Wednesday, June 18, 2008

rain soaked and lovin' it

it was late afternoon
the tires screeched when i skipped to a stop.
rain soaked her wet as a rag as soon as she got out.
the second i felt the door slam and the car rock
she had already run to the office and disappeared
where it read "women's wellness center"

with the motor on and the heater purring like
a little kitten i was soon
nodding to the syncopation of the thunder with
the beat of the wipers kinda getting into this pitter-pat of the never ending rain
inside she was shaking him down," come on, candy man, i'm here
instead of getting my hair done so why don't you reach into that
bag of tricks and give me a sample of something to take the edge off."

five minutes later she was back in the car and told me, "let's go."
i edged out between headlights into the rainy night and headed toward the bridge
with a glance at her face in the rear view mirror i could see she had eased up a bit

just to be polite and make a little conversation i asked how it went
she gave one of those curled lip devil-may-care sneers, chuckled and then pointed with her chin, looking straight ahead
"step on it," she said

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

great blue heron - scout

a moment after dawn
out back in my laboratory
alongside the pond
i was examining four table legs

one was longer and needed to be trimmed, when
movement under the old sugar maple caught my attention
thirty feet away there in a crouch
the great blue heron stealthfully, slowly looked about

remaining still as the giant i watched through the glass
from behind closed door for nearly a minute
until he shuttered, spread his wings, rose in the air and fled the scene
with the only remaining disturbance being the knowledge of his presence

Note: The entire ten by fourteen foot pond has a "deer net" suspended two and a half feet over it and seems to protect the fish while allowing the frogs to come and go. On the posted picture of the heron from an earlier visit, notice the lily pads for size reference. They are about the size of pancakes. And when the heron lifts his head and stretches his neck he is about twice as tall.

Monday, June 16, 2008





be on the lookout
for this bird!

definitive relativity

i wondered aloud how those frogs
could be floating in the pond one moment
look up, and then instantly
leap atop a rock well above the water

hearing me,
in less than a heart beat
she gave the reply,
"they're superhuman"
and you know, she's right

so next time you're on your way
to the voting booth
consider the candidate's potential
and remember where we are
in the grand scheme of things

(vote green)

Design

Man is designed well.
Sleep and he is recharged.
Like dogs and cats
And doesn't have to be plugged in.
There are a few i'l like to.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

frog news - newsroom update

for Tom C. and one or two other people in the world who are wondering.


FLASH:
this just in from ohio

meri saw three small frogs
sitting in or around the pond
where we like to see 'em

all apparently happy
we're happy
are you happy?

a chance it may rain again tonight
we'll be watching the driveway
for runaways or new arrivals





b.c. and counting

a dozen years before Christ
what year did everyone think it was?
they didn't walk around saying it's twelve before zero
and they must have had a New Years
so what year did they celebrate?

in five b.c. if you told someone you'd pay them the money you owed in four b.c.
they'd squint, scratch, then club your head

what did they do when they had to fill out an official form
and write down the year of birth?
"you wrote you were born in minus 36
how did you figure that?
that'll cost you three shiny stones and a chunk of obsidian for being a wise ass"

Saturday, June 14, 2008

all ok

the heron is gone
all the fish are there
so is the frog
and the net is back over the pond

frog count

we chased a blue heron out of the pond
and now are waiting to see if he got the frog

there were five
then three
then one
we are sad

Friday, June 13, 2008

tune up

crazy free
i am you
sun makes me smile
like you do

know true that i say
all the best to you
cause i surely mean it
over my tea
out the window

life is always changing
stick around
sun goes up
sun goes down

Thursday, June 12, 2008

gate 77

three sisters: Dracula Rabbit,
Saggy Eyes and Long Forehead
sat opposite me, mauling gum
in long open mouth cow-cud chews

i don't wear a watch
there was not a clock visible, so i watched them
for a long, long while
fascinated by their down trodden bland unity
in which not a word was spoken

then deciding what to do i cleared my throat
prior to giving them
an important tip
they simultaneously looked to me

leaning forward so our faces
nearly touched lip to lip to lip to lip
i whispered to those three
calmly waiting a plane to arrive
"you have to boogie to stay alive"

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

this june morning

at dawn this june morning
i awoke lazily to faint scents
reminiscent of long agos
i hadn't known for years

in the shower the splash and smell
brought to mind those other times
and how it used to feel in humid air
at the start of summer here

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

on the road to hand-over- fist big money for poetry

once i wrote to hallmark
in Kansas City
and told them i'd like to be a poet
they thought that was fine
but had one already
wouldn't you know it

Monday, June 09, 2008

walk-in sunday breakfast

looking for an art show
in a small out of the way community
the morning was already hot
that town was the wrong one for an art festival
but clean and bright, and per usual
our good luck ran true

we saw the hand-made sign for the
the American Legion breakfast
set up and waiting
local folks invited us in
for good food
served quietly and easily
ceiling fans turned slowly overhead

we took our time
enjoyed pancakes and all
once again hitting it right
perfect altogether

like something out of the Ohio past
where folks are plain folk
and the cooking home done
they thanked us, we thanked them
and were glad we'd come

Sunday, June 08, 2008

ninety in the shade

ninety degrees in the shade
the heat has started soon
a soaker day awash in humidity
can we play another tune?

but the frogs are eating well
they waller and wait and sing
it must be swell down where they dwell
if you're partial to this sort of thing

ninety degrees in the shade again
with heat full bloom by noon
humidity heavy, naturally
and to think it's only june

dawn poem

near june dawn
one damp
brown leather foot
after another
crept through the woods
to a lake and canoe
where two
set off as few would do
to pursue the climbing amber sun
(not yet in view)
and jumping swimming fish
(deep in the blue)
the deer and bear and birds

what they saw
no one knew

Saturday, June 07, 2008

baking soda

while cutting hot serrano peppers for soup
she also cut her finger
not for the soup, it just happened

the soup was good but her finger burned
painfully hot because she
had worked it around in pepper juice

eating with on hand
she kept her irritated hand
in a kettle of water on the table

water didn't help and it looked novel
i didn't ask her to pass anything

later she found relief
by rubbing it with baking soda

the next evening i used my fingers to sprinkle
ground chili peppers on my food, then rubbed my eye
i was going blind or die trying

she told me - put baking soda on it, baking soda
i considered putting my head in a plastic bag
with baking soda in it
instead i rinsed my eye with water and it worked
or i would have tried soda pop

