Merry-Go-Round
when we w-h-i-r-l
round-and-round-and-round
the room
spinning-faster-and-faster-and-faster
gripping-hands-tighter-and-tighter-and-tighter
the kitchen dissolves
into particles
and our laughter
pours out
and fills my cup
and all I see
is you
that beautiful face
all aglow
and the clocks
a-r-o-u-n-d the world
have a glitch
and there is no day, no night
no growing up
or old
you’re my little girl …
and I’m your mommy …
don’t let go
TL
Philippines
the hum
of the heater
ice
in the freezer
water in the faucet
whirl of the washer
the stove, the microwave, the frig
iphones, Internet, ipads
blankets on the bed
clothes hanging on hangers
soap in the showers
a clean cup and saucer
too many spoons
rooms with windows
bulbs and candles and button lights
mirrors on the wall
family photos
stacks of books
everything in reach
in order
no destruction
no despair
nothing to repair
the trees
are all standing
outside my door
leaves the only mess
milk, eggs and bread
at any hour
the hospital is open
pharmacies ready to fill
schools in session
restaurants with no wait
Christmas is in the air
turkeys in freezers
socks and shoes
cash, coin, debit
airports
banks
gas stations
newspapers
magazines
snack machines
and it’s colder
today
than yesterday
so I put on
a coat
TL
One of Opelika’s Finest
just
read your name
and blinked
‘cause it couldn’t be …
not Jerry Teel
didn’t we
just shake hands
and share a laugh
at that chamber thing
62 …
you had so much more …
left to do
and had I known then
that I’d never see you again
that I would miss your funeral
all of it
I would have
held your hand longer
and told you
how I never forgot
your patience and kindness
those late night calls after council
how you’d understand
all the questions
knew the deadline
and how tight the page
how you’d cut the fat
and sum it up
so it’d make sense somehow
how you always took the call
even when it was hard
to take it
and when I’d see ‘ya
on the street
you’d meet me
with a smile
something nice
to say
and ask me about
my kid
yeah, I remember that
you were a husband and a father
so you knew …
what mattered
TL
Papa T and Granny E
a tree fell
on his truck
and he didn’t
replace it
instead
he drives her car
but she don’t mind
at all
he’d ease himself
in it
and go to see her
taking baby steps
he’d make it
from the parking lot
to the door
down the hall
his third leg
a cane
and she’d be waiting
for him
he’d sit in the corner
and watch
her sleep
and wake up
watch her being fed
and changed
and take her medicine
and get her blood pressure
if he thought
she needed something
he’d get up
and make his way
back down the hall
and get somebody
and turn around
and head back
down the hall
and when she’d cry out
in agony
he’d say, “It’s all right Mama,
it’ll be all right …”
she was his wife, not his mother
but he always called her, Mama
‘cause that’s what the kids called her
just to hear his voice
the sound the same
would soothe her
somehow
but as the days
drew on
he could not
reach her
no more
still he tried
Sunday morning
she was gone
but he’s still
sitting there
in the corner
waiting for her
to come back
to him
TL
Meander
salmon swimming
upstream
what was a web
the tree that fell
a line of ants poisoning their queen
a dog without
a death that didn’t
a forgotten face
what was
what isn’t
the penny
the poet
the bulb
the bottle
melted snow
getting old
far away
but one life
yours
mine
theirs
TL
33
he’s standing
in the doorway
a coal miner’s son
and he’s talking about
this great big sack of potatoes
something he remembered
a moment …
his dad was there
he was there
an observer even then
he watched him carry that sack
through the door
and as children do
he followed him about
but the mines were
not for children
and the boy standing
in the doorway
was left
to wonder
if the mines were
not for men
not for a man
who could have been
with the wind
horizon high
chasing the sun
not underground
deep down
pick and shovel
who could have flown
through the clouds
not waded
through the smoke
who could have
come home
that day
and lived to see
his boy
a man
but such is life
no one knows
the bend
none but Him
TL
Wish
it rained
some
yesterday
not much
maybe a cup
or two
guess it was
the poem
or the hour
or the ache
TL
Turtles
can’t count
how many …
nor count
how many …
that timing
took
that timing
gave
shells broken
shells unbroken
down the street
and timing was
what timing is
just yesterday
when there you were
your shell unbroken
and there was I
but you’re young yet
so off to the glade you go
find some water
some damp dirt
a place to sleep
to wake up
and keep to the trail
outta the street
TL
Elevation
when we meet
strangers on the street
I beg of you
to speak
to use your words
the ones that weigh
unheard
bring it forth
this day
