now look where we are.
different weather surrounds us,
not usual, it's warmer.
see out the window, the snow is melting there.
winter has collapsed,
the bottom dropped out of it.
the heavy winter has been taken away.
carted off, ripped out from under us.
i don't mind, although it seems a portent of different weather to come.
***
note here:i want a semicolon in this punctuation. i will have to wait to try again.
a semicolon carries a certain flare.
doesn't bother me to go back to read
a second time what i wrote.
generally i always have to.
it's not easy to digest a poem the first crack.
is this good or normal? well, who is to worry?
i don't write them in one pass anyway.
This is getting to first base with a poem.
to start i put nuts in a basket. Gathered are feelings and i called them nuts.
he reached into my mouth and unscrewed a post he put in to hold a crown.
i said that right. the post is loose, he(my friend the dentist)'s going to put in a larger post.
(here my wife would say "he's not your friend, he's you dentist." and i'd say "he is too my friend.")
now, on the next day.
I'm going back to (my friend) the dentist;
I'd rather avoid the thought, however, I respect the man.
I'd look ahead happily If i had half a wit.
i'm going to let him twist a larger screw into my jaw.
yeah, i am melting snow
well, seeing it, not participating
it is too slow to watch snow melt.
i am warm inside looking out
take your time; you melt, i'll be here.
there are a thousand people standing around and the new guy is asked:
"Are you here for your second shot, sir?"
new guy looked at the ceiling, thought before he said, "yes."
The guy who asked is in charge.
he wore a dark blue shirt with a badge;
i remember him from the last time...the first time.
He let's the line wait forever, that's who i remember and is dark blue whirt.
the next person in line, a woman, spoke out:
"are you going to let the line continue?"
these are not union volunteers.
the man in charge looked, thought and paused,
then said, "Go. go. go."
i heard the man in charge ask: What color is your car?
in the majority there are only white cars, and grey.
"White". I spun my head around for no reason, i just did.
"the man in charge turned to a girl and said, "when he
comes back tell him he has a white car".
the one telling and the one told are different ones.
so is the one he told.
see how the snow has finished
has yet to melt, but it's over.
walking through my February i see
winter turned the corner.
this is what it looks like at the end.
now after nine a.m. the sun on the glistening snow reflects in a golden light.
i can see it like that.
the crowd is large.
this and that, fat cat, where's your hat?
i looked on the chair ... on the floor ...
on the mat? give me a minute, will you?
Let us chat, shall we?
pat the cat, where he sat. by the bat.
this and that, he smiled.
she tried to smile but had difficulty.
the river runs to the ocean, eventually.
as heavy snow falls.
Texas has a hard time...power outages and freezing temperatures.
blurry snowfall here in northern Ohio.
a few feet. and it continues to fall.
we'll take it easy. see how it, goes.
i don't know how this poor poetry happened.
there were moments when I lost my balance.
words got by me.
all together i'm distracted...we have full-on winter.
snow is to my knees.
i'd bake cookies if i knew how. it's a day for it.
i don't want to read instructions.
and no one needs the sugar.
out of nowhere, started up
blowing lightly, white dots floating by.
makes a pretty morning, still air.
only a breeze with no direction.
growing wind ... north to south.
minus traffic again.
here comes someone walking a dog.
some squirrels, a few birds.
mainly nothing going by
hours pass
begins snowing harder
stops an hour. starts again.
the message is the snow;
keep the weather foot
on the pedal so
no soot, only flakes
dusting piles
of preexisting pounds
weighing on the other day's
accumulation we see,
every where we venture
this day. so we're snowed in
and on. and another foot's
coming
some pieces go together
when you sort them, however
not all fit in any weather
i'm saying cold can be too much
to comfortably fit pieces forever.
like rain can mess you up also.
a clean dry garage is a start for happiness.
so you need a heater. what do we have now?
a pathway to happiness? seems like a shortcut.
be sure to keep good pressure in the tires.
take off your jacket.
leave it on the chair ... the one by the window.
yes, over there.
full is not what i want to be right now, i need to lean up.
i'm thinking warm weather may get me moving.
right now it's writing and thinking. that's filling my time.
and still i've more to do that remains unattended.
publish my book and poems...that way i can see what i have.
i look back and think i need my writing in a heap where i can read it
and see what to edit. to add. are you getting along or just
not thinking about it?
***
look and be filled with poets
all over the place, you see. make a space.
plenty all filing in order, in clover of happiness
what do you expect. now is the season.
get a battery to power your mower.
go moo now.
moo-er, the battery powered electric cow.
drone over for a close look.
moo over the fence.
from whence it came.
chew your green.
stay lean.
dah. deh. dah, dah
dah. deh. dah, dah
play with me, why won't you
stay with me,
i know you really can
take me along, sing our song ...
we'll ride along this way together.
in any weather.
our hearts will sing this song
our song.
looking out upon a winter's
start of morning sunshine.
the color rose blends low on white clouds
and a touch of blue can be seen in the shaded snow field.
looking early with the writer's eye.
the sky is simply empty light blue.
dance my heart for this glimpse
gives me a smile and happiness too.
a few things right.
thanks for help from Meri.
she makes the appointments.
now thanks for the weather...this is winter for crying out loud.
the sun is shining bright morning light;
has a rose/gold tint to the sun waves cast.
when i look in the shade i do see some blue
or suppose i do. that is the artist way of looking.
cold and pretty - that's today. and cold,
you're darn right it's cold. well, good morning
winter in February. now you can settle down
and take the season normally. now six deer
run through our yard, stop and look, walk, then run off.
our family always got together,
grew closer because of her, she's our calendar girl.
in sometime heavy snow.
the two of every February
always a family party and laughter.
never missed her special day.
sure, grandma baked, always frosting on a different cake.
she was the best, groundhogs day. hurray
and grandma has the last laugh. many years have passed,
i'm always reminded of her birthday. ground hogs day
me, the kid, i'm the only one left ... the only one left
happy birthday, i love you, grandma.
storm is over. no more flakes falling,
but it's cold. take your choice, drive or ride.
here to there may be easy if car can get out.
soup and bread sounds right for today
and looking out over white, distant fields ...
sounds like i can hope for.
i am dreaming a lot.
i smile when i wake in the morning,
half the time i look for coffee.