Thursday, June 05, 2008

she knew the time

to discover for yourself
is usually best
to hear it told
one does not believe it

there was one girl
a friend of mine
always and ever
she knew the time

when we were kids
i somehow found out
time was one thing
she knew about

she knew the moment
to start for school
how long the chicken baked
and when to remove the cookies from the oven

she looked quite ordinary
as appearances count
her grades were just average
so teachers did not suspect

never tardy for a class
nor late for supper
or tuned in late for a favorite tv show
she ran the clock for high school basketballs games

if she rose before the end of class
then the bell was off
she woke precisely at six
without alarm or other tricks

she knew the time
when to shower
and the hour when to dine
the minute too soon
and the second too late
remember the time we did that?
"yes, 9:15 in fact!"

when she was grown
and on her own
many were the hours
she spent alone
for appointments she was never late

she knew each minute
and the seconds in it
a gift or a curse
for better or for worse

new year's eve when others
watched the times square ball
she didn't have to look at all

alas she died at 32
yet still i'm sure she knew ahead
at which hour they would find her dead

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

precious junk

my precious junk is all mine
and it's senseless to get rid of it
no one wants these accumulated pseudo treasures
and i sure as hell won't have a sale so some knucklehead
can wander up, scratch their fat butt and ask,
will you take a dollar for it?
get the hell out of here!
i 'm keeping it all, every bit
living with it and loving it
Silas Marner was on to something

when i'm dead let who ever is left deal with it
sell it or dig a ditch and throw it in
but for now, these keep sakes are memories of a lifetime
i am surrounded by the clutter
so i must love it all
where it is
lined up and piled high
i'll walk around it when i have to
once in a while i notice something in particular, smile and wonder
what is it and where in the hell did that come from?
when i am gone and they have to sift through all this crap
they'll say with pride
at least he never collected Beanie Babies

frog countin'

5 or 2 to 4
like the old Chicago song 25 or 6 to 4
only i'm talkin' green now

frog counting is difficult under the best of situations
there were five
remember big frog? he was a grinner
then it rained
and then there were two

a day passed and we counted three
another day or rain and we go to four
big frog hit the highway
no doubt about it
mating season for the big guy

the young ones that remain probably were born in the pond
and have another year to go before they take wings
so we have four cuties
(two may be a courtin'
they're always sitting together)

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

duck

I'm working here. This is new font. I figure this year we have a work in progress. If I can make it work, I'll keep it, but I might have to switch to a regular site so a particular entry can be more easily found. The other day I was searching for something I had written January fifteenth. It took a long time to find it. If I could put things in alphabetically . . . ah well, we'll see what happens.
The following entry is a bit serious, but isn't life.


a short walk from where we now live
i got to a spot that reminded me
my older brother used to hunt ducks
right here when he was young
here by this tree
now it's practically in the middle of town

he took me out hunting once
to a marsh somewhere
he knew where to go
for some reason a few ducks flew in
shortly after we got there
came low right over us
it was an ambush

yelled at me to get it, shoot it, get it
shoot! shoot!
and i shot

blew that sucker to smithereens
saw it explode, tumble and drop dead
practically at my feet
it took the full force of the shotgun blast right in the chest
i heard the thump when it hit the earth
the mallard wasn't pretty anymore
laying there it looked like a wadded up rag

and i knew that was it for me
i'm sorry it happened
and would never do it again

after college i joined the navy
cause i was going to get drafted
and went in enlisted
didn't want to be an officer
was afraid i'd like it
i led the choir in boot camp
and worked as a journalist for four years
still play the piano
guns aren't for me

Monday, June 02, 2008

in a rose bush

in a rose bush up the side
of our house is a nest
where a robin sits on eggs

the other adult returns
passes food to the sitter
as the soon to be family

takes turns warming the eggs
discouraging blackbird invaders
while waiting for the children

Sunday, June 01, 2008

south river

with just enough clearing in the brush
to make it to the river's edge
i sit by the water
thinking of son and daughter
and, my, how they grew

it could be june, at least it's warm
and this tired old rowboat is mine
to paddle a little way from shore
to drift away into time gone before
i feel the sun on my back

as the tiny water bugs circle
small animals and insects move in the thicket
and with nothing that matters
my every new thought scatters
it sure is a nice sunny day

i played at this place before
saw carp jump and ducks fly over
in this land i knew most of
i'm now just a ghost of
old memories on south river

a shoulder to cry on

a shoulder to cry on
i saw that and thought how beautiful
oh wow

then, send me the pillow you dream on
and while you're at it
i could also use a dozen eggs

just pack everything in a box
make sure it doesn't get all crushed
you'll have to deliver it yourself

cause if you mail it
our mailman will drop it a few times
and kick it all over the lawn

then that'll be the end of
our true love story

Saturday, May 31, 2008

each day

learn more and work diligently
avoid haste and waste
stay calm

live in honor
give and accept compliments
stay fit

peace is the way
love is the answer
in truth you survive

Friday, May 30, 2008

pond 3

the pond is an irregular ten by fourteen feet
i put it in about ten years ago
it must be getting ripe

the fish are happy
they number about 20
they go under the lily pads and plants
in the middle of the deep end

the five frogs seem content
five? what is happening?
big frog sat in the middle
four smaller frogs hung around the sides

last year big Herb liked
the sound of my push mower
and often accompanied my mowing
"herb, herb, herb"
that's how he got his name
the call sounds like the
pluck of a loose banjo string

ohio has 15 frog species
ours are the family ranidae
and they look like uh, kinda green frogs with some yellow?