and I will stay
a moment more
drifting on your shore
for have I already
buckets of sand
packed and dry
and processed
dump them all
would I
heavy unto the sea
but for a grain
a single speck
that takes me
out of body
out of mind
and lifts me
where I long
to be
mid the mist
of height and width
TL
Dawson
plans …
outta the gate
gotta have a plan
in place
short-term
long-term
mid-term
gotta have a goal
something to reach
a purpose
a passion
a possibility
it’s what’s expected
ingrained in our psyche
from the time
we can sing
A-Z
there’s a plan
in place
the parent plan
to graduate
find your place
no parent in the picture
hold up the mirror
look yourself in the face
make that promise
not to break
to keep going and going and going
‘til ya get there …
to that place
pointed toward
and after so long
the day dawns
and they pat ya on the back
and give ya a title, premium parking
keys to the castle
and you’re feeling it
in every fiber
of your being
and the voice inside
is rapping
and all the lights are green
foot on the medal
so fast
the signs are spinning red
but who’s got time to read ‘em
don’t wanna be late
oh, that’s great
just great
traffic jam
must be bad
look out the pane
and the red signs aren’t spinning
and your ride ain’t moving
so you got time
to sit and read ‘em
and they all say the same
STOP
but the word seems foreign
so you honk your horn
and get on the phone
long as you’re talking
something’s moving
so ya yak and yak and yak
traffic’s backed
patience cracked
then ya hear it
that distant whine
sirens flying
red lights flashing
chopper’s circling
and your mind is moving
backward
all the way back
to when you were happy
really happy
and you look around
then you look down
and your hands are shaking
and you wonder how you got here
musta missed a turn
back there somewhere
now there’s a line
can’t turn around
later that night
you turn on the tube
watch the news
reporters at the scene
nobody made it out
and the widow’s on the street
with her head in her hands
but we had a plan …
TL
Jeff
open or close
keep seeing you …
in that
mechanical bed
should have
chosen
a different seat
why didn’t I
do that
wasn’t thinking
straight
just sat down
in the one
direct across
and it was too late
to get up
and move
suddenly the surgeon’s
in the room
telling you
the result
tumor in your head
how long
you’ve got to live
and you’re looking at me
and I’m looking at you
your brown eyes
accepting
somewhere after
the surgeon
I get up
and close the door
to the bathroom
and come back out
and go to
sit back down
but you call me over
to sit beside you
on that mechanical bed
why’d you do that
tried to be steel
but couldn’t
why are you lying there
comforting me
why aren’t you crying
or screaming
or throwing something
anything
why are you just lying there
holding my hand
I want my hand back
TL
Chesney
flipping through
the rack
looking for
Lucille
when glimpsed
your hat
white shirt
jeans
and thought
I had ‘em all
$6.99
ripped the
plastic off
and put it in
and sat there
and I don’t know
how long I sat there
’cause track 11
That Lucky Old Sun
kept lapping back
like a wave in the ocean
laid on my back
and closed my eyes
lulled in the lyric
soothed by the sound
lost in the voice
Way Down Here
TL
Saved Seat
if you
live a bit …
in sorrow
you will sit
nay you say
not I
as you
dance and dance
on by
but the stage
is just a floor
and floors
run out
of space
for spinners
wee and great
the music
makes a mask
and we wear it
for the show
behind the curtain
is the play
no one wants to know
blank marquee
no hair, no makeup
no wardrobe
just a shadow
of yourself
moves across
the floor
taking center stage
without a line
a mark, a motion
the floor feels cold
colder against the cheek
TL
Your Jennie
after almost
25 years together
you still
looked at her
and saw her …
men at 56
don’t always see
but we saw
the way
you looked at her
that Christmas Eve
how you got down
on one knee
with that ring
you bought her
how you held her close
and kissed her
and told her
how much
you loved her
how happy
you were
that night
‘cause she was
your wedded wife
but the Christmas lights
aren’t blinking
we can’t see ‘em
from the road
put up now
in a box
behind the star
and the tree
that stood
is bare
and brown
no longer round
and real
where’d Santa go
we’re not done
opening presents
yet
come back
and eat
your cookies
and drink
your milk
it’s not time
for bed
we still gotta
put the toys
together
and you’re
good at that
don’t rub your eyes
we still got time
to wrap the presents
special
so don’t fall asleep
just yet
she needs you
to stay awake
a minute more
and hold her
in your arms
and tell her
it’ll be all right
that you’re still here
beside her
holding her hand
telling her how much
you love her …
tell her that
