Independence Day (2009)

The day was made for celebration. 

I gather friends and family,
Grill quantities of meat,
And watch my nieces play with dogs
While I drink a semiannual beer.
I've not much appetite, 
But I sample the potato salad.
As afternoon yields to dusk
Fathers tutor eager sons
In the careful use of lighters.
Flickering in youthful faces
I see the great anticipation
Of colorful explosions
Of gunpowder and heated air,
Remembering with waning pleasure
That yearning for ignition:
But the flame will scarce outlast
The final pyrotechnic charge,
And I'll be left with visions of 
Bright flowers unfolding in the sky
That wither all too soon.

Chat (2009)

When evening's hours extend too far
And I'm in need of comfort
And I've no wish to hit a bar
For I'm too tired to flirt --
I reach out electronically
Hoping for simpatico
And easy camaraderie
With a kindred soul I know.

We tap and click and chat and joke
Giving rise to laughter
And the cheer that we provoke
Is a feeling much sought after --
It is a worldly miracle
That we employ such arts
Despite the busy, busy world
To warm two human hearts.

Guitar (2009)

How you titillate me
when I hold you by the neck
the fingers of my other hand
moving over your body
I pluck from you a voice both
plaintive and insistent
telling me there's poetry
hidden in your frets

Blessing for a Busy Woman (2009)

Find beauty in whatever path you take
Regardless of the troubles on your trail;
With faith in God, your purpose will not fail
And you'll find comfort in the friends you make.

I pray God grants from time to time to thee
Occasional pursuit of happiness,
And blessings from the people that you bless
With your firm friendship and good company.

Wallflowers (2009)

unseen
I thought
unnoticed

I saw
your face
and wondered

if I
should break
the silence

I spoke
without
expectation

you answered
how strange
intoxicating

you said
I quote
"I saw you too"

my smile
I think
will never end

Trajectories (2009)

Through the ocean of space and time
A planet swims into my sight
Moving in graceful curves through my orbit
Shining with a high albedo

I at my telescope try to define
The source of her mysterious light
Failing at science, I fly toward it
Hoping to meet and eventually know

But I, advancing in a straight line,
Keep failing to get my trajectory right
She flees from contact like she can't afford it
Feels like I barely managed "hello"

Faithful (2009)

when I met you
and we joined
I said
"God answers prayers"

now silent
to honor your choice
I pray
to know His will

by this heartache
does He mean
that I
should stay with you

or is this ache
God's signal
that I
should keep away?

understand me
either way
I mean
to be faithful

Bless Your Tears (2009)

your eyes are full of clouds today
may their waters fill your soul
until one day green shoots of joy 
spring out, and brilliant flowers grow

Senses (2009)

I never appreciated sound
until I heard your voice
how the light music in it
made me dance

I never appreciated scent
until I found your fragrance
on my coat, reminding me
of our meeting

I never appreciated sight
until I looked in your eyes
a wonderful world to have such
warm colors

I never appreciated touch
till our hands and limbs joined
resembling a pretzel how we
intertwined

I never appreciated taste
until my tongue devoured yours
how edible and how sustaining
and how, how lovely

I never thought I'd have the chance
to appreciate such beauty
nor how five senses could seem
never enough

Signs (2009)

You nodded, saying no, and I thought
how discordant your words and actions
I repeated my question slowly
as if talking to a foreigner
hoping to make myself understood
and you nodded again saying no

canting your head to one side as if
your ear hadn't caught the vibrations
I sent from my mouth to tickle them
I repeated my question more loudly
hoping to make myself heard
and you tilted your head quizzically

I could communicate by sign perhaps
(though I've tried enough of those)
or blow you some smoke signals, though
I doubt that you'd approve of that
mere lips seem so inadequate
I need an emotional Esperanto

Geometrix (2009)

when we polygons unite
line slides on smooth sensuous line
joyful marriage of two shapes
recalling Pythagoras
how I bisect your angle

Horse (2009)

striding in the grass
like a glossy demigod
wind in your mane

galloping away
content with your freedom
in joyous motion

groom with a bridle
wonders why you shy away
tossing your head

not quite ready to
take the bit between your teeth
miles yet to run

Chaste (2009)

I would regain that quiet contentment
I had when we would just hold hands
a blesséd innocent affair
the silence of fraternal communion

Lullaby (2009)

Sleep, blue bird, and drift away.
Let your heart take wing and rise;
sleep as clouds that plague by day
dissolve like mist in darkening skies.

Wind may blow and rain may fall
but drowse with peace in your good nest.
No storm shall hold you in its thrall.
Moonrise calls your soul to rest.

Dream, while faithful stars above
in preparation for sun's rise
make a new day filled with love,
a gift to open with your eyes.

Yellow Sun (2009)

Hello said I
to the yellow sun
how I'd like to
carry you with me
to have and to hold
through darkest night

My place is here
sun smiled and said
free in the sky
not held in your hand
how would the land
live without my light

How can I be sure
you'll shine for me
said I to the sun
I spread my hands
as for the land
I'm not earth's keeper

I was made to give
brightness and warmth
that's what I live for
yellow sun said
my soul is light
would you change that

Not so much change
as guarantee
that your light will
stay with me said I
come and lend your soul
and happy I'll be

Captive I'll die
and my light expire
wait and receive
my light when I arise
yellow sun said
and she smiled at me

Light's not enough
for a fearful soul
warmth is fine but
I must have control
so farewell dear sun
goodbye said I

Stones (2009)

I found joy in a poster
from an old-time movie palace,
a scene from an old romance
reproduced on rolled paper.
I wanted to share my joy
so I chose a sunny place
and spread it out for viewing,
but the edges kept curling.
No amount of force would stop it
rolling itself up.
Fine, I said, I'll use these stones
to hold my joy and keep it
always in view. But the stones
crinkled the paper and tore it,
and the edges crumbled.
Fine, I said, crumpling my joy
and pocketing the stones,
I'll keep these stones for my next joy.

Frost (2009)

Layers of loose-knit gauze cover
The ground outside my door.
I itch to walk through that soft field,
To wrap it round me like a blanket,
The sting of cold air in my lungs
As I mark my path through the snow.
The early morning's best for such a hike,
No one else's footprints to distract me.

I walk in silence through the drifts

And flatter myself to think my path

Is one less traveled, and original; 

But I'm not so clever or inventive. 

I may like to think I am the first

But many trod the path that I have taken.

Snow and time hide their paths equally. 

But I choose my path, and that's enough. 

Justification (1988)

Funny, my way of tending,
in these lines I dignify
to call them poetry, to match
this word to that in likely rhyme;
turning out this dreck, spending
countless hours in my sty
churning out another batch
of pointlessly encapsuled time;
I wonder: why the constant bending
of reality as I
perceive it, into verse? To etch
my place in history, or prime
my ego? Affirmation pending,
books, awards and kudos high:
is that what I seek, to fetch
some self-esteem from what is slime?

I think the truth lies in the lending
of emotions, which defy
the written word - to these attach
the purpose, and absolve the crime.

First Date (2009)

Asked the question,
"What would a gentleman do?"
I ignored the answer.

I Cannot Sleep (2009)

Subtle ventriloquist, you threw
your voice with its soft ring into
my hat and now I cannot keep
it out of my head.

I count instead
the number of times my name passed
your lips, how often you laughed when 
we were abed... not wretched sheep.