they travel in the rain
big storm coming in tonight
and unless they can dig under the wooden fence
they must be using the driveway

skip rope song

went with mary to the country
the sun was shining there
then down behind the cow barn
for a little dairy air

Thursday, May 29, 2008

one for each of us

she told me
to get out
one of each for both of us
i looked over my shoulder at her
wondered if she were kidding

three vitamins bottles
six pills
this is easy
two pills from each bottle
maybe this poem is already over

i picked up the first bottle
and tried to remember when i first opened a pill bottle
maybe i was reading comics then
and got distracted

when did they start these funny tops?
isn't the fact it is a pill bottle enough?
do they have to make the bottles tricky to open?
can't parents put pill bottles
where kids can't get them?
what happened to "no"?

oh, yeah
i was countin' pills
one for each of us
i mean, one from each bottle
make that two from each bottle
don't confuse me

done

morse code



in the days when i was a
ham radio operator i liked
the Morse Code best and spent my time
sending and receiving dots and dashes

send out a call to anyone who
was standing by out there
and someone replies
then a conversation began

some hams used big rigs
large antennas and fifteen hundred watts of power
or illegally more and could shake passing car windows
mine was the basic unit
a light bulbs worth of power

from Northern California i talked to
Antarctica with my one hundred watts
once i made contact with a guy in Philadelphia
who was using a rain gutter as an antenna
and ten watts of power

it's strange that you know
if you like the other person
just as quickly as when
talking to a stranger face to face
there is never any doubt
you get along with the other, or don't
not by what they say, just by
how they send the dots and dashes



Of course, even poets have a point of view, and as
with Morse Code, you can read the person in there
cause we can't hide ourselves, although we think we do.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

meri cut the grass

meri cut the grass then worked
in her garden while i sat
on the stone step
and watched some
drinking a soda pop

she does good work
sweats some, and i am ready
to hop right up and help her
but then the heat is telling me to watch a bit more
just then the library calls

kim said they have a book
for meri and i, it sounded like a trick
so i asked if it was one book
she laughed and said no
so then it is books we have!

i happily replied i'd do something about that
she told me there was no rush
we have until next monday, so i sat back down
thinking - now, today is only wednesday
of course we'd be in before next monday

did she think we'd come running
or was she being kind
or is that what they do at the library
call people on the telephone?
well, hats off to everybody!

wind's work

who watches the wind's work
sorting through a row of bushes
plucking dry leaves
i do
follow the swirl
see the swath as it's winding

there are indicators for life
signs that point the direction to follow
pathfinder

a something on the sidewalk
where is the tiny cause for concern
overlooked in haste?

a trip on the stairs
a dab of sleeve and mustard
an offhand thought turned remark
the song on the radio
how do accidents happen?

mark your words as they go by
point into the wind
stay alert and be keen to listen

don't save up for life
like rain in a bucket for water on a fire

the setup is now while the joke
may be years down the road
don't forget to laugh when the time comes

dust on the counter
a veiled layer of disuse
clues are a sidestep
to the rhythms of life

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

get up

609, 611, 614 a.m.
how many times i've seen
those same red numbers
day after day
what do you know, what do you say
it is an abrupt start from dream
to dawn on another day

what does it all mean?
that is the question of all time
look around, it is the same
familiar, home, sweet . . .
as i stretch out of bed
shake the cob webs outta my head
waking slowly
getting showered and dressed i catch
a glimpse of myself in the mirror and wonder
should i cut my hair or let it grow?

what is this stuff
do i really like dry cereal making noises
make a note: why doesn't it play music?
now, what do i need to take with
oh, don't forget my keys
then, out the door
wait, did i lock it?
i did

three peas

three peas balanced
on the blade of a butter knife
one is you
one is me
one is eternity

Monday, May 26, 2008

thunder in the pass

yonder there's a net
over the pond
much of it
elevated a few feet
waving just enough and
flashin' like a star

so, long before sundown
blue heron came flappin' in
sauntered right alongside
lookin' for trouble

caught him gazin' round over the rocks
like they was tombstones
but he twitched, got nervous
didn't like the looks of it
then up and left town

big frog is there
sitting on the side
on a rock above the water
puffed up on a lotta pride
kinda grinnin'
and the fish are swimming again
feeling safe
practically dancing

peace has been restored
just plain yup

a bite

of poems
i thought a thousand would do
though time has passed
i'm still not through

i could load you up
pour out my treasured best
you'd be stacked high in aces
with too much to digest

one at a time is better
so if you stumble through and snatch a few
that'll do
like the bird that occasionally
flies in an open window
who should have paid more attention
to catching insects
may find something to nibble
if he doesn't panic
and the cat doesn't find him first

perhaps some other day
there'll be a thought right for you
not too much, a line or two
even a bird flying with mouth open
is hoping, and sometimes catches a few

Sunday, May 25, 2008

poetry lesson

on poetry
know the rules
there are no other rules

start writing and then finish
or just do part
then do some more later

editing is importance
sews spelling
an rhymes good

whether you start each line
with big or small letters
is to the authors perverse discretion
so i heard
but you hear a lot of contradiction

now go for the throat
oh, and read what you wrote
too cheek four ears

i found it useful to title poems
with names coming from the heart
so as they stack up
you can still tell them apart