tell her that
tonight
don’t go to bed
without telling her that
okay
all right
TL
Simplicity
why is it
the simple
why not
the discombobulated
that renders
a king
crownless
that lifts
a bare foot
groundless
and heels it
ask the
brown bird
that lit
on my sill
yesterday
that stared me down
daring me to breathe
closing in on me
his beak
tapping against
the pane
between us
then up
pops his head
triumphant
the twig
waits for
my smile
then turns
and takes off
leaving me
to be
TL
For My Daughter
want you to
remember this
for when
I’m not around
for when
the days are down
and God your only
for lest they forget
and they will forget
you mustn’t
and that’s important
you must know
who you are
in the blades of green
and in the bricks of ice
in the rainy night
and in the silent morning
you must know
who you are
and hold it
somewhere …
in your shell
family and friends
can only take you
so far
consumed as they are
the world does that
soon you will be
7
an important number
soon you will be
70
an important number
and even now
you know all
you need to know
so don’t forget
my darling, my dear
there is more to life
than what’s out there …
more than
coming and going
staying and leaving
you must look
with an inward eye
beyond
the hello
beyond
the goodbye
past the smile
the tear
and find
your 7
when you
already knew
what you need
to know
now
TL
“Blue Danube”
there were
tears
on the street
that ran
a river
down
that fell
from
his fallen face
half hers
the baby
baptized
in streams
the blessing
misting over
wept waters
carried on the wind
a white sail
speck in his eye
that ran
a river
down
and flowed
unto the sea
TL
Be
she’s standing
on the scale
still
as a tree trunk
waitin for the pointer
to tell her if she’s
gettin better
up or down
round
and round
and I wanna
tell her
to get off
that scale
and never
step back
I wanna
tell her
to keep pushin
up that hill
don’t look back
I wanna
tell her
what that scale
never will …
you’re here
you showed up
no matter what
you showed up
husband, no husband
kid, no kid
job, no job
no matter what
you showed up
and you’re here
gettin better
forget the number
on the box
and crack the code
internal
the body of being
measured by …
breathing
TL
Clover
is there
a fountain
for you
to toss
your golden
coins ….
one for
your mother
one for
your father
one for
your brother
one for
your sister
four wishes
forth
from a single stem
like Irish clover
in a distant land
like patches
edged along
a runner’s road
brings us back
way we came
TL
Brantley Gilbert
never met
and probably
never will
but I went
to see ya still
got up at the crack
parked in a field
and got on a shuttle
thinking how big
and nice it was
had almost an hour
to think that
‘til some guy gets on the bus
and gets on the speaker
and starts off with “sorry …”
something about a police escort
so we all get off
the big, nice bus
and load up
on the small, yellow bus
and I’m thinking
you better be worth it …
and there we are
sardines in a can
chillin half an hour
finally ready to move
and the driver
decides he needs breakfast
and they’re hollering,
“where’s your driver …”
and a guy in the back yells out
“he’s over there getting food,
see that big guy with the white shirt …”
so they holler for him
and he gets back on the bus
and it actually starts moving
bout 20 minutes we’re there
and pull out our paper tickets
and get ‘em scanned
and soon as I see the stage
I’m thinking
it doesn’t look ready … at all
so I ask somebody
“is Gilbert singing on that stage
or the other one”
and the guy points
to the one I’m looking at
the one that’s not ready
so I sit down on this
makeshift step
and about an hour later
I see this guy with paperwork
and a badge and a blue shirt
and I ask him
“do you know when
Brantley Gilbert is gonna sing …”
and he looks down the page
and says, “5:30 …”
and I’m thinking
“5:30 …”
so I sit back down
and bake in the oven
‘cause the guy tells me
once your ticket is scanned
you can’t leave and come back
and yes, this was my first rodeo
and no, I’m not a college kid
so aside from the police
and the paramedics
think I was the only sober soul
5:30 came and went
by that time
I’m sitting under a tent
2 other acts take the stage
first
got showered in beer
and shoved against a wire fence
‘cause the two guys on the cooler
fell off the cooler
and the guy with no shirt
wearing suspenders and a smile
keeps asking for a dance
“can’t you pretend you’re in love with me …”
8:30
there you are
in boxer form
chains banging against your leg
and I’m taking it in …
my CD singer
LIVE
and it was
worth the wait
but only got to hear
your opening number
‘cause I’m a wife and mother
and the line to the bus
was, well, another
so we waited
like cattle
and heard you sing
from far away
and it was
well
worth it
TL