Compass
this road
I’d never taken
has become
“The Beaten Path”
where leaves have left
tall trees
and rain has fell
from gray
and rays have followed days
opening a year
that on the first
well was …
the amputation
parents know
the limb of letting go
merely a warm-up
for the stretch
and there are plenty ahead
and plenty behind
and plenty who have
crossed that finish line
and winded there
they are
at a crossroads
“The Beaten Path”
behind
three roads
ahead
TL
Well Then
should you
have to ask
and ask again
and wonder
why and when
no not
a friend
TL
Bouquet
weeks of
no wind
not a hint
of sway
so it seemed
that day
tossed the mold away
and returned the plant
then long I’d sit
and see it
like a facing window
framed it
and when night fell
fast asleep
the gust
a distant hum
muffled in the mildew
of the mind
then the sun
shown the splattered paint
damage done
TL
In Limbo
her husband
had somewhere to be
her kids, too
so she’s standing there
fidgeting
can’t feel her feet
no one to follow
forgot how to lead
how to walk into a room
and it be enough
she used to dress up
for no particular reason
but pretty
pearls and perfume
heels and hose
lipstick and polish
but that was ago
now she hasn’t
the time
nor the inclination
or form to fit
or will to want
and it happened to her
on an ordinary day
much like today
when she wasn’t looking
like how her kids grew
her husband, too
how sixteen
handed her a senior discount
she didn’t ask for
how her teenage daughter
slammed out the door
how her husband ignored
and in the thicket
she gets a call
at 3 a.m.
her daddy’s dead
and her mama
hasn’t a clue
and it’s all she can do
to pray
and in the blur
she’s faced with it
like that photo somebody took
and made her look at
and the choice
is hers
get up or sit down
TL
Divine
cut Gardenia
to bottle
the scent
like Lilly
of the Valley
its fragrance
leaves none
to turn
decades down
the line
the power
of its beauty
subtle and sublime
lingers there
in the memory
of the mind
that first time
TL
Full Bloom
the bulb
glowed
by her door
chandelier of yellow shade
much too small to read by
but big enough to see the print
beyond the day
she buried it
no promises of bloom
or a season chair to sit
dark it lay beneath the bed
sleeping ever sound
not even her steps would rouse
nor the vibration of her voice
calling for him
and in the daily dish
and market fare
and Sunday sermons
who, what, where
the bulb but memory
distant as a child
grown and gone
and widowed there
she waited
not for promises of bloom
or a season chair to sit
late of day, long of night
her vase already full
by the door she stood
no sound she made
yet he heard her
calling for him
TL
Graduate
her in her
red footie pajamas
stomping around
Thing 1 and Thing 2
her with the hose
watering everything but the flowers
her in the shower watching the water
f
a
l
l
her with her laughter
her with her tears
her with her arms
and she’s holding me
too tight
not tight enough
and we’re crunching Doritos
sipping ginger ale
pretending we can fly
and she’s wild
and wonderful
and way too smart
to be hanging out with me
this little girl next door
who stayed in the country
waving me down
begging me not to move to town
and I thought about this
as she sat there
tables away
brink of 18
‘bout to walk
out into the world
and I’m waving her down
but she’s already gone
and grown up
her in her heels
cap and gown
TL
James Durbin
got busy
and too sure
of TiVo
but TiVo’s
a machine
that gobbled up
another show
so didn’t know
‘til this morn
pick didn’t make it
the screamer
who could sing
the rocker
who could croon
the guy
who could cry
didn’t make it
stead he got chewed
spit out
and left
but won’t
stay there long
his wife
won’t let him
neither his songs
all those songs
inside
gotta get out
gotta go somewhere
take them there
TL
Thoughts
random really
flat tire
got fixed
two pedestrian pigeons
took their time
the hydrangea
could use a drink
Ali could use an A
Paris picture on my desk
unframed
line of weed eaters
in the ditch
all the books
someone else will read
the pasta sauce
turned out
pain in my heel
still throbs
school’s almost out
high school graduation
already
wasn’t she three
he’s home
the boy Marine
L’Oreal commercial
“am I worth it”
paw’s sitting on the swing
but not swinging
she gave me a card
that cried
dog needs a diet
boxes by the door
old song new
Rocky re-run
it’s almost 11:40
TL
Patience
there’s this guy
this morning
standing on an island
like a palm tree
and he seems in no hurry
at all
unlike the rushing waves
that surround him
on all sides
and as the boats wheel by
he finds the morning ray
and seems settled somehow
content even
like he knows
eventually
the sea will still
that boats make port
that a draw bridge will lower
in time
and he’ll walk across
be on his way
TL
Re-Invent
she’s walking
around the house
in and out of rooms
picking up things
putting them down
and the quiet’s too loud
so she switches the tube