Saturday, May 24, 2008

justice on the pond

the fish have stayed low
for several days now
afraid of something
blue herons on the prowl
maybe ten fish are gone
so i bought a net
covered the pond
no more will they get

now i worry about the frogs
maybe they're gone
but rain comes in two days
i've got to raise the net
i want everyone safe
and frogs travel in the rain
pond stuff takes time
but peace i'll maintain

a walk to the pier

stroll north and we've reached the lake
with a chill breeze blowing in
it's a good day to have a jacket and your collar up
humidity i was born with
it is either a familiar comfort hanging in the air
or i'm just used to it

we have a long stone pier
the fishermen use it
they say it's a mile long
i don't know, it could be
in rome i told robert how long it is
and he looked very suprised
the pier is something we take for granted

part way out used to be a range light on a tower
it was torn down when they fixed the pier
added a lot of cement to it
i was just limestone blocks before
when we used to swim out there
only the seagulls are still around

it's the local custom to walk the pier
at least halfway, as far as the blockhouse
so, come on, i'll take you out there
see how the fishermen and women are doing
they're out there sitting and waiting
that looks to be the most of what they do
and hopefully catching a keeper once in a while

a guy moves around to look in his tackle box
and then check his poles
patiently sitting in the open is what they do
that's the sport, i suppose

these two have lanterns and blankets
looks like they've been here all night
hooking perch, walleye or catfish

the suns out now
the wind is lighter
and it getting warmer
we've had our walk

Friday, May 23, 2008

on the river

the river runs through town
and though it has changed
being near brings the
comfort of the familiar

no more the line of wooden fish houses
Heymann's, Kishman's and Zimmerman's
where full and weathered boats docked
to empty the catch from their nets
pack the fish in ice in wooden crates
then truck it off to market
or you could buy some right on the spot

no one knew they were leaving a memory
like a stain
that a local kid would carry away
into the future

to write it down revives their voices and laughter
fishy smells and tar-stained foul weather gear
the heavy crates and ice on dirty boards
that i can see and hear with my eyes closed

restaurants are made now that are imitations
to scenically characterize what we lived
right here
in our town on the river

Thursday, May 22, 2008

violets

on damp mornings
in early spring
flashing color on the ground
shining through
all wet with dew
the violets

such tiny things
amid the myriad fields of green
there are many underfoot
i hardly pay attention

tireless to trampling
some may say
but i don't think so
cause nobody likes
getting stepped on

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

a cabin

i'm building a cabin
somewhere high
a mountain retreat
that touches the sky

and the mountain has a sound
something low that i can feel
a stillness massive, full
of the earth

counting logs, the hours pass
snowflakes melt on window glass
fire logs insides roar out red
imagination is my bed

foggy windows

we have some foggy glass
so i called my old schoolmate tom
to see if he was still selling windows

years before he measured
and sold us some good new ones

he's still working part-time
so i made arrangements for him to drop by
we need three replacements

"you're still a business magnet, tom" they'll say
and he'll feel good
and we'll get new windows

friends are friends
and business with friends
is always my first choice

fish sense


a great blue heron as tall as i
was around the pond today
okay, he was a little shorter than me
twice i chased it away
i haven't been able to count the fish
they' still hiding
alerted to the danger

how did they know
he would eat them?

i guess if you're a fish
it's obvious

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

the trains

the train rolls through at night
as it has all my life
and the whistle goes long and hard
dah-dah-dit-dah

i was an amateur radio fellow and learned
the morse code starting with that familiar letter q
there's a plaque in roma where sam morse lived eleven years
across the alley from our favorite luncheon spot, pasquali's
for me, the sign was a touch with home and the trains

if light winds blow up from the south and the bedroom window
is open the sound of the train whistle can wake me, shake me
most of the town, i am sure, curse when they fall out of bed with
the horn blast - morse code for the letter q

i asked my friend the engineer and he knew nothing about
the morse code, said the signal was not the letter q
just two longs, a short and a long

i thought the train signal began back when the
telegrapher was the wiry old man in the funny hat
who sat out there in the lonely shack and bridged east to
the west with information

i checked the internet and found the train whistle signals
have no connectin witht the morse code
except in the one coincidence, the instance of passing a crossing

a life long belief has shattered
and the late night trains roll on
long - long - short - long

Monday, May 19, 2008

spring off

as Ohioans we are accustomed to temperature extremes
i remember my mom telling me that in 1937 it snowed on
the fourth of july
weather change is the wild goat that lurks before it charges
now this year spring is May
we can go ahead and pencil it in

after winter's farewell snow
on gusty winds entered the warmer air with a
deep blue sky as backdrop for mammoth clouds tumbling fair
unleashing lawns, trees, bushes and flowers, nesting birds and buds
fresh and underway
nature reborn
this new season has begun

you can water golf courses and keep them pristine
but it's nothing, nothing like the clean
gleam of full young spring

the ultimate in automation

here they are
there are no others
nothing like them
god bless them
suspenders

you want to wear your pants loose
and keep them from dragging on the ground
you got it
the one and only
nothing tight around your waist
hold 'em up to the heavens
suspenders

the very name emits dream

plase note: while the british call them braces
they also drive on the wrong side of the road
they also think suspenders
hold up womens garter belts
so be it
i like women either way
with or without

invented in 1822, thanks you Albert Thurstoon
a.k.a. galluses (not Thurston - suspenders)
galluses is a variation for gallows
let's stop there

Sunday, May 18, 2008

fixin' out of the box

oh, how you doin'?
i didn't see you slip in
i was just checkin' under the hood of this baby
it's doin' pretty well, but it's got some kinks
just keepin' and eyee eye on it tit suppose it could use a bit of attention like we all . . .
now did you see that?
that's what i mean
that spellin' thing keeps gegttin' fouled

say, when i get this all fixed up i'm goin' to measure it up
i bet you thought i was going to say i'd invite you over
but why in hell's name would i do that?
you got cher space n' y gitts mine
now the dialecter is going haywire on this thing

do you see? do you see what i'm dealin' wif here?
tricky bidness tricky
plan ahead, what i always say
well, i think about it, i'm not on the plannin' committee or nothing

baby steps, i say that too
remember that movie with that bill murray guy? hah, he cracks me up
hey, that's enough jibber jabberin'
let me get back to what i was doin' here
good seeing you

Saturday, May 17, 2008

beginning

every part of the globe
has a theme and pattern

in ohio
seasons are incredible
winters frozen dead
then spring begins and grows quickly from nothings
enough said

it is beyond our abilities to invent such magnificence
a sole creator came up with the idea?
it is a large complicated thought
i see why greeks, romans and others
thought it was a team
it is so much like a dream

