the mail man is gone
don’t mean he left his truck
hasn’t walked away
tossed his hat in the bushes
but he is gone, way gone
into a thousand points of light
unlike the evaporated pony express rider
this one still has a job, delivering advertisements
now he or she has become
21st Century’s - Postal Worker
look around, who’s next for renaming
Christmas Person?
ho ho ho
wash you mouth
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
jet laggg
rushed out of the airport
jumped in a cab
went seventy-five feet
the guy slammed on the brakes
wasn’t a taxi, picked up his mother
made me get out
i know mama liked me
as he squealed off, she waved goodbye
jumped in a cab
went seventy-five feet
the guy slammed on the brakes
wasn’t a taxi, picked up his mother
made me get out
i know mama liked me
as he squealed off, she waved goodbye
at forty thousand feet
at forty thousand feet
the cabin is warm beyond comfort
four people on this flight
are earning negative karma
aggression 2009 is growing
healthier than financial systems
two hours to Roma
i’m lighter than air
the cabin is warm beyond comfort
four people on this flight
are earning negative karma
aggression 2009 is growing
healthier than financial systems
two hours to Roma
i’m lighter than air
Thursday, November 19, 2009
the leader
followed by his dad
a kid waddled by,
young enough
that you’d still tell his age in months
ask him anything
but don’t expect an answer
for although he talks incessantly
what he says is indecipherable
if encouraged to develop this skill,
smiles well and stands tall
this child could grow to be
a formidable leader of inestimable value
a kid waddled by,
young enough
that you’d still tell his age in months
ask him anything
but don’t expect an answer
for although he talks incessantly
what he says is indecipherable
if encouraged to develop this skill,
smiles well and stands tall
this child could grow to be
a formidable leader of inestimable value
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
particles in space
i pay to put you in charge over me
a.
after i got my shoes back on
walked from terminal A
the long way down to C
then checked my ticket
C-5 was my seat,
my terminal is A
C-seat,
A terminal
error made walking
did the same last year
so i had a long trek back
the other way,
from where i came
this journey has begun
b.
Kevin runs the magazine stand
near gate 7 and 8
terminal A
Cleveland Hopkins airport
is fifty, looks thirty
bald, black, comfortable with life
we talked some, he’s been to Africa
says he likes his job
been there a month
mentioned five other careers
next year we’ll see
if he is there
who will remember
that we spoke?
i have my ways
i have my notes
c.
small plane seats are C,A,F &D
part of the new world order?
i notice they took out the rhymers B,C & E
why’d D remain?
please explain
d.
small plane
seems large enough
two guys talking
two rows back
in lieu of listening to loud babbles
i changed my seat during takeoff
e.
so high open flat
hills and clouds and the haze
way out into the curvature of the earth
below
a black meandering
all the way down
must be river
looking down for crop circles and pictographs
wavy planting that follows the hills
the dark creeks look like cracks
a maze of houses
village forever to the horizons
we were following a river
now a highway
over ball fields
now a quarry, more houses and trees
the pilot just said,
“good morning, we’re starting our descent
and it’s a beautiful November day”
corkscrew down
we’re coming to Philadelphia
at the airport could have ridden a train
into the city see Independence Hall
i’ll wait instead
as once a day is enough airport security
f.
from outside i see
a large woman would-be - girl
packed snuggly in pedal pushers,
up to her knees in tattoos,
weaved through the tables at a terminal restaurant
a bull circling for the kill
her hair long blond thin and frizzed
resembles someone jumping out of a plane
who has not opened the parachute
or similar to someone being electrocuted in cartoon animation
she must do that to herself
because she thinks it makes her beautiful
she’s has enough volume
and swagger
friends wouldn’t
contradict her
g.
they call to board
will fly all night
over the cold north Atlantic
on auto pilot
so those called Pilot
can sleep
a.
after i got my shoes back on
walked from terminal A
the long way down to C
then checked my ticket
C-5 was my seat,
my terminal is A
C-seat,
A terminal
error made walking
did the same last year
so i had a long trek back
the other way,
from where i came
this journey has begun
b.