Meredith always makes coffee.
i should play the piano more, but i get busy writing.
how have you been?
And what's your excuse?
Look now. We're taking disease apart.
and as time goes we keep growing.
cleaning house we are, keep going,
Scientists are cleaning the land
by growing enzymes without names.
arbuscules have set up shops...more than one.
step back. stack 'em up, keep growing.
be sure to get your vaccine.
i've done it before, run clean out of January
while looking ahead for warmer days,
trying to erase winter cold from my mind.
today i don't feel heavy calendar involvement although
we are looking down the barrel on the short end of the month.
yes, it's easy nighttime dreaming, then waking
to see another day has flipped by.
January 2021, i'm ready to jump off and leave you.
we need clean water...we have cold air...be sure to dress warm
snow blows in. I'm distracted thinking of those Africans with nothing.
and have to walk half a day for water. how can that be? that is torture.
can't they move closer? they are calm and work to provide for their familys.
meanwhile, here we have it easy in America and it's going to hell.
---
then it would freeze, cold makes ice
when cold is nice, take my advice
how have you been, when actually cow
ten skin win thin ice den twin hen been kin dicey
---
so sometimes it falls apart
and when i look at the cart
i'm pushing it.
wave the flag, we're going to race.
symbols all fill the place
when thinking letters with words forming.
now typing and holy cow, expressions.
sure we are the possessions
of dime rhyme.
WAIT... kindle pinged me for an Irish fiction.
now think computerland, ring deeper.
i think you sent a sleeper.
when i was a kid i never got off on St. Patrick's day.
i've four grandparents born in Poland.
cut flowers, cheese, sausage, coffee, pie, line 'em up...make me cry.
nostrovia
Aaron Rodgers Quarterback for Greenbay
didn't score a touchdown
the first time he had the ball
like Tom Brady and Tampa Bay did.
i told Meri i felt sorry for him
she said, don't. he makes 300 million dollars.
bought a house in Malibu with his girlfriend
and now he's getting another one...girl friend?
yeah, who needs two houses.
emails keep pouring in. i don't see why.
where have i been?
since when?
well, send money not emails.
i don't have to read dollar bills.
gives me chills.
books are open kindlecordingly
they do stack electronically.
if i had a horse, and knew how to ride
i'd be cookng over an open fire
and sleeping under stars.
that planet is Mars...where i'm pointing.
nice night, yeah?
7:30 in the morning, i flipped on the TV.
Wolf Blitzer looks tired. the man so admired.
i took a shower the first hour i'm awake.
the anauguration is today.
everyone will line up soon black car after another.
Joe is getting ready, maybe he's having breakfast.
i forgot about breakfast, there i remembered and i'm hungry.
so i made bacon and scrambled eggs.
then from a good seat in my tv chair,
well, we switched, but often do that, i'm in her chair.
both chairs are identical, more or less... no, exactly, and forty years old - from Nancy Otten..
our day is marking the event. no snow fall, a cold spring-like day.
good sun. i'll believe he goes easy when he is gone.
it's eight o'clock...the door is open...he hasn't gone yet.
this is our time also. a point to mark time. i'd rather have a musical event
like a singer and piano player. Diane Krall, heard her recently, what a fine artist.
put her on a fine piano and you have something.
Meri put it together, there's no crowd at the airport...he wants to talk to a crowd.
8:15 he and wife, Melania are in the helicopter.
8:18 liftoff for a fifteen minutes flight to Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. Joint base Andrews
what, i have to give a travel report for this poem?
my words are sleepy also i suppose.
not greased but moving ahead. i should be at a table looking
toward the rising sun. having an easy winter.
well i'll have breakfast then see how the world looks.
mask up,
way to go;
tie one on
this time for Joe.
i'd say we were fifteen
eating lunch in the school cafeteria
for the first time. at the same table
he watched me eat, i watched him.
mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, and meat.
he was amazed because i ate things together.
one bite here, one bite there; and i'd never seen someone like him.
he ate all the potatoes, then all the vegetable,
then all the salad, then all the meat.
we do as we are taught.
the overboard moon, i took along
as i could carry it.
my heart sank in the warming trend post;
day after day i made notes.
memories in Rome poured out.
what we saw
as we took buses new places.
and the familiar
over and over: bus by train and car.
so many corners we turned.
my heart is warmed
with lasting impressions.
i'm glad to have made a note of it.
enjoy the ride, did you?
in the library someone sits in the center
spinning through pages in a book, looking for something.
Concentratng. Evidently busy.
As i come in the front door a librarian at the main desk
spins her head to see who entered.
"Good morning", she says to me with a smile.
"Hello". i say. i recognize her from years ago but don't recall her name.
She stands taller at the counter and awaits my words.
"Who is that at the center desk," I ask.
"Arnold," she says, "I don't think you know him. He's new in town."
I nodded.
"Has it stopped raining yet?" she asks, looking out the window.
I smiled. "Almost. It is nearly finished. Not like before, that's for sure."
...
there are stacks of them.
I came for only one.
i see that is so. what is the hook? i will write until i finish.