Friday, May 16, 2008

blackbirds

a couple were out there last night
about seven
still light
they were looking around in the yard
like they lost something
they don't have pockets in their little black suits
so whatever they found they were stuffing in their mouths
to eat then or later
i don't think they'd just be looking around for the fun of it

they went around the rocks, the wall
and the stones around the rose bush
quite serious
diligent, i suppose
up to something
one was tossing rejected bits away
fast like he was going through a trash pile

i'll have to keep an eye on them for a few days
to see what they're up to


our friend blackie was the winner
he was worth a little story
i never had to keep an eye on him
he looked for us

Thursday, May 15, 2008

robins in bird world

robins are the hardest workers
they run as much as they fly
moving quickly in early spring

always searching on fast feet
for fast food
or twigs to build their nest

later it's take home food
to feed the children

then they'll train the kids to hunt
and pick
and run around
the way the big ones do

spiders

everythng in ohio has a season
for spiders it's the month of may
then when you see your neighbors
you don't say hello
just, how many did you kill today?

satie

a mystery who wrote simple lines
master of slow time
fellini with hidden wires

i hear his melodies again
and never know i heard

calming, soothing
sweet as a quiet body of water under moonlight
weeping in blessed solitude

a carnival without clowns
weaving a stitch at a time
slipping subtly by as the dolphin
in a quiet, dark ocean inlet


to hear his work
click this taste of eric satie

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

the pond

some years ago behind our house i made a pond
for me and the mostly goldfish
they live there
i'm just the caretaker

spring means cleaning
passing a net through the water
in slow sweeping motion
to capture debris
last year's leaves
small bits that have collected
from a long winter's winds

so for hours i move the net along
slowly sifting the waters
like a gentle moving song
making myself familiar again to the fish
and the frog

oh, yes
every year there's at least one frog
that hangs around for a few months
until it is time for him or her to move on
where frogs come from, where they go
i suppose i'll never know

maybe it's an old person thing
or at least a calm person's task
to patiently go over the pond
again and again until the job's well done

to start over in another place
with a new pond
would be work intense
i've got this pond
and perhaps now, a bit more sense

there is enough work here
for me to do
but i started the job
so i'll see it through

indian shoes

one year
grandma lulu sent me indian shoes
moccasins just like the real ones that indians wore
i don't know where she found them
maybe at the store
cause she lived in arizona

and then she sent me a second pair another year
i must have said i lost them
but found them later under the bed
cause how can you lose slippers?

now i have two pair
and wear them everywhere
in the house, of course
they wear well and shuffle quietly
do you think she would send me a horse?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

homecoming

what am i doing here?
i was born here, isn't that enough?
my wife has her garden
and i have my stuff

saw my friend and
heard the story of the past year
her son has a job
the neighbor had a couple more back surgeries
and her mother has dementia
at least the grass is green
and her pond has two frogs

i've been back a week
M. worked pulling dandelions
i have nothing to write
and my computer has fatal errors

my friend in roma hears nuns sing in the morning
i went to Bob Evans had oatmeal
heard the same thirty year old rock music
that every Bob Evans in the country has
tap your feet while you eat
ain't it neat?

house on the hill

the little old house has nearly fallen
it has been going down for years
even when i was young it turned shabby
but held strong character beyond its peers

at one time it must have stood quite charming
a handsome work of craft in wood art
designed and erected quite carefully
but, sadly neglected and now falling apart

years ago it was abandoned
the shutters fell first
then windows broke and chimney tumbled
as it went from repairable to worse

now i still recall it in those better times
and that's how i'll remember it well
the dear little house on the hill in the country
that slowly died and went to hell

Monday, May 12, 2008

la gallina liberata - the liberated hen

in a corner on the ouside wall
in the centro storico of the ancient town narni
is ambra's new restaurant
la gallina liberata - the liberated hen

she named it for a chicken in her yard
that was stuck somewhere
struggled and got free
she had to call her restaurant something

ambra is a good cook, organizer and host
has friends to support her offorts
the amibiton and perseverance
to realize her projects

spring arrived

wore my big coat the other day
spring arrived just yesterday
it blew in on silent wings
and hovered above the neighborhood
before wrappinig down around us

now it's hot, in a t-shirt today
i heard the boys call outside playing
there are green buds
and singing birds nest building

it's sometimes still winter
after the snows melt
but i'm sure
it's steady spring at last
when i leave a window open

Sunday, May 11, 2008

the cooper hawk and the squirrel

from the window i saw a cooper hawk
and a small grey squirrel sitting very close
on a wire with a telephone pole between them
one of them hiding from the other

the hawk was scouting for prey
twisting his head to look about
the squirrel was quiet, unseen, motionless
didn't even flinch his tail

setting my book aside i watched for several minutes
after i looked away briefly. the great hawk was gone
the squirrel stayed in place a safe while longer
someone else would be invited for lunch this day

Saturday, May 10, 2008

tell someone

tell someone i'm out here
tell someone who cares
hold warm thoughts around me
keep me in your prayers

no mystery

poems should not be a mystery
i want you to know
what the words are saying to you

easy to follow as a cleared path
in a well-kept country garden

go on, meander step by step
by fruit and flower
pine wander
an hour

a discovered treasure
will be my pleasure

just beware the sprinklers

Friday, May 09, 2008

monster hits

we were talking about hit songs
the ones you sang along with
got you moving

remember walking down the street
it was practically coming out of the ground
flowing in front of you
out every open window
in every store
fragments from passing cars when they whizzed by
on peoples faces, their lips, filling them

then she and i started mentioning a few
where we were when such and such
first i'd say one, she'd say another
we'd agree a bit, then top the other

the result was a list of the big ones
hits we loved dearly
that picked us up and carried us with great joy
ignited us
that's the magic of the hits

i know you can agree with this poem
but if i get specific, start mentioning names well, your list is different than mine

