P(oem)-A-D(ay) n° 5

can my heartbeat
drum a path to eternal music
far from you, to a reuniting

my soul is shattered a hundred-fold
in this one place we never
discovered

but to lose myself in the fragrance
of lilac and azalea
death is not my option

waterfalls woo my cooling blood
in this choice
to embrace forgetfulness

on this island paradise
my feet tread my senses
towards delights only you relished

I was always blind until
your joy led me
reminded me of life

the warmth of your love
has abandoned the sunlight
moonlight is no longer my salvation


to lose myself…
[2012.5.4…a]

P(oem)-A-D(ay) n° 4

my voices reign in silence
the strange people have cast aside
their fondness for exciting gray matter
their words have faded
to no longer admonish
or coax with coy repartee
no more murmuring

internal blizzard creates turmoil
upon the mime of my mind
white nothingness surrounds me
an infinite visual stimulation
yet I cannot count the flakes
nor revel in their diversity
snowfall also reigns in silence
this storm which numbs my brain
is a first warning
a demise for my never-ending story

if my voices have deserted me
can my heartbeat
drum a path to eternal music


the warning of silence
[2012.4.4…a]

P(oem)-A-D(ay) n° 3

I have epitaphs to sell
death outlasts life in barrenness
where salt-poisoned rivers snake
in labyrinths through sandscape
beauty is a souvenir

I have stories to tell
unbelievable tales, fairy dances
falsehood spun to spurn eternity
but the songs of the wind are silent

outstretched over the graveyard
I stand tall and gnarled, twisted and proud
I alone have survived a hundred decades
my strong limbs battle the elements’ disdain
they leave shadows as vast as the horizon
my heart-shaped leaves wither twice yearly
the first are pale like the moon’s reflection
the second blaze like blood-fall
my flowers are like extinct snowflakes
death’s tears nourish my roots
they reach bedrock where dreams linger
and I, the last witness
may never sleep

I have secrets that quell
endless days of blinding light
like love’s destiny carved deep
weeping words pierce my bark
children die alone
generations of ghosts

there are no more epitaphs to sell
my voices reign in silence


the last witness
[2012.3.4…a]

P(oem)-A-D(ay) n° 2

wishes of a poet trying to avoid foolishness
my lifetime verse is listed in reams
my fingers whisper only pianissimo songs

dying

like other dreams quickly vying for death’s grace
who will recite simple prayers for its eternal soul
when I cover it in soft loamy earth?

wild violets

planted in ceramic under a glass bell
poised atop a marble tombstone, purple
like the bruises clawing at my soul

pain does not…

allow my freedom
the least movement jars each nerve
overdose or amputation might kill temptation

I cannot write
brushes only paint in abstract splashes
music, that once sparkled with two hands

has become inaudible sound

spoken with a shaky voice
caught by posterity’s microphone
I have epitaphs to sell


the silent hand
[2012.2.4…a]

P(oem)-A-D(ay) n° 1

April first
bangs its fist against showers and colorful flowers
in a tempestuous home-coming
and a slight fight with winter’s worst chills

the cat scratches at the window like a crazed banshee
he has an extra layer of fur for the balcony’s arctic exploration
or the simple genetic expression of wild bird chases

after dissipating the morning haze, the sun tries for brightness
skies veer towards a tint of jazzy blue-without-blues
but I will wear wool to the market
gloves and scarves to break the wind's cheerfulness

the season to be jolly has gone although Scrooge has returned
he forgot fire and brimstone and the devil's ashen thunder
scheduled complaints in July if frogs don’t fall from the sky

Mother Nature has been kidnapped by a single-nation-consortium
of ultra-right-wing-religiously-reborn-politicians-cum-fanatics
holding out for the highest interest rates

in Zimbabwe, will blizzards admonish the poachers today?
will record setting sweltering melt the glaciers in Iceland?
will monsoons turn the Sahara into a soggy playground?

the Baskerville Hounds will howl
hear them and cringe, for disaster abounds

half-life dust from Fukushima and Chernobyl
and Hiroshima’s remains slowly shred ozone layers
the dwindling Amazon forest cancers Earth’s lungs
Apocalyptic threats of end-of-time cauterize New Year’s merriment
terrorist world strife forewarns wars for religious domination
the poor munch on bread, drink unclean water, sleep in tents

the rich — smother them in their pillows made of gold —
no, fuck the rich, they should taste the progress of rape
they will dream of twin towers inferno as death covets their treasures
they didn’t reflect on slight irregularities plaguing the global thermostat
blinded by millions just like true love

to deem life would remain sweet and simple is out of style
mile-high wishes of gentle poets trying not to be fools...


not so far off course
[2012.1.4...a]

(...sleepless...)

