Take me back

 my 1952 Chevy pickup lived another time, so fine.

As did our perfect 1950 Dodge Cornet.

By the touch of cousin Don,  producer of old vehicle magic.

Years pass,  alas they always do. Oh, memories.

How it warms my heart to have the feeling of those golden days.

Good streams of people and our varied ways.

On the boats, over and under the Golden Gate.

Under the best of sunny skies.

Grover, mike Davis, mike at the Arquez Ship Yard.

Charlotte and seagulls, Crab Louie, so many others

All the boats and the years.

The Coast Guard bringing me in when my engine failed.

What I don’t wear

 Figuring what clothes I don’t wear.

The occasion for some doesn’t happen.

My heavy cowboy hat for instance.

I’ve hardly pulled it out to try it on in thirty years.

It hangs on a wall in an out of sight corner.

Times have changed and I haven’t worn it for a while.

I’ve pictures wearing that hat that I never see.

Times change with little notice.

Car in

 Going along rather normally and okay

Rather completely like every other day then …

Was making noise unexpectedly and brutal.

Then stopped.  Without reason.

Unfortunately we’re going in with expectations 

Car folk will magically decide why.

This is the strange route we have set upon again.

Sitting in the car place can be long and lonely.

I’ll have one donut.

Clean sweep

 Halls fill with hope because weather said heat today.

Seems outlandish I know. Can you believe it?

I have nothing to confirm good temperatures upon us.

I should sip my coffee slowly to see the weather design.

Maybe it is written in the wind.

Now I’ll put on a vest because it’s cool.

No one walking by; must be waiting.

Misread. heat not expected, wind is.

So the weather is a wreck.

All those tornados in other parts, is it our turn?

We have no basement in which to find safety.

Here is where we have to be just plain lucky again.

So far behind us.

 The days have changed.

We‘ll wear lighter clothing.

The days are longer; there is more sun-time.

just like snap, it changed.

 Now to set ourselves new ways to function.

I’m looking forward to being outside.

Hello to you.  How about this fresh season?

Best wishes.

Slept to spring

Kept eyes out for winter’s departure.

Wouldn’t go, would not go.

 Finally it happened.. You know how long we waited?

Everyone stood around looking for spring to open its doors.

At last the vegetation grew more visible green than yellow.

And I’m a most happy fellow.

I’m telling you we rode a slow lame horse to get here.

All will be better now. I promise we’ll work outside.

The land, the flowers. Vegetation will be happy.

With no hesitation we’ll be snappy

Under blu sky and sunshine. You’ll hear us say:

Summers on the way.

Words written

 When Ned Washington set the words 

to that melody by DimitriTiomkin he put

down something that would last.

I met Ned in Los Angeles at the American 

Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers.

meeting. The time will stay with me.

Starting with nothing then 

pulling those words out and putting

them together for the movie High Noon

was like magic: Do not 

Forsake me oh my darling.