Thursday, May 08, 2008

skyped

don't do it often
this week with a change of zones in a major way
i've made a few skype calls from ohio

maximo a traffic guy for rai radio
this time working the night shift called from the station
gave me a visual tour of his office and co-workers complete
with large maps of italy on the wall

the second i hung up captain z. called from poland
just back from a basketball workout and maybe a beer
first mate rafal, a teammate, gave his regards

i gave both a walk around outside tour and when out front
the moment i pointed my camera at the street
m. drove in and waved

then called daughter c. in california
it ended with her taking daughter and a neighbor kid
to musical theater class
(we didn't do that when i was five)

the video calls took us around the world
with something for everyone

flight details

i got to the airport and this time didn't leave my computer in the taxi
checked in for the flight and went to the waiting gate
i overheard tourists telling other tourists what towns they saw
listing off names of places, nothing about what was there
the others listened and nodded approvingly
been there, been there, okay, okay

the lobby restroom is designed so that when i am standing there peeing at a row of urinals i look over my shoulder and see the entire lobby looking back at me

the coffee bar from hell was up and running barely
it only stays open because there is no competition
a kid could open a lemonade stand and wipe them out

i walked around back to use the restroom a second time
this time the womans door is on the right and i'm standing there on the inside, but my invisibility shield was activated cause i stepped back out unnoticed
i guess they were all busy

back at the gate a lady walked by panning around doing a thousand dollar narration into her four dollar camera saying things like, "here is the lobby, you can see all the people"

oh welcome delight, they called us to board early so three hundred people were cramming and making a jam of it to get in front of the others in the line
then after about five minutes of shoving
someone changed their mind and said would you please sit down again and we'll board at our regular time instead

then i saw an old schoolmate
my god, i didn't know whether to laugh or cry
the memories came flooding over me
the sock hops, the heartaches, the laughter
nearly in tears, the years
then i saw it wasn't her and felt relieved
one less thing to do

then they called for zone one to board
after they called zone two and three i checked
i was zone one

why can't people board the airplane and sit down? what is so tough? it's like beavers caught in an ice jam... no, i am sure beavers would do it quicker
a lady stopped in front of me and took five minutes to slowly load her overhead compartment
when she finished she turned to me and said thanks
as she let me pass
i went by her wondering why thank me?
what were my choices?

i noticed at 36 thousand feet the restrooms become a lavatory
which may relate to the fact that the higher you fly
the faster you go

over the alps a jet below us going the same way an increasingly shorter distance below us
was anyone aware?
i was ready to jump up and run tell someone, maybe the guy in the seat behind me, i guess you can't get to the pilot easily these days, maybe it was a lack of sleep that had me alerted for disaster, or maybe it was the three airplane disaster movies on tv the week before my flight
airport one and two and the jet with the pointy nose
the names aren't important

hungry i am prepared, brought the cookies she said to buy
i should have paid more attention to how she opens them at home
struggled and finally started looking for something sharp after nearly rolling on the floor i used her sewing thing i carried and they didn't take away from me

i had carrot sticks my wife cut a week before
i ate a pound of carrots but didn't eat them all and had to surrender the last three sticks and a ziplock bag in philly
they marked my card and put me though a special security check cause i admitted i was carrying an apple
they took it
but let me into the country

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

dear US Airways

i left my socks on your plane
maybe you heard about it

it could have been the lack of sleep
i tried to get comfortable
i listened to the safety instructions and wanted to do it right and didn't inflate my life vest until i deplaned in philadelphia
i didn't know the plane had to crash or you couldn't use it
and wondered why the others didn't follow instructions

the guards were very nice
i did everything they said
and took my shoes off when i walked through that big magnet thing
that's when i saw i had no socks

i don't think anyone took them when i was sleeping
cause i didn't sleep much
they wouldn't let me back aboard to look for them
instead they gave me coffee

i thought i took everything with me when i "deplaned"
my shoes made it home and should fit again in a few days
thank you for the plane ride
i hope you find my socks

Monday, May 05, 2008

edit me?

friends,
i've got to get up in two hours and fly to the o on the ends and high in the middle
these people will take care of you now until i get over my jetblog, i mean jet lag
i'd have links on the right side of my blog, but i can't even remove the junk that is there, like what is that stuff? i need a ten year old computer wiz
my comment on the derby is: in the best interests of all, turn off your tv
there are interesting things coming out of your computer

if you're riding the road on your harley and you look over and see tom, don't ask him for a smoke.

she's been in mexico three quarters of a year and they still haven't named any churches after tanyariffic.

say, isn't that water coming out of the top of your head, giant waiting person?

righting history

fifteen years ago i used the restroom above angelo's coffee bar
with no sign, only regular patrons knew a bathroom was added
in a small room above in the building
that dates from the sixteenth century

to my surprise the stairs and turns and side rooms,
ceilings, walls and floors remained as they were made
i remember having been in awe of the old rooms
so well conserved in their original state

last week i asked to use the bathroom
my primary reason was to visit the space
and then perhaps return again to take photos

to my disappointment it had been modernized
the terra cotta floors replaced, the old wood and walls
painted over in haste
angelo had the money and perhaps a volunteer
and the intention of doing the few clients that go there
the favor of beautification, after all
it was looking quite out of time, hence out of place

unfortunately, what was done made a shabby renewal
this transformation is the fate of much of old roma
good intentions have destroyed the past
because anachronisms are odd

Sunday, May 04, 2008

an outside table

a moderately large multitude, though i've seen more
on sunny roman mid-afternoons
its germans and the spanish now
seasons pass so soon

you'd think each country had an appointed time
to take in the sights and weather
for whatever group that next appears
they seem to come together

from a table outside of angelo's
i sipped my wine as they rushed by
numbering thousands by the hour
better them than i

Saturday, May 03, 2008

this internet

I.
this internet
the new greatest show on earth
information galore
slimy, quick cheap, down and dirty
pivotal, pointed and prostituted

how much do you want
how much do you need
how much can you take
how much do you care

II.
a blog is something that must be worked
tilled and toiled over
not like paying money
to name a star after yourself

now ready for that
i'd rather stand by the sea
wait for a fish to jump
and say, "that one is jack"
(that one is me)