Kevin runs the magazine stand
near gate 7 and 8
terminal A
Cleveland Hopkins airport
is fifty, looks thirty
bald, black, comfortable with life
we talked some, he’s been to Africa
says he likes his job
been there a month
mentioned five other careers
next year we’ll see
if he is there
who will remember
that we spoke?
i have my ways
i have my notes
c.
small plane seats are C,A,F &D
part of the new world order?
i notice they took out the rhymers B,C & E
why’d D remain?
please explain
d.
small plane
seems large enough
two guys talking
two rows back
in lieu of listening to loud babbles
i changed my seat during takeoff
e.
so high open flat
hills and clouds and the haze
way out into the curvature of the earth
below
a black meandering
all the way down
must be river
looking down for crop circles and pictographs
wavy planting that follows the hills
the dark creeks look like cracks
a maze of houses
village forever to the horizons
we were following a river
now a highway
over ball fields
now a quarry, more houses and trees
the pilot just said,
“good morning, we’re starting our descent
and it’s a beautiful November day”
corkscrew down
we’re coming to Philadelphia
at the airport could have ridden a train
into the city see Independence Hall
i’ll wait instead
as once a day is enough airport security
f.
from outside i see
a large woman would-be - girl
packed snuggly in pedal pushers,
up to her knees in tattoos,
weaved through the tables at a terminal restaurant
a bull circling for the kill
her hair long blond thin and frizzed
resembles someone jumping out of a plane
who has not opened the parachute
or similar to someone being electrocuted in cartoon animation
she must do that to herself
because she thinks it makes her beautiful
she’s has enough volume
and swagger
friends wouldn’t
contradict her
g.
they call to board
will fly all night
over the cold north Atlantic
on auto pilot
so those called Pilot
can sleep
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
bid peppers in Belize
in a clearing
on a corner
outside the jungle
in the sunshine
a large local woman
in a blue dress with flower prints
sells donuts and sandwiches
from a tall brightly painted wooden wheeled cart
and a few things to drink
like beer, like coke, like water
i’ll have a taco
bid o’ bidow peppers? she says
are the bidow peppers hot? i ask
she looks at me, shakes her head
does not answer
and repeats, bid o’ bidow peppers?
and i asked f they are hot
or are they sweet
she slowly repeats her question
wan bid or bidow peppers?
the brain wave light turned green and I got on
oh, bid, i’ll have it bid peppers
on a corner
outside the jungle
in the sunshine
a large local woman
in a blue dress with flower prints
sells donuts and sandwiches
from a tall brightly painted wooden wheeled cart
and a few things to drink
like beer, like coke, like water
i’ll have a taco
bid o’ bidow peppers? she says
are the bidow peppers hot? i ask
she looks at me, shakes her head
does not answer
and repeats, bid o’ bidow peppers?
and i asked f they are hot
or are they sweet
she slowly repeats her question
wan bid or bidow peppers?
the brain wave light turned green and I got on
oh, bid, i’ll have it bid peppers
Monday, November 16, 2009
weather in
weather in Ohio’s
not nigh on to winter
without a jacket
mid November
known winter severe
have seen how it goes
driving with chains
doing battle with snows
changes come slowly
hereabouts, no doubt
take how it happens
great snows or without
not nigh on to winter
without a jacket
mid November
known winter severe
have seen how it goes
driving with chains
doing battle with snows
changes come slowly
hereabouts, no doubt
take how it happens
great snows or without
Sunday, November 15, 2009
play serious
when M. was kids
and the like
her gang of play partners
were blood brothers
cut their fingers to do it
somebody had a knife
is what she said
guess they were believers
hey,we went to movies too
but cowboys and Indians
and blood brother stuff
for us pretending was good enough
when they were cutting fingers
we were making mud pies
and never
tried to eat ‘em
i wonder, when they did
one potato two potato
how deep did they
plant the loser?
and the like
her gang of play partners
were blood brothers
cut their fingers to do it
somebody had a knife
is what she said
guess they were believers
hey,we went to movies too
but cowboys and Indians
and blood brother stuff
for us pretending was good enough
when they were cutting fingers
we were making mud pies
and never
tried to eat ‘em
i wonder, when they did
one potato two potato
how deep did they
plant the loser?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
i like dogs
i like dogs
well, have liked
there were times
anyway,
i’m sitting with coffee
thinking
how they can stand there
looking around
as if they have something
on their mind,
mind singular
how many dog minds are there?
one for each?
seems insufficient
they need more or bigger
or what they have to be greased
all in all, there are enough dog brains around
i prefer not to see them any smarter
waiting in line at the bank, lifting a leg
then asking to borrow a pen
this is the end
of this dog poem
thank
goodness
well, have liked
there were times
anyway,
i’m sitting with coffee
thinking
how they can stand there
looking around
as if they have something
on their mind,
mind singular
how many dog minds are there?
