major antique barn

motor down the lonesome highway
to the major antique barn
that says it all
has it all
got to be haunted

pristine condition
repairable for the most part
hardly used or damn near worn smooth
from the ten thousand times junior
threw it down the stairs
dragged it down the street
and left it in the rain
before he buried it in the backyard

keepsakes once stuck in dusty corners
hidden by crazy aunt Beulah under the floor,
uncle Ned found it behind the attic
from the back of drawers
the bottoms of closets
taped behind a false wall in the bathroom
pulled out and sold off by the children
or left behind in the garage after a move

come look and wander by
wonder at thousands of memories

treasures from some once upon a long time ago
been in the family for ages
made there and carted here
old when grandma had it
original paint
each item a loving story now forgotten
there may be all for some
and could be some for all
break it - you buy it

robins eyes

It is said when a pickpocket walks down the street and all he sees are pockets.


you know robins see the worms
when they’re hopping around out there,
that’s how they find them
one after the other
from looking

they see the movement,
sharp eyes
too bad i couldn’t train one
to take the eye test for my driver’s license
if their legs were long enough to hit the brake
i’d let one drive me around
i feel lucky
and i’ve got insurance

all depends

no mowing today
straight rain for a second day
good for the earth
good for the crops
thank God
or the weatherman
depends what channel you’re tuned to

running wild

look out now
take heed
you’ll need
to hide the feed
cause in the lead
at great speed
here comes greed
the mighty steed
leaping hard
running wild

where's the old town?

where’s the old town?
gone with the old timers
who used to always be hanging around,
in an out of the stores and the bars
and the pool hall, Red and Woody, Danny and Duck Eggs
and all the ladies jolly and fair
can’t name ‘em all

driving, some’d stop right in the
middle of Main Street and just talk,
others drove around them
well i seen ‘em all, seems just a while ago,
now they’ve vanished like arrowheads in the fields
and the clear water creeks
or cut down with the woods i guess

just in the door of the old diner
i waved off a menu and ordered coffee
“alls i’m sayin’ is”
concentration please, eyes on the ball
tongue half hanging out mouth
i watched a guy stacking peas on his knife
with his fingers
you got to be kidding me

the clang, clang, clang, clang at the railroad crossing
a hundred yards away now a metallic
tap, tap, tap, tap buried under traffic hum
talking how Old Mrs. Batt swings right in order to turn left
“ warms up to a turn” he said and laughed
dipping toast into gravy

bits of chatter and the clack of cups and forks on plates
bounced the walls and ricocheted my way
thank god they never have a radio blarin’
my hand over my cup so
the waitress wouldn’t top off my coffee,
had it just right where I wanted it
talk jumped to school band practice,
I heard, “damn drum thunder”
they callin’ the tribe in, are they?

i sipped dark java and then turned my head to the window
where afternoon light danced in through the old maple tree
making patterns across the checkered table cloth
“pea brain ass wipes”
light rain pattered on the roof
a second later the door opened and
sally came in with her new bouffant-and-a- half, she checked it with a touch
and did a wiggle strut, as she moved to sit down
on that overgrown empty lot, over on the corner, there used to be a house
an abandoned wreck half fallen, they tore the rest down
it wasn’t that bad a place, as i recall
“hot damn, ‘s nearly summer”
pick ups trucks parked outside, this old joint was hopping
still has antlers on the wall i observed
and it made me smile

still churning and a kicking,
the old town’s a sleeping babe
that rolled over, curled a leg
and tucked the covers under her chin
taking up a new position

nearly june

nearly June and our swinging sun
has worked it’s way around the side of the house.
a good odd thing the settlers did
laid the streets at a thirty degree angle
north by north east to south by south west
credit also to god, and the way the river runs

by June, at our 41 degree northen latitude
the morning sun leaps into the windows
on what we call the north side of the house
how about that,
what a sparkle

what a pleasant change for the summer
sun coming in from the north, sorta
that first golden hour of dawn,
a delight to wake up to
or, at least, have coffee with.

frog 09 - the season opener

after the usual cold Ohio winter
dryness came - no rain for a while
cool air has packed her bags and left
now finally spring is leaning on summer


we cleaned up the results of long winter neglect
got everything ready for the new season
things look changed, charged and reset, even the frog,
looking as if he recently crawled from his winter mud bed


Herb took nearly a week to get reacquainted
with us and the new frog year
now he’s talking to us again, like old times
today it rained, all day, on and off


this warm and sticky evening, in drizzle at dusk he hopped
out to the side and up to the heavy plank
that spans the pond
a few more hops to the middle, to reconnoiter


tonight he’ll use darkness and the rain to roam for a while
or call other roamers in, it’s what home frogs do
we’ll wait and see how it develops,
it's what frog watchers do

miracle heavenly father

Author Henry Miller said if one believes, then miracles happen. I don’t think you have to believe; I think it is up to us to pay attention to recognize when they occur.

today as i drove from a side road
a mile down a major heavy traffic area
at forty-five miles and hour
things went my way

through a dozen green traffic lights without pause
then onto the freeway when
it occurred to me
there is a divine something

the lights changing for me
didn’t happen by chance
luck is not in my repertoire
don’t believe in accidents

it had nothing to do with diligence or hard work
i was aware it was divine intervention,
no idea why the sudden miracle, i must have been due
haven’t changed my life style for doodley

robin's

robins and robin’s sons
from sun to sun, year to year
and the little bird girls too
have known our ways for generations

they fear us less
cause we live here too
we’re practically furniture
to fly around

and they keep returning
the same extended family
pecking around as we pass by
they don’t startle now and fly away

worms they want
and worms they’ll find
insects too, for the little ones

breed ‘em
feed, em
keep out of the way

teach them to find their own food
it’s robin’s work
in a robin’s day
it's a robin's world

best of both worlds

best of both worlds
it could be that way
as some perceive
as some friends say

for we spend time there
and some time here,
whether far or near
rapidly goes another year

as Romans have
a summer country home
so we do we, only ours
is in another country

quiet of the weekend

quiet of the weekend
final page of another week
turn out in comfortable clothes
stay at home chores present themselves

a pause from our regular endeavors
regroup to do it again
be thankful for what we have
mark it all down in the good