III.
this little piece of cyber space
i'm going to measure off as mine
then work on it, lay it out
to make it shine, shine, shine, shine, shine

Friday, May 02, 2008

on the streets

on a mission for pistachios
absorbed in filtered exhilaration by the beating heart of the city
i waited for a bus
i had on a black t-shirt
an artists bag over my shoulder

an italian couple approached
"do you have a cigarette?" he asked
i held up mine i was smoking and said, "this one. I'm quitting."
then she asked bus information to via nationale

a couple in a passing car stopped on the busy street to shout over a demand for directions to the termini
i must have looked like the information guy

then a pair of french women in passable italian wanted to know how to get to the coliseum as my bus, seventy, approached
theirs, the eighty-seven, was right behind
"take the eighty-seven" i pointed

the final query of the day came later as
i left the old esquilino market
this from an older unkempt guy holding something, a pamphlet?
i nodded him off when he asked if i was a roman

though i like to talk
what he had to say i didn't need
it is necessary to qualify even the inquisitors
while bearing the necessary resignation of existence
on the streets of roma

old corners

through turning alleys of old roma
weathered angles i know well
old corners repainted
some bearing visible repairs

around me italian faces change
yet remain the same over ages
above church bells chime the hours
rolling below the great river flows

Thursday, May 01, 2008

perspective

born in the winter of forty-five
franklin roosevelt was still alive
had a pair of six-guns the day i turned five
that was a long time ago

When I was a kid my friend's grandmother kept her father's old civil war uniform cleaned and pressed, hanging in the closet. The memory got me thinking so I added it up recently and discovered I was born eighty years after Lincoln died. Sixteen years after Wyatt Earp died in 1929.

Now to put it into perspective for you, kid, because someday, someone will say to you "Wow, you were born B.G. Before Google."
Google began in 1996.
Let me hold your arm to steady you.

off-day

passed fontana di trevi and recalled
two weeks ago when friends were here
we were twelve deep from the rail
all the way around the fountain and down below
today you could have driven a large bus through there

a light-sprinkle off-day in roma
is like a cornfield after the first snowfall
the crows go home
to spend the day watching crow television
eating micro-crow popcorn

for tourists a sprinkle
creates a museum day

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

the Ritz, our town theater

how could you resist
the photos out front pulled us in
we were guided to our seats with flashlights
older folks lined the back in the soft seats
as voices of kids on the hard wooden ones
echoed all the way from the front row
a while ago

now torn down and way gone
not a brick or stone remains of that space we still have in our heads
that place we watched the big screen
ate the popcorn
heard the big themes
sang and danced to the stars
laughed at the clowns
fell in love on the beach
and rode west with cowboy heroes

where has it all gone without a trace
i'm sure there are others who recall and smile
so, for them and for us
here's a salute to long ago and very far away
that special place

when i woke

when i woke i had you on my mind
i must have sung your song ten thousand times
and every time i start
it's like cannons in my heart
going off half-cocked
while i'm half blind

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

roma sunlight

yesterday i again noticed
the appealing angle of roma sunlight

how golden is the morning at eight
in late April by the river

you cannot avoid the glow
you wouldn't want to

morning bird

there is a bird in the morning
quite loud and near
i thought he was caged
in spring he returns
like blackie who visited for years

who would have imagined we'd find a new bird associate in the heart of roma
best friends you take when they appear
and birds are the same

paolo above us leaves at six ten like a ghost into smoke
then the soldier above him closes, loudly locks his door and clomps down the stairs in heavy military boots
the floor below ours has a broken step
he hits it everytime
then slams the front door and shakes the building

the bird in the morning
starts before paolo
and leaves before the soldier

Monday, April 28, 2008

hard as stone

To the store. It's eleven a.m. and she's in the air out'a here. To the store. I need water.

At Despar, as in desperate, I got milk for cereal and orange juice. They didn't have the water I wanted and with one cashier and fifty people and a couple dogs in line, I put back the milk and orange juice, pulled my empty cart home, then passed another half mile to the other side of our neighborhood to our least favorite store.

When I got there workmen were cementing the wall in the middle of the entrance and exit isle. The other three hundred shoppers jammed in the doorway didn't seem to notice.

I got milk. They didn't have skinless. Got orange juice in a strange set of containers that I couldn't see cause they were wrapped up in dark plastic, and I got water. Again, not the kind I wanted, but there were six of them and I brought the cart to get it home.

I waited in line with twenty-five older shoppers, and I didn't call them old ladies cause I know they're tough and if you blink or quit paying attention they'll squeeze in front of you. When it was my turn to go for the register on the left, straight or to the right I saw a guy come out'a nowhere and go left, so I went straight and was third in the new line. Nobody said anything about the line cutter, including me, cause we all know we'll do it when we have the chance.

When the clerk tallied up my stuff I gave her a fifty bill cause it was all I had. They usually ask for exact change but she took it and gave me over forty-five euros in change. They don't, can't or won't count back change ever. So when I saw my purchase cost less then five euros I took it and stuffed it and the receipt in my pocket wondering how I faired today. Years ago I would have counted it and helped the clerk out if she gave me too much, but that was years ago. Now I take it and hope for the best. For all the torture they put us through going shopping it is worth a good break once in a while.

I am supposed to have low calcium for my kidneys. The water I bought probably builds strong teeth and bones and maybe hardens cement for highways.

At home I had to use pliers to open the water, so the guy who fills the bottles out back with a hose must use glue on the lids so you feel it's really sealed.

I added up the figures on the receipt and found it correct. I didn't make any extra today, but I'm home and she's still flying. Next week she'll go shopping cause she always thinks ahead. I can wait around and see what we're going to eat and I know we will cause she gets hungry first.

