climate

it's time we
quit calling it global warming
and say it like it is
global climate change

when in rome

1952 audrey hepburn and gregory peck filmed roman holiday
that was good, however
mary kate and ashley olsen's movie
when in rome , filmed in 2002
was meridith's international film debut

they shot a scene on our street, via dei cappellari
where the girls walked by
at the same time meri stuck her head out of our window
to see what was going on down there

and is clearly seen for one second in the film

she did it in one take
without a rehearsal or makeup
and they didn't even have to ask her to look out the window

when they send the first million
we'll split it with you
(you notice i've got my hand on it already)

day starts quickly

day starts quickly
without hesitation
the orange ball is up, on its way
for another loop through the heavens

i rapid shower and dress
my wet hair’s a mess
an hour swiftly passed, no more
coffee down, i’m out the door

grim riders

silent-trance bus riders
in blank, unblinking stare
look ahead, deep, slow eyed and unseeing
haunting with their faces

seated facing me was one of those
of the impermeable, inpenetrable void
not knowing
just there
set in icy stone
an uncaring, unforgiving dead grim gaze
born of fear and oppression
passed by generations
that witnessed gladiators fight to the death
sons turn cold
and heretics burn at the stake
a locked down scowl that will out wait hell
refuses happiness exists, or hope a possibility

moments before her stop
she mysteriously transported herself
from the dark ages to the modern era
having readjusted her face, she left the bus

rubbish

a ball of rubbish
the size of texas
is floating in the sea

it’s not science fiction
who’s cleaning this up?
not you, not me

the writer's life, both of them

the little woman is telling me
a writer’s life’s too narrow
sighted only on what he can see
i see it like a winged sparrow

while the powerful princess whacks away
i’ve got to write my own, you see
let’s lift our hats to the writers work
without the mcmurtrys where would we be

the saga ends all to soon
give me the great stories and actors to play
winter’s gone, it’s nearly june
be content writers know what to say

the words fly on like a wounded sparrow
as thought lines soar, rush and dart
nearly downed by the random arrow
coming to rest, so near the heart

i’ll labor on long as i am able
the ship goes down while runs the rat
i hear her say, “supper’s on the table”
now tell me, how’d she do that?

times are a changing - right now they are

friends came to roma from california
had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the colosseum

at least three or four employees spoke english
ten years ago none would have

parliment

the first saturday of the month the italian senate is open for visitors
we waited in line forty-five minutes in light rain
this former residence where the government works
is palazzo madama

built upon the ancient baths of nero
the palace was completed in 1505 for the medici family
two medici cardinals who later became popes lived here
the painter caravaggio worked and lived here for five years

the large stone structure was redone again in 1650
four stories with hundreds of rooms
the enterior is elaborate, ornately decorated in the period and splendid

both government houses meet and many have their offices here
the corridors are long, the ceilings high and ornate
impressive is the large chamber where the senate convenes
we saw it from above in the audience gallery

that chamber is on the tv news every week
it was a nice change of pace to be in the seat of the government
all we had to do was wait patiently in a light rain

talking with eagles

what i mean is
talking with egos
nearly the same, isn’t it

to review (and avoid confusion)
eggos were some artificial egg food
leggos are toys to build with
and egos are yet to be determined as to function

although i am quite sure it has
something to do with artificial intelligence

return to roma

the paris metro to charles de gaulle
packed like i’ve never seen
barely had space to stand

ibid.a.

we got on the metro
just barely cause it was packed
i don’t like to say, but it’s true

we were that old expression
packed like canned fish

it was rush hour and we were rushing
to the airport

those poor people who do it everyday
are at their limit
there are too many of us

at the airport we got in easily

ibid.b.

saw a couple of old farts
standing outside smoking
before entering the terminal
don’t they know better?
how in the hell do they
expect to live forever?

our flight was delayed
the number of people in the waiting area
was more than i’ve ever, ever seen

i went down to the restroom
entered the air france first class lounge
had a fine coffee
pocketed a set off cookies to share with meri

took off late
sat by the window and heard people ooohh
when we flew over the alps
the lady in front of me took about
eight flash photos into the sun
before she turned off the flash

i then saw the L-like where land went west to france and south to italy and roma

coming in we circled around roma
the vatican stood up like an ice cream cone

then we swung over the turquoise med
came in and landed

this morning at nine we left for the airport in paris
at five p.m. we were in our roma apartment
it took nine hours for a less than two hour flight

the eagle has landed
and will sleep in his own bed tonight

some paris along the way

a lot to see
style and art abounds in this city paris
from the top of the arc de triomphe there is quite a view
i’m dipping my morning toast in coffee
thinking about it