one for each?
seems insufficient
they need more or bigger
or what they have to be greased
all in all, there are enough dog brains around
i prefer not to see them any smarter
waiting in line at the bank, lifting a leg
then asking to borrow a pen
this is the end
of this dog poem
thank
goodness
Labels:
dog
Friday, November 13, 2009
call waiting
your call
will be answered
in the order
in which it was received
ok, i called once
so how much order is one call?
was i out of order before i called
or as soon as?
why can’t it be said
in like English
or, is that
like difficult?
like – we’re taking ‘em as we get ‘em
or, you have to wait your turn
or, we’re putting you on hold for a while
until we have a human like free - oh, that works!
will be answered
in the order
in which it was received
ok, i called once
so how much order is one call?
was i out of order before i called
or as soon as?
why can’t it be said
in like English
or, is that
like difficult?
like – we’re taking ‘em as we get ‘em
or, you have to wait your turn
or, we’re putting you on hold for a while
until we have a human like free - oh, that works!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
gone
gone are dark nights
when thieves
creep sneaky in
to steal the silverware
cause cheap metal,
they practically
give that junk away
at rummage sales
if grandma had
anything decent
she must have
taken it with her
i know before
it got trashed
we should have checked
in her mattress
when thieves
creep sneaky in
to steal the silverware
cause cheap metal,
they practically
give that junk away
at rummage sales
if grandma had
anything decent
she must have
taken it with her
i know before
it got trashed
we should have checked
in her mattress
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
involuntary aposiopesis
aposiopesis - breaking off in the middle of a sentence (as by writers of realistic conversations)
a poem a day is all it takes
enough to fill my coffers, sakes alive
a drip at a time does accumulate
one a day for three years is one thousand ninety-five
so many thoughts
my how they occur
now take the time to note them
you’ve noticed them, for sure
we each have our own
why would we need more
unless to appropriate new ideas, a broadening
tantamount to an education
and you are certainly right
when you say
a book is more fun to read from
than a computer
besides, I’m afraid
to sit reading holding something plugged in
with 200 feet of extension cord
under a tree by a brook with my feet in the water
a poem a day is all it takes
enough to fill my coffers, sakes alive
a drip at a time does accumulate
one a day for three years is one thousand ninety-five
so many thoughts
my how they occur
now take the time to note them
you’ve noticed them, for sure
we each have our own
why would we need more
unless to appropriate new ideas, a broadening
tantamount to an education
and you are certainly right
when you say
a book is more fun to read from
than a computer
besides, I’m afraid
to sit reading holding something plugged in
with 200 feet of extension cord
under a tree by a brook with my feet in the water
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
lime plant
ten years ago the boss said anytime
i want to white wash come on down,
the new boss wouldn’t face me
sent his gal to say it is too da-da- dangerous
then come scrape the bad dust
off my house, off my car
out of our garden, out of my eyes
and out of my pores while i breath and sleep
don’t forget every neighbor in town
tell Tom Sawyer’s dad
he needs an attorney
or has he and the EPA been paid already?
have a nice day
i want to white wash come on down,
the new boss wouldn’t face me
sent his gal to say it is too da-da- dangerous
then come scrape the bad dust
off my house, off my car
out of our garden, out of my eyes
and out of my pores while i breath and sleep
don’t forget every neighbor in town
tell Tom Sawyer’s dad
he needs an attorney
or has he and the EPA been paid already?