Sail on, silver girl.

spectacular trash

very colorful, looks great
that's why they pass it out or mail it
you don't lack a pack, do you?
i have extra

what's the use
i'm cleaning up the scraps
the museo di roma in trastevere
printed well, nice pictures
two brochures on quality paper
my expired bus pass
a restaurant receipt
another thing from who knows where
on and on, taking up space

trees are cut and turned to mush
so we can rush this stuff home
put a happy face sticker on it
and throw it away
have a nice day

Sunday, April 27, 2008

double up

a break in tradition from
the occasional chinese food luncheon
this sunday we went to bufetto due
meri had a salad
i ordered the giant house pizza

thirty seconds after my pizza arived
i was cutting it when it did
an involuntary triple axle grand slam
inverted one hundred eighty degrees
and smashed itself face down into my lap

after lunch we walked to the stone benches
in front of palazzo farnese and sat a few minutes
i was examining the pizza stains on my pants
when a bird flew over and shit on my hands
both of them

how was your sunday?

nico's day

my friend nico is ninety-five today
if i see him i'll greet him

this guy is full of love for the world
and energy

the bridge - ponte

the weather is fine
no jacket needed
just shoulder pads
what a crunch

so friday was rome's birthday
i asked a roman why saturday was packed
it's the ponte, the bridge
you don't just have a day
you have a season

they always need a day or more
on either side of a holiday
to get into it
and to recover

like a dream

it must have been our age
because it was as if the radio had just been invented
we knew the tunes and they had our number
how well i remember the hits of '58

fifty years ago i was thirteen
the edsel, the hula hoop and BOAC
began the first transoceanic service
we looked both ways before crossing

we had our heads on properly
were looking at life right straight ahead
mom had to keep telling me
not to slam the screen door

Saturday, April 26, 2008

i feel like you

i feel like you
that doesn't mean that i feel as if i like you
it means i feel about as you feel
but not completely
i don't wake up groping for the keys to your car
in my pocket or anything
i don't feel like that
now i'm not sure what i mean
or how i feel about it
so forget it
how do you feel about that?

listen, some of the stuff i write is crap
i know that, that's what writers are good at
the point is
it's not like i'm hiding it
i put it out with a purpose
two more, juliano. yeah, the red.

like you, i can recognize a good poem
and wonder how many did emily dickenson or robert frost leave buried in a drawer
sarah teasdale, i like her work also
geeze, i mention a couple of poets and feel like i've got to keep naming them

what i want to say is that
everyone has a different voice
every poet makes that choice
and when words work hot it's a kind of magic
when not - more like deforestation - nearly tragic

we'd learn if we could read
the partial poems the poets put aside
examine what was rejected
those things the great ones let slide
most often go undetected

so now this one is lying there like road kill
so enjoy it like sneaking through someone's refrigerator

Friday, April 25, 2008

ok start here

meditation is a discipline
who needs all this laughter
and funny stuff
just give me some boredom
and a book to read

i am old cause i don't get fashion,
style, mode, loud music
mr. humblegger, your table is ready
who cares

lincoln speak

i had a friend, jordan, whose grandfather was a slave
he told me that when his grandfather was a boy
in the south people gathered on a hill somewhere
to hear abraham lincoln speak
the grandfather was blind since birth, and an old man
when he told jordan
how he heard lincoln's sharp voice, high-pitched, clear like a trumpet over the crowd
i can let those words set
and ring in your head
like lincoln's must have done
to that boy who knew he was hearing the president

Thursday, April 24, 2008

poetini

sure i keep it short
you have a life, right?
it's nice you take a look
but i'm not going to keep you

there - a couple of lines
you read it
fine, like that, okay, forget it
and we're both out'a here

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

birthday

"eeeeeeeyeow" screached a low swooping gull
over trajan's market by the forum
crowds were downtown last night
roma is celebrating birthday number 2761
how about that? two thousand seven hundred sixty-one

an old cat was walking around the ruins looking harmless
but the seagull thought otherwise and kept squawking
the feline eventually got the hint and departed
we were street level above the ruins, looking down on them

the official roma birthday day day is 21 april
nothing happened then, it was just selected as the day
meanwhile festivities will go on until 9 may

that's like roma, no quick birthday
people are out there now, concerts are going on
and that tells you a lot about how this city operates

in brief, like everything,
they make it up for the occasion
and do whatever they want

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

volume

the settings in roma
for speakers in airports
in buses, in buildings, outside
anywhere announcements are made
are: "on" or "off"

"on" means blasting to the fullest extent possible
nearly improbable
unbelievable, absurd
distortion is a synonym

"off" means broken
or someone forgot to turn it on

the pyramids

who built the pyramids
back then

do you think we could
do it again?

Monday, April 21, 2008

a non-fiction guy thing

it's true
could happen to you
i put mayonnaise in my suitcase
the next day she found it in my shoe

I admit i didn't check the lid
that's the worst i did
so what can a fellow do?
if not me, then who?

but nothing gooey came out
that's how the story ends
with promises to do better
we're still friends

(i think she's watchin' me)

taste

in the vatican museum i noticed the floor
and thought when target and others makes new tiles
why not do decent copies of beautiful tiles from history?

why produce new inferior designs?
sure, new sells, but you can sell anything

some old stuff is incredible
don't buy into fashion when it is base
why not remake old cars, old clothes
old everything that was beautiful and loved
using modern materials

let's cut the trash and clean the globe
with a bit of taste

Sunday, April 20, 2008

a second good idea

how about that smart car
and now that's done
let's move ahead far
bring on the stupid one

extra wide, extra long, gas guzzler
one tiny window, under-inflated tires
no mirrors, sluggish manual steering, no muffler
also runs on coal fires

music to my knees

it nearly brings me to my knees
would you play it as gently
again, if you please

you know, somehow
and this i don't mean lightly
that melody touches me

extemporaneously?
how did that come about?
it was not planned, merely stumbled upon?

what i hear in that
takes me up somehow
turns me 'round

i want it with me
to carry away, to take home
bring out when i'm alone

i need to listen again
to learn what it is saying to me
so i can respond properly

i want to respond
i know i can
it is talking to me

Saturday, April 19, 2008

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

Friday, April 18, 2008

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.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

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

Monday, April 14, 2008

some day
these will be the good old days

Sunday, April 13, 2008

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