initial plans were sketchy but we happened to be
there on the street when the taxi showed up with
my one-time little kid now with a family of his own
everyone has grown

saw, walked, laughed and talked for a couple of days

we flew in, we fly out
they go on their way
while time is always flying
happened so fast

paris notes, more

down some city street
a lady hurridly walking by
dropped her reading glasses
seemed to throw them nearly at my feet

as she quickly stopped
bent and reached to retrieve them
she kicked them a little
so they skidded a few feet

back up then kneeling a second time to pick them up
noticing i saw it all
she looked toward me
and half-smiled self consciously
at the impromptu comedy of errors

paris ride

leisurely viewing the city
coming back from versailles
the bus stopped several times
some people left, while some arrived
still others scampered to change seats
moving like mice in a maze
until all were satisfied
what we had this morning
was a scenic nice ride

with son and his family - notes in paris

two young daughters
charged for travel
kept up with four adults
or we kept up with them

through the d’Orsay museum
yes, the art is great
but so is the most interesting building
then to sacre coeur, mont martre

up and down the metro stairs
so many times, how did they do it?
i know we climbed
three eiffel towers worth

not a whimper, conflict or complaint all day
but unaccustomed to minding the store
the quiet little voices burnt our candles at both ends
one for each of them

back at six p.m.
to take a nap, that’s us
while mom and dad hold the fort
the kids are still going strong

paris impression

got up early
slowly taking our time
decided not to rush
we’re here, all is fine

after breakfast we began to search for what means paris
out there
larger than we knew

got into it, walked, bused
and the city kept up with us, kept sprawling
so clean, elegant and alive

it does move along
like the rapid seine goes through it
with not buses enough
or artists enough
to paint the whole collage

stately, fluid in motion
needed a mime like marcel marceau
to interpret a bit

how paris is
depends which table you get
if the sun’s in you eyes
or the towers at your back

paris note

flew to paris today
under two hours from roma

took longer to and from the airports
missed lucky lindy by eighty-one years

well, didn’t miss him
never knew the guy

lindy was years ahead
but wait, i’m still checking it out

our little bit

for sure the world is big
when checking the maps
or traveling around you see
there are places on our globe
for everybody

the net and the news and the information
makes it smaller
with more than we need to know
more than anyone can ingest

as exponentially it expands
the good side is that if we each do
our little tiny part to make it better
that good also grows exponentially

used to dress

there was a time
people dressed for ball games
women in dresses and hats
men wore suits and ties

i was a kid when i saw ted williams
step to the plate at cleveland stadium
that game it was the first pitch he slammed
giving that ball a good-bye ride

uncle pat ran the beer concession
dad took me to see uncle pat

the brits were in roma today for a big soccer game
walking the streets drinking beer
dressed as if for a sleep over
or cleaning the basement

not like it was
the way we do
as times change
we do too

market today

a new flavor in the market today
call it near spring
sun at mid day divides the piazza
leaving something for everyone

with winter run away
warmer air
brings new modes of dress

flowers and vegetables gleam
to outshine each other
new faces, as always
“ciao, jack”
and the regular venders
“ciao pio.”
it’s new air to breathe
“marcella, stai bene?”
a new day, a great day
“tut’okay”
she smiled
“va bene”
va molto bene

laughing gas

five minutes before my appointment
i slip into my shoes and walk over
that’s something positive about living in the inner city

perky dentist helper has been cleaning teeth for fifteen years
does it well
firm, delicate, yet no holds barred

she says do i want gas
talking to me, of course
maybe she was talking to herself
but i heard her plain as day

sure, fill me up
and this rubber scorpion from a sci-fi movie
was plugged over my face
after a while i claimed no affect
and got her to turn up the juice

suddenly dentist appears
fools around doing this and that
then before i know it
he got ready to do a cavity, mine

then pulled out an extra long needle
waved it around and warned this is going to hurt
that’s too bad for someone i thought
then looking around i knew he was talking to me
cause the dentist helper wasn’t there anymore
and i let him drive that thing through my gums
into the dark recesses of my now vibrating skull

the more i develop through life experience
the scarier it gets, i visualize too much
because i see tiny errors in judgment, chinks
in good guys in white hats and white masks armor

the dentist speaks five languages
is known as very skilled
however, as we spoke i suggested
and admittedly knowing nothing about dentistry

perhaps, perhaps, perhaps it would be keen
if he said x per cent of the patients
find the needle into the gums uncomfortable

instead of scaring the shit out ‘a me
by telling me it was “liable to be really painful”
two seconds before ahab rams the harpoon into my skull

no wonder he wears a mask