have a nice day
Monday, November 09, 2009
remembered Kegley
remembered Kegley
the tall happy farmer
as i drove past his farm
out in the country on Mason road
picked peaches and apples for him
in my youth
when an hour was a dollar
in the heat of the sun
he took off that day
for fishing and drinking
had hip boots on
when he backed his pickup
down the boat ramp
right into the river
the truck stalled
rolled back
filled with water
he waited too long
wasn’t thinking to give up
and get out
his best friend my dad was with him
and yelled warning
oh how they both yelled
and screamed and cursed
but Kegley was not a quitter,
never, damn it
tried hard to save the old truck
had it started then
he lost it
there in the brown moving water
along with his life
dad cried when he told me
had to tell his best friend’s wife
tears filled his eyes
only time I’d seen him cry
when a page turns like that
you can hardly look back
close the book on it
going over it
is pointless
as staring at the sun
the tall happy farmer
as i drove past his farm
out in the country on Mason road
picked peaches and apples for him
in my youth
when an hour was a dollar
in the heat of the sun
he took off that day
for fishing and drinking
had hip boots on
when he backed his pickup
down the boat ramp
right into the river
the truck stalled
rolled back
filled with water
he waited too long
wasn’t thinking to give up
and get out
his best friend my dad was with him
and yelled warning
oh how they both yelled
and screamed and cursed
but Kegley was not a quitter,
never, damn it
tried hard to save the old truck
had it started then
he lost it
there in the brown moving water
along with his life
dad cried when he told me
had to tell his best friend’s wife
tears filled his eyes
only time I’d seen him cry
when a page turns like that
you can hardly look back
close the book on it
going over it
is pointless
as staring at the sun
Sunday, November 08, 2009
get out of nature's way
don’t fight
nature
let it
pile on
it just occurred to me after
filling another bag for collection
that maybe God didn’t want
us to rake leaves
let them be
under the trees
on the ground
blow around
make piles and jump on
roll around in them
like kids will do
if we let 'em
away with sterile spots
without an itsy bitsy piece of leaf,
little baby trees are working to grow
you know, let them go
see what nature has in mind
for one thing golf would be another game
with a much larger ball, cabbage size
so you could find it
nature
let it
pile on
it just occurred to me after
filling another bag for collection
that maybe God didn’t want
us to rake leaves
let them be
under the trees
on the ground
blow around
make piles and jump on
roll around in them
like kids will do
if we let 'em
away with sterile spots
without an itsy bitsy piece of leaf,
little baby trees are working to grow
you know, let them go
see what nature has in mind
for one thing golf would be another game
with a much larger ball, cabbage size
so you could find it
Saturday, November 07, 2009
darkness
darkness is not ugly
evil or unholy
don’t be afraid
when god rested the seventh day
he turned down the light
to bring the respite of night
evil or unholy
don’t be afraid
when god rested the seventh day
he turned down the light
to bring the respite of night
to the child
life is a sleeping bear
for which you must prepare
asleep on his belly
your head in fur
don’t pull his hair
be ready for when he moves
he may laugh or eat you
don’t push
it’ll get there
just be ready to react
on your toes
for which you must prepare
asleep on his belly
your head in fur
don’t pull his hair
be ready for when he moves
he may laugh or eat you
don’t push
it’ll get there
just be ready to react
on your toes
Labels:
poems of life
Friday, November 06, 2009
poetry identification
a woman i am closely associated with
call her my wife for sake of argument
wanted to know why
what i write is poetry
i responded with the old adage
that by comparison if it looks like a duck,
waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck
then it’s poetry
call her my wife for sake of argument
wanted to know why
what i write is poetry
i responded with the old adage
that by comparison if it looks like a duck,
waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck
then it’s poetry
Labels:
poems on poetry
Thursday, November 05, 2009
frog winter
scooping leaves from the pond
where the sugar maple deposits them
there is a plunk in the water
it’s forty degrees this afternoon
who did I disturb but a frog
how can they live like that
sleeping in a plastic flower pot
submerged in the bottom of the pond
making a home for the winter
be solid as the ice through the snow
then come back chirping in the spring
well, rent is free, that I know
where the sugar maple deposits them
there is a plunk in the water
it’s forty degrees this afternoon
who did I disturb but a frog
how can they live like that
sleeping in a plastic flower pot
submerged in the bottom of the pond
making a home for the winter
be solid as the ice through the snow
then come back chirping in the spring
well, rent is free, that I know
keys
Keyman made two keys for me
I looked him in the eye
guaranteed they are, he said
however, they didn’t work
not the guarantee I expected
but it would have been easier
i drove back with my receipt
laid it on the counter
looked him in the eye again
2.53 is what I paid
he also worked the cash register
after checking my receipt very carefully
he gave me back 2.83
i made thirty cents for my efforts
then knew that’s why neither key worked
Keyman needs a glasses tune up
I looked him in the eye
guaranteed they are, he said
however, they didn’t work
not the guarantee I expected
but it would have been easier
i drove back with my receipt
laid it on the counter
looked him in the eye again
2.53 is what I paid
he also worked the cash register
after checking my receipt very carefully
he gave me back 2.83
i made thirty cents for my efforts
then knew that’s why neither key worked
Keyman needs a glasses tune up
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