On Repeat
some songs
are pure poetry
put to music
like That
Lucky Old Sun
composed by John Beasley Smith
and written by Haven Gillespie
in 1949
and in 2008
Kenny Chesney
and Willie Nelson
came along
with their mastery of music
and made it their own
yeah, I could listen to it
for the rest of my days
TL
The Past
When I left
I shut the door
Behind me
And went back
With bolts and locks
Three times
Just to be sure
And went back
With planks of plywood
Just to be sure
And went back
With sheets of drywall
Just to be sure
And went back
With a cement truck
Just to be sure
‘til I was satisfied
And sure
That nothing could ever
Or would ever
Get back
Through
That door
And winters went by
Summers and springs
And falls
And you wake up
One day
And realize
The only way
To shut that door
Behind you
Is to walk back
Through it
Barefoot
TL
Shade
inside
every woman
is still
a little girl
sitting in the summer
sand
crying out to the ocean
for someone to please
come along
and pick her up
and tote her
to a giant umbrella
TL
For My Daughter
on the eve
of summer
the 13th year
at a morning
stoplight
saw a small
parachute tree
upright
its leaves fresh
green
one day
it’ll take off
without a sound
to where the rain falls
before it hits
the ground
and I wonder if
it will remember
the smell of grass
in the spring
what it felt like
all those wings
fluttering
ladybugs and fireflies and butterflies
how they just appeared
then disappeared
like a hummingbird
at the window
that wouldn’t wait
for a picture
TL
The Masters 2019
woke up
this morning
and rolled out of bed
and walked to the kitchen counter
and picked up a permanent marker
and wrote on a sticky note:
Tiger Woods
5th Masters Win!
TL
Dear Dad,
i was standing
in the kitchen
just a minute ago
putting dishes away
and the thought of you
drops out of my eyes
it’s been 26 years
why does it still hurt
i say out loud
as if you were there
in the kitchen
with me
and silently i answer
‘cause out of all the worsts
it was the worst thing
i’ve been on edge
lately
i get this way
around this time
of year
you know
i wish i could go sit in the sand
and stare out into the ocean
there’s something about the sea
that’s soothing
like all the tears are in one place
shimmering in the sun
and pathless by the moon
i roll away
TL
Sand Castle
what of love
hard to know
when i was young, i knew
but time is tricky
and reveals a fool
who knew not
of love at all
for fairy tales are foolish
where is the happy in an ending
magic dust
turns to sand
castles at the bottom of the sea
still I build
knowing what I know
for love is
a fortress
for however long
and I will live there
water and all
TL