to a cooking channel
but there’s too much food
for them, for two
used to never be enough
empty cartons in the frig
crumb of cereal in the box
ham but no bread
bread but no ham
and the dog was fat
like the laundry
and there was always
somewhere to be
and then there wasn’t
and she thought she’d be relieved
but she wasn’t
all this time
was left
and she hadn’t a clue
what to do with it
she’s walking
around the house
in and out of rooms
picking up things
putting them down
and the quiet’s too loud
TL
Restoreth
sit at a desk
year after year
file down a hall
open and close
grab your gear
laugh for lunch
fill in bubbles
No. 2 pencil
A
B
C
D
all of the above
pick something
or it picks you
go to college
or go to work
define yourself by either
or define yourself by neither
position and person
not quite
not in the end
it’s the work within
a separate peace
past your past
beyond your present
rain nor shine
a body broken
heart and mind
the well within
an eternal spring
TL
Mermaid
an hourglass
in Siberia
broke
and she held
out her hands
and returned it
to the deep
and went to sleep
and while she slept
the sand and sea
went to work
and when she woke
there were pearls in a circle
and shells on the line
and she picked one up
and held it to her ear
and said, “Hello”
and the ocean
answered
TL
Princess Diana
her son
married today
her second
by his side
her beloved boys
now men
continue on their way
and she is there
as she has always been
keeping them strong
and full of grace
her peaceful presence
their answered prayer
she is there
TL
Best Time
they’re all grown
the boy, the girl
the girl, the boy
the ones who ran
up and down the hill
like Jack and Jill
blowing bubbles
round and round
like “duck, duck, GOOSE”
counting stars
and falling bridges
cartwheels-Hot Wheels
they knew the secret
and never told
they heard the bell
and picked the apples
they climbed the trees
and jumped the rope
they skipped the rocks
and wrote with sticks
they sailed around the world
asleep in their bottom boat
they saved the rain
the bug, the frog
they rolled like barrels
swam like dogs
fell off their bike
got up and laughed
drew a sword
and saved the day
ate on the run
Cowboys and Indians
Demi-Plie
and nothing was ever as good
‘til the boy, the girl
the girl, the boy
came back
to play
TL
Matte
there’s a box
of black and whites
in the corner shop
dimes a dozen
proof they were here
and there were children, too
small versions
of the same print
dead of disease
lack of
such and such
and so forth
and so on
and so well
would that you
frame them all
and give them
something to say
TL
Timing
they traveled
the same road
trying to get to the other side
both made it to the middle
where one remained
seeped into the cement
the other lifted
and carried to the wheat
both had it hard
out there
in the wild
their number called up
too many times
grazed but missed
they made it
past their parents
found some hole
and buried themselves
when it was cold
found a full tree
when it was hot
and when the sky
withheld the rain
they dug for drops
hunkered in the ditch
waiting for an opening
to crawl through
they traveled
the same road
trying to get to the other side
both made it to the middle
where one remained
seeped into the cement
the other lifted
and carried to the wheat
TL
Beautiful
when they were
little girls
all their dolls
looked the same
like Cinderella
and Ken was always in love
with Barbie
for she was the ideal
and girls around the world
wanted that
and would shut their door
and bleach their black hair
and turn their brown eyes blue
and this was happening
around the world
in the house next door
across the street
and you wonder where they went
all those girls
and do they still love Cinderella
do they feel good enough
for Ken
TL
Sunrise
the streets
are clear of cars
the fountain
in the square
is churning out a cloud
of cotton candy
where children were
just yesterday
just last year
and the bunny’s in the back
waiting for her to wake up
and the fog is hovering
over Rosemere
like steam
off a coffee pot
and the guy
on the bicycle
has no teeth
and the woman running
has no makeup
and the lady with her bag
doesn’t need any
and the guy sitting outside his can
is puffing his own cloud
and the blades of grass
are growing
there at Garden Hills
where the living and the dead
are gathered
and spread
TL
“No Girls Allowed!”
wonder what
men say
when they’re away
from the wheel
leaned over the bed
of a Tonka truck
boot on the back bumper
spitting over their shoulder
laughing like teenagers
just turned 16
kings of the court
baseball braves
football phenoms
rock star waves
comedian crazed
wonder what
men say
do they whine like women
gossip like grandmas
argue like lawyers
curse like sailors
what is it
they’re trying to convey
as they talk and talk and talk
gasping for breath
punching at wind
recalling where all they’ve been
who, what, when
this universal thing
that draws men in
and keeps ‘em fountain fresh
TL