Parallel
a ray of light
laced through the leaves
of two sequoia trees
and somewhere between
the gift and the sea
the storm broke
momentarily
as thunder and lightning
subsided
and tornado winds
stilled
a gentle rain
fell down
like the sunlight
through the cloud
soft and hazy
TL
That I Loved You
25 years ago
today
your death
would change me
change the course of my life
and maybe I’ll never understand
the why
all I know is
you called me that night
right before
and we talked for the last time
you were just getting off work
and would be home any minute
that’s the thing about minutes
they never stop ticking
you can fall in love
and get married
and you can find yourself
a l o n e
pacing the floor at night
‘cause he’s late coming home
waiting is the worst
10 years can go by
and you become somebody’s mom
and you realize
this beautiful baby
has the power
to break you
like nothing else
could
and the minutes keep ticking
for all of your life
the minutes keep ticking
you can live through the hardest times
and accept what you’re afraid of
understand what’s out of your hands
that pacing the floor is part of it
part of loving someone so much
is the part I struggle to find
how to let them go
knowing what I know
some of us get to grow old
and some of us
do not
the whole of life
is in this moment
would that I never forget
in the dark of night
the lonely hour
pacing the floor
waiting …
would that I never forget
TL
Don’t
I’m too sad
to speak
so don’t talk
daffodils don’t talk
but they say things
I’ve watched them
in a storm
and saw them
the morning after
standing
their bulbs lit
on the ground
TL
Whence
I stare
at water
the way it moves
or doesn’t
but can
like liquid in a kettle
or a bath
I stare
at fire
the way it starts off
like a blink
on a cake
and ends up spitting out sparks
grilling trees
into char
one section at a time
‘til there’s nothing left
but ash
I stare
at clouds
until they make sense
and then pull apart
like cotton candy
at a fair
sometimes they just sit there
like a marshmallow in hot chocolate
slowly melding
I stare
at snow
how it covers everything it touches
then disappears
like the rain
I stare
at the wind
even though I can’t see it
I feel it
running through my hair
or barely breathing
against my cheek
it can make a Monarch butterfly
miss its flight
to Mexico
and carry a kid’s balloon
so far off
it becomes
a tear
falling
from Heaven
TL
Faith
a packet
of seeds
and some
soil
TL
Kane Brown
man
I love your sound
heard you in my sleep
music moving through my mind
a gift given
in your darkest hour
when you had nothing …
you had everything
put your pain on the page
and lifted it
stadium high
love ‘em all
the whole album
Cold Spot
Better Place
Learning
but track 13
I mean
c’mon
the melody
is everything
TL
Resilient
a tree
can stand
so strong
and steady
for a thousand years
its bark
once soft
with scratches
the branches bending
in leafy green
transforms
in time
the elements rewind
fire and rain
do damage
a relentless wind
rips off every leaf
a brush of lightning
a trail of termites
an axe at the back
takes its toll
seasons shed
ice over
thaw in spring
new growth appears
like butterflies
and bumblebees
and chainsaws
and even thousand-year-old trees
can fall
slam to the ground
in seismic vibration
a tree no more
becomes instead
timber
lumber
firewood
furniture
or framing
hardwood flooring
a door
a boat to float away in
statues
baseball bats
bow and arrow
skis
hockey sticks
a coffin
or simply a sheet
of paper
to write on
draw on
or fold
into
origami
chains
and airplanes
for nothing
ever does
remain
the same
TL
As Time Goes By
for the rest
of their time
on earth
they will wait
as day folds into night
and night folds into day
and the seasons become one
they will wait
they will never stop waiting
no matter where they go
or what they do
or what happens
or doesn’t happen
they will be there
waiting …
for their children
to come home
from school
TL
sparrows
the birds on
Butcher Row
just wanna be fed
off the crumbs
you don’t eat
their dreams are trees
the branch closest to the sun
is the warmest one
and when it rains
as it does
there’s something to drink
a puddle for bathing
the flight dries the feathers
and the view at the top
is not
just for an Eagle
or an Owl
or an Angel
TL
In the Window
there were
stars
reflected on black windows
mirrors that see
across the street
nobody lives there anymore
they turned off the electricity
and shut the door
their mail sent to the North Pole
what would they have wanted
you don’t actually see the wind blowing
only what’s in the way
across the street
is a restaurant
where people go to eat
and say things out loud
and when there’s nothing to say
there’s music
songs on rotation
the clang of cleanup
chairs scraping the floor
ice hitting bottom
you can think so loud it shows
so many things you never say
or said
everybody dies
but not everybody
lives
TL
Therein
we are
complex creatures
that seek simplicity
in the profoundness
of place
where we are
at the age we are
on the sliding scale
they say the world is round
circular
maybe unending
we all begin again
I am a student
as I have always been
and will be
TL
The Guy in Gray
warmer than
it was
yesterday
the sidewalks converge
walkers
strollers
pets
bikers
joggers
and the guy in gray
looks new
his eyes downcast
he’s jogging
and it’s hard when you’re heavy
especially uphill
before 8 a.m.
