same sea

the next day
no wind at all
hardly the same sea

a gentle roll
this pearly morn
quiet lapping at the shore

waiting for the small boat fisherman
to bring up his net by the red buoy
i want to catch him
at his solitary work and live vicariously

auto-overdrive

i dreamed on automatic overdrive
the mediterranean was sweeping waves of long green stems
with yellow flowers
and it all broke on the shore
i was neck deep and flopping

karolina made the hotel beds in polish military fashion
we were bound like mummies
using shrink wrap
to keep us in place
three thousand years

yesterday she wore her cupcake howitzer bra
mounted on twin staggered gun mounts
one aimed high, one covering the field
in the lobby as she turned my way
i prudently took a step back

Happy is the acting hotel director
how could you name your son Happy
and not get what you'd expect?
Happy, shut up. Happy, sit down.

waves

all night out of phase
waves broke air bubbles
that cracked and crunched

i thought it was shore rocks
sliding in and out
in the morning i saw few rocks, mostly sand

it was the power of water
of air grinding, popping
let’s harness that power

some day
these will be the good old days

without a net

on our way training down
south of roma, south of napoli
the pearl of the med
to get sand in our shoes
a sleepy place with nothing going on
after three days we’ll be friends with the guy who drives the local bus to town where the pizza is good
we’ll be there
with no net, no kidding, and too cold to swim

but the hotel remembers us
not actually, of course, unless they have chips
this one doesn’t even have rice crispies
something for the kids of the future to look forward to
chips implanted in hotels so it remembers you
“Oh, not you again, you little...”

back in this time warp
we like carolina, she’s the polish worker
she will be the only one there
the old lady has something with the bones in her foot
can’t get shoes on and won’t be there
we’ll be the only guests
our terrace is large
right on the beach

nothing to do
a tv in the lobby, hardly on
only the lapping of the mediterranean
on and on, rolling back and forth
dragging rocks on the shore

space to read, write, draw and observe
then while walking the shore
looking far off, out to sea or toward the clouds
i’ll think of you

stuff with the big guys

if we could stuff basketballs
soar way over the rim and drop it in
we’d make millions on a two year contract
pose for picture so countless others
could hang it on their wall

sign an autograph if we had to
have a driver take us around
get the best seats everywhere
and get all the drugs we need before we have to
leave our place in the sun for a few days to testify

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