a beggar
On the street
Stood up
As you went by
Sat down
And said,
“Goodbye”
Laid down
In a field of stone
And dug
A trench
To put the tears
17 years
Underground
And still
I wait
For a single
sound
TL
Fountain of Youth
Hands on the wheel
Never meant to turn that way
Straight ahead was the plan
So why all this desert sand
I don’t know this land
So hard, and rough, and course
Had it mapped with water all around
So, how’d I end up in this town
A child echoes back
But which direction did it come?
Four corners of the world
Somewhere the kid got lost
Must have been somewhere between the sandbox and the jungle
Or maybe it was somewhere between the sea and the sky
I don’t know
But there’s no backtracking now
The flower can’t be far
I heard it grows in the sand and doesn’t need a drink;
For the sun wakes it up and warms its center
Said to be a hardy breed that survives
The worst of weather
It can’t be far now
TL
Narrow View
The boy went by
His small face troubled
From his backseat window
I could see myself
Sitting there
Way back when
Never looking past the flash
In front of me
Wanted to honk my horn
Roll down my window
And YELL at him
“Hey, you, that’s right, you there,
Don’t look so sad
Trust me, boy, it won’t always be this bad!
The light will change, before you know it.
So, buckle up, boy, and hold on tight.
You’re gonna be all right!”
Instead
I drove ahead
TL
Yesterday
Saw a white-haired woman
Standing in the wind
She looked about
Taking it all in
Seemed she’d lost
Something
And couldn’t quite remember
When
By and by
Wondered of the woman
Standing in the wind
Why if she’d only turned
Her stare
She would have found
Her door
Was just right there
TL
Pre-School
Silently
Please don’t go
Aloud
Go have fun
Silently
Stay with me
Aloud
Go make some friends
Silently
You’re my only friend
Aloud
Go learn something new
Silently
You’re the best teacher I ever had
Aloud
I’ll pick you up soon
Silently
Now what am I going to do
Aloud
There’s nothing to be afraid of
Silently
I’m afraid of losing you
Aloud
Have a good day, I love you
Silently
Let’s just go home and wait another year
TL
Rocking Chair
There is no hint
Of weight or worry
No surface scratch or scar;
Just peek-a-boo winks
Of wear and tear
That rocks the soul
But goes nowhere;
Spit and polish,
Good as new
Few look further
Than the body
Fewer still
Past the bones
To see beneath
The angled eaves
At the bottom
Of the soles
Where the grain of wood
Is worn and weary
From too much rocking
Back
And
Forth
Joy rolled forth
Pain rocked back
And between the flurry
Lied a longing
Creaking ever more
O to be a chair, just a chair
Once more
TL
Wait Awhile
Go tell it to the moon
Don’t give your heart away
Too soon
Save it for
Someday
When time has taken
A trip around the world
And brought you back
Upside down
Hanging by a limb
Where the sun will surely shine
And cast a shadow down the line
Of the shoe
Standing there
In front of you
That fits your sole
Front to back
And side to side
Like a magic carpet ride
That sweeps you up and off your feet
To touch the stars
And toe the ocean
Roaring in the wind
Yawn the sun and wake the moon
Clear the runway
But not too soon
TL
Wishing Well
I have no doubts about my life
How it took shape and form
And why the chisel cut so close,
Without tire
As the excess dropped down;
I longed to scoop a handful up
To pocket away
But better I knew
Better still
The lesson hard
Learning and relearning
Taught by ticking time:
To let go …
Of
Youth beyond
Love old and new
Pots of gold
Color of a rose
Touch too warm, to be cold
A dusty road, concrete
Puddle of regrets,
Boxed underneath the bed
Words left unsaid
The face in the mirror
Death your own
Understanding that
In the fullness
Opening and closing
It is less, not more
That is required
To live
Well
TL