but what he doesn’t know
is the effect
people watch people
in a split second
the mind sees
motivation
motivation in action
and files it
for later
TL
By the Dozen
a vase
of white roses
slowly die
by day
not a natural death
cut short
and hauled down the highway
to the market
for sale
gone is the sun
the wind
rain
four walls
without grass or leaves
bought for their beauty
beheld
a sentiment, a gesture
a notion long held
the boy at the door
the lover in love
the married man
roses require
no sonnets
or dragons slain
cut and dried
pick a color
any color
TL
The Sea at Night
the light
changes
from red
behind a lone rig
we crawl
and it feels like a train
slow moving
reminds me of rain
gobbling on glass
I could drift
on over
and pass
buy why
I’m not in a hurry
tonight
got Olivia Mae on repeat
the moon’s looming large
and I can’t count the stars
not alone
when I’m alone
encapsulated in my car
my hand at the wheel
I could go anywhere
past the limits
find my way to the beach
take off my coat
and shoes
walk down to the edge
where the water pulls at the sand
and stand there
‘til I can’t see my toes
no more
TL
Discover
the movement
of the body
is a gift
the movement
of the mind
is a magic gift
the movement
of the spirit
is beyond
a gift
to forget this
to lose this
lose touch of this
is detrimental
to our very being
our existence
above ground
the seeker inside
must be a child
who wakes up from a nap
and is
truly awake
truly present
in the moment
missing nothing
wasting nothing
all gifts in motion
like the waves
in the sea
flowing
TL
Snow Day
there’s glitter
in the air
it shimmers
like white sand
and sparkles like the sea
stars on a cold night
the dew on grass
drops of rain on a branch
diamonds crunching
underfoot
a chandelier of icicles
overhead
a pauper is king
TL
Something Green
you don’t have
to have
a hundred acres
to be happy
you don’t even have
to have
a backyard
to be happy
dirt is free
natural and abundant
dig some up
and put some in a pot
or a container
or whatever
and put some holes
at the bottom
drain out the water
seeds or rooted plants
don’t care where
you put ‘em
whether it’s a hundred acres
or the backyard
or a single pot
something good will grow
if you water it
and put it in the sun
and hum
you’ll be happy
TL
The Unexpected
never ever really
been
a jewelry-kinda-gal
I like pearls
yes
and that’s about it
or so I thought
and I wasn’t even shopping for myself
looking for something special
for my daughter for Christmas
when my eye got caught
on something blue
it was a ring
in a simple setting
and as soon as I put it on my finger
I knew
I had to have it
but I wasn’t shopping for myself
so I stood there
like a fool
staring at it under the glass
mumbling to myself
what am I doing
I’ve never bought myself jewelry like that
but that day
something came over me
and there was no way
I was leaving
without it
and the nice lady
even wrapped it up gold
with a ribbon
as if I could wait ‘til Christmas
soon as I got in the car
I ripped it open
and put it on my finger
and sighed with relief
the color of the stone
soothing
reminds me of the sky
and blue water
it’s like having a teeny tiny pond
always on hand
TL
Vibration
the ground
is cold
so cold
to the touch
you forget it was ever
warm
maybe it’s warm below
or maybe it’s ice cold
the wind is winter
birds do not bathe in winter
breath of smoke
like a chimney in a row
a cup of coffee carried
the snow fell
like an afterthought
and then decided why not
and covered the ground
clouds on the grass
I do not walk on clouds
I swim in the sea
and bathe like a bird
the water warm with suds
toes tangled in seaweed
so much of life is left in a wake
the compass cuts four ways
just hatched turtles
have no choice
they belong in the ocean
a line in the sand
disappears
TL
Progress
on this
the new day
of the new year
what is it
that causes you
to pause
and reassess
we all have an internal list
of sorts
spoken and unspoken
acknowledged and unacknowledged
mine is long … and tedious
much of the same old same old
but there are a few things
big things
I’ve taken off the list
this year
TL