View
cold like snow
and the vultures
come calling
round the
dead deer
on the side
of the road
and tiny
sees only
a bunch
of black birds
and wishes
she had
her camera
to take
their picture
TL
Poetry
View
cold like snow
and the vultures
come calling
round the
dead deer
on the side
of the road
and tiny
sees only
a bunch
of black birds
and wishes
she had
her camera
to take
their picture
TL
Memory
before she
knows
what love is
she colors it
red
before she
writes
a sentence
she scribbles
an EKG line
before she
says
a word
she’s taking in
the rays
how a raindrop
f
a
l
l
s
what the wind
can do
where snowflakes
go
how a candle
burns
how after a wish
the smoke
drifts
TL
Newborn
there were
two doves
cooing
in the backyard
that day
and we watched them
peck the ground
without a sound
as we swayed
side-to-side
like a tree
rocking
in the wind
TL
Sightseeing
the year’s
almost out
men and women
still in the field
somewhere
or in their homes
grieving for the loss
of something or someone
or on the street
looking for food
for shelter
for somebody
to see ‘em
someday
or filing papers
and fighting over custody
and everything else
or removed from their house
and taken somewhere
else
or losing their minds
their memory
their name
or standing in line
at a store
bagging presents
without purpose
or sitting in traffic
with the music on
with the music off
or reading a book
turning blank pages
or clicking on the tube
watching re-runs
or in the hospital
in the bed
out of the bed
or in the classroom
in the desk
at the front
at the back
or in the cube
surfing the net
eye on 5
or in the factory
punching cards
in and out
shifting gears
year to year
or behind bars
chained to their shame
or in court
handing down a sentence
for life
or in a fast-food joint
trying to stay sane
at the window
or behind a counter
scanning cans
living for a break
or at the liquor store
brown bag lunch
or at the register
taking a carton down
stick relief
from what
or living with a diagnosis
cure
no cure
or trying to stay awake
in the rig
or sorting mail
picking up packages
putting them down
or at the switchboard
red light
green light
or in a dorm
and nothing matters
but passing
or in the park
sitting on a bench
with nothing to say
or grazing at the frig
trying to fill
some empty place
or sweating to the beat
trying to
stay young
or hooked on a feeling
meth, crack, weed
or wasting away
this
this very day
the year’s
almost out
TL
Little Light
like when
children sing
that kind
of goodness
and the bells do ring
and the street is empty
and the church is full
and the lights aglow
a Kinkade canvas
in the snow
and nobody’s hungry
or hurting
underneath the wreath
of a Christmas star
TL
“To Thine …”
suppose
that some
would never
face
themselves
in the mirror
far easier
to pretend
to lie and deceive
to not know what
you believe
for fear of losing
face
who you think
you are
but what is fear
but a room
you put yourself in
would that you want
to turn the key
and walk
on out the door
free
TL
The Garden
for umpteen years
Farmer Green
walked the rows
pickin’ out the weeds
so the good would grow
scheduled sprinklers
timed just right
then how the seeds
would sow
and fill the field
to die
and come back
again
that’s how
the wild flower
grew
it shown its face
one morn
to the waking sun
and caught
the farmer’s eye
and by and by
he delighted
in its budding
brilliance
so removed
this floral was
from the perfect patch
he knew
the one
just up the hill
he kept
behind a pristine
picket fence
to keep
the rabid rabbits out
and the red, red roses in
he tried
to do the same
to this foreign flower
for it had become
his heart’s desire
but the fence
he built
could not
withstand
the wind
or the will
of a single
stem
to die
and come back
again
TL
Aged
people with their faces
barren they come
barren they go
like a night
without stars
the clouds took
when once
not a patch
of shadow
did show
and full
was the face
that shone
a harvest moon
TL
Rapunzel
and after
all the time
gone by
the king
and queen
had lived
to see
the day
of dreams
soon as they
opened the door
and saw her
standing there
and it was really her
… it was really them
TL
Adieu
in a warm wind
wet with rain
days drifted
piled back
like fallen leaves
and skeleton trees
December
on the tongue
bittersweet
TL
Disappear
on the way
to the big box store
we passed a cemetery
where they welcomed
someone new
the tent was raised
in surrender
the chairs aligned
like pews
the crews waiting
in the shadows
with their shovels
ever ready
and the flowers, too,
are dying
where they lay
like the one
left standing there
that cold, cold day
TL
Wonder
and the parade
goes by
and you see it
only in small eyes
like a speck of glitter
you walked across
out the door
into the day
that stopped tiny
in her tracks
as she bent
and tipped it back
off the ground
over her head
“look, look, look,
look what I found …”
and for a moment
the sun kissed it
before the wind
hugged it
and took it
higher
TL
Tall Trees
cut for consumption
they fall in fields
tagged and taken to market
and put on display
for the Christmas crazed
who would pull its branches
whiff its woodsy scent
and reject any imperfection
before strapping one on
and taking it across town
and dragging it through the threshold
and forcing it to stand
like a girl plucked from obscurity
and put on the runways of Milan
her body, her face, her spirit
already beautiful
before hair and makeup
and couture
her natural grace
all but replaced
in the glare
of flashing bulbs
and tinsel towns
TL
Gesture
there was
a hush
that fell
like snow
soft and silent
and somber
like a prayer
you never share
like the sorrow
of losing
that which
you were
for the sake
of time
and place
and purpose
in that
you forget
how it is
to be
taken aback
by the smallest
of thought
carried out
through centuries
of suffering
that would bring
with it
such salve
to an otherwise
wounded world
for which Love
could indeed
be the cure
TL
Where
does anyone
know
where the water went
where the dog buried his bone
where the people go after it’s over
where the story goes after it’s written
where the watch went after it stopped ticking
where the pool goes after it’s drained and buried
where the song ends after the singer begins
where the house stands after life has left
where the stuff’s taken after nobody wants it
where the voices fall when the ears are small
where the dishes were served
where the dishes were stored
where the dreams went
when the dreams
were ignored
TL
Realism
a kind face
in the crowd
an eye
of understanding
the joy of being
in a candy store
the blessing
of a book
the walk
away
the quiet
of no thought
the Paris
within
the simple
truth
the moment
not past
the turn in
to get out
TL
Military Man
he’s a photo
on the wall
a letter
in the box
a sigh
before sleep
a wonder where …
a day, a week, a year
sworn to serve
mum the mission
and it’s hot
then cold
clear then cloudy
clay then muddy
and time
goes on
the road is long
a long way
from home
TL
Here and Gone
and the siren’s singing
before daylight
medics on the scene
searching for a pulse
dead on arrival
fight the line
no revival
the human
heads to the family
and puts on the Doc face
and finishes rounds
and heads out the door
and sits in the car
however long
then heads home
and puts on the parent face
TL
Date Night
in a kettle
of fire
branches burned
fallen forms
smoldered
into one
TL
Reflection
it’s different
the world
you had
in your head
when you were
spoon-fed
once you hold
your own menu
pay that first
ticket, that first tip
the table
starts turning
tilting and twisting
and you’re
walking around
dizzy and dazed
just want to lie down
and sleep and wake up again
thousand tables whirling
get up, sit down, get up, sit down
in the blur, there’s a man
just standing there
and you can tell
he’s got tokens plenty
but he’s not using any
just walks away
in your head
TL