I witness the monotonous blackness of night
where is this quaintness called sleep?
starlight, hidden by the city, should be the backdrop of dreams


insomnia (take 327)
[2012.21.3...a]

(...a new small stone...)

red sunlight leaves dusty stains on a shimmering path between the rooms
adieu from the west sweeps through in a slow kaleidoscope waltz


sunset on a Monday
[2012.19.3...a]

improvisation

catch it now before brandy erases the ping
improvise the harmonies
dark evening sky surrounds my soul's
fledging need for the sting of drama
prepare tonight's bedtime stories
to be shared with the cat's purring
everything

even this minute

is a prélude to dreams
casting songs on banana split carnaval floats
wind chimes tame midnight's approach
do not chastise my hunger for novelty
it is encased in words no one will remember

even this minute
[2012.18.3...a]

from small stone to poetry

alone on a mountain top
incandescent beauty surrounds silence
a moment with eternity to contemplate the miracle of life
and why I have my place in it


3:55 a.m.
[2012.22.2...a]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



no sound,
no music disturbs the heights 
White Eagle, keeper of my spirit
seeks
quiet meditation here

alone on a mountain top
incandescent beauty
surrounds
this silence, a moment
with eternity
to contemplate the miracle
of life, why
I have my place in it

zenith illuminates
the lands below us
we are two specks, twin shadows
among a myriad of others
I awake from introspection's charm
and soar
to embrace myself
where White Eagle left
my upright reflection
in the lake
below
my place is two-fold:
to be the horizon
to observe life's paths
towards the heavens


in the flash of a dream
[2012.22.2...b]

a home is first a puzzle

yesterday, snow melted upon an L-shaped concrete slab
today a pre-fabricated wood house has sprouted from a huge truck blocking the street, a crane to lift puzzle pieces one after the other into the waiting arms of four human workers
soon new neighbors will claim their home


a home is first a puzzle
[2012.14.2...a]

...content with these offerings...

complete silence, calm reigns
the furnace has stopped its incessant rumbling, the cat sleeps
my breath has no music
thoughts pass like snow-filled clouds, unbursting
my words lack synonyms, I am content with these offerings
a single chirp -- a sparrow -- the others have gone elsewhere


...content with these offerings...
[2012.13.2...a]

morning walk

going south I encounter the shadows of trees and lampposts; elongated and prostrate, they reach for the northern light
my forward pace crosses their static wait
I want to reassure them it's not much warmer where I go

I turn east, almost parallel with my own shadow
ahead of me, he reassures me of the way to our hearth


morning walk
[2011.12.2...a]

change

suddenly, he adds a hint of vibrato, then a subtle crescendo
and a long drawn-out note becomes music


change
[2012.11.2...a]

to greet the world

a Valentine welcome
at the local flower shop: a bed of colorful rose petals replace the doormat...


to greet the world
[2012.10.2...a]

held hostage

cold arctic wind sweeps through my leather coat
wields sure paths between fur hats and wool scarves and tender skin
seeps cracked blue hypnosis into my gloves
this winter demon blows fine particles of sub-zero drafts rolling between thin windows and ill-fitting wood frames
he holds warmth as a hostage in a few hours' bright sunlight

even icicles weather quietly on my heart and soul


held hostage
[2012.9.2...a]

touching fairy tales

behind these tears
is a lost love I only dream
one that leaves my heart bleeding, pierced and broken by a chagrin I have never held close
I am still a frog waiting for a soul who sees a prince in my eyes
and allows my heart to blossom beyond these tears


touching fairy tales 
[2012.8.2...b]

winter movements

my eye catches white
mosaics of ice patches glitter on a sea of asphalt 
puffs of white smoke from chimney tops create silent, modern ballet  


winter movements
[2012.7.2...a]

morning exercise

fabric softener for sore hands:
Haydn Sonata in A-flat
supple, delicate, harmonious


morning exercise
[2012.6.2...a]

first fall

I waited in yesterday's sunlight
for snow break
this morning it falls patiently, calmly
transforming bleak winter landscapes
into a miracle of purity


first fall
[2012.5.2...a]

mealtime

in an hour the wild bird grapevine
will tweet that on the top floor balcony where the sun does not shine
the feeders are filled...
at the same moment, watching their feathered displays
I will enjoy my noon-time meal  


mealtime
[2012.3.2...a]

movement

sparrows and tits fight for a place at the feeder in a complicated aerial ballet
behind the window, one cat keeps time with a swishing tail


movement
[2012.2.2...a]

boxed sunlight

bright winter sunlight,
a box of fine Belgian chocolates
companions for warmth


boxed sunlight
[2012.1.2...a]

white storm

ice wind swirls
frost covers tile roofs, whitens plant pots
every now and then a flake pirouettes
the Snow Gods are not far away


white storm
[2012.31.1...a]

one word

one word left out of mother's obituary 
beloved (I must not have been...
was she thus for me?)


one word
[2012.30.1...a]

on a cold morning

in the irregular cracks of a cobblestone entry way
thick  moss adds green to the sun-caught sparkle of grey marble
winter's blue sky completes the decoration 


on a cold morning 
[2012.29.1...a]

the return

before dawn
thousands of city lights coax the sun along its return path


the return 
[2012.28.1...a]

centered in sunlight

rare winter sunlight catches an iridescent shimmer of a pigeon's neck feathers
he waits on a bright moss-covered stone centered in a barren flower bed


centered in sunlight
[2012.27.1...a]

cloud break

daybreak
sees giant arms tug at the swirling mass of varied grey 
cloud break allows a shimmer of light to glow on the horizon
and grow into hope


cloud break
[2012.26.1...a]

cat time

on a mottled blue linoleum floor a black and white cat pursues a tiny blue twisty 
he doesn't care the weather is a dull grey
although in ten minutes his game will change
he'll paw at raindrops streaking the kitchen window


cat time
[2012.25.1...a]

winter ballet

my thoughts come quietly, like clouds on a winter sky
leaving no trace, they move away in a ballet
of mimes dressed only in shades of grey


winter ballet
[2012.24.1...a]

anchors

I have steel-blue eyes, a white beard
my heart and soul are ragged, both have known love's illumination and hate's stark shadows
today I struggle to merely be me, I have lost my last earthly anchor
I will not apologize for who I am


anchors
[2012.23.1...a]

twins

both twins watch me closely, my actions a cartoon I imagine
Andrea chatters away with me about broccoli 
Julia watches and only barely whispers a forced hello
both have stolen different parts of my heart
but my tenderness goes for silent, watchful eyes...


twins
[2012.22.1...a]

for Amani

there is always a smile in her soft girlish voice
she rarely speaks of her life as an exile
of her homeland close to war
of indiscriminate death colliding with family and friends
the heartache of seeing too much...
what has to happened to her youth?


for Amani
[2012.21.1...a]

inside the outdoors

outdoors, metal and wood chimes accompany the gushing wind
inside, the kettle bubbles, the furnace hums, my spoon clinks on the bowl
the cat leaves paw prints on the blue linoleum, the sink has heard the song of running water on clean dishes,
the sky is a used mothball grey, trees sway in the leftovers of yesterday's storm
no rain darkens the pavement
no puddles to make footprints that will mark my passage here and there


inside the outdoors
[2012.20.1...a]

winter storm

my heart is a grey, blustery winter storm
drenched in rain and the thunder of lost gods who do not understand
the tormented folly of humanity


winter storm
[2012.19.1...a]

lost

lost, one small hour at a time
drunken stupor, that first hour of sleep, the slow returning reality after the grace of "Om Nama Shivaya"
she forever remains dead
and I damned by her lack of love


lost
[2012.18.1...a]

a question of nourishment

at the breakfast table, I watch the cat at the window who patiently spies on a sparrow at the balcony's feeder...
he dreams of roast bird;  in my mind, there was never any question of  cat stew...


a question of nourishment
[2012.17.1...a]

pale imitations

sunrise
a complete palette of blues, mottled with a pastel fluttering of pink, orange and violet
I gently close the water color box
I've no talent to imitate such perfect harmony



pale imitations
[2012.16.1...a]

northbound

in the morning sunlight I follow my shadow on a northbound journey
I hope he knows where we're going...


northbound 
[2012.15.1...a]

in shadowed patchwork

the lattice work of a garden barrier leaves an elegant shadow
on the frosted asphalt sidewalk... uncentered in the patchwork light,
a few blades of new grass have fought to create a green crack


in shadowed patchwork
[2012.14.1...a]

park benches

grey winter haze has lifted this morning
promising skies of blue, dark anti-glare glasses
and maybe city park-bench sunbathing...


park benches
[2012.13.1...a]

before breakfast

late winter sunrise has no sound
it happens after the zen music of my alarm 
the cat's insistent purring
the snap, crackle, pop of my aging joints
I  too stretch before leaving the night's downy warmth
from the kitchen, a feeble meow invites me to hurry
he pounces quickly on my uplifted left leg
hanging like a trophy from my ankle
my first words are "good boy..."



before breakfast
[2012.12.1...a]

black keys

they arrive with crumpled  notebooks, timid smiles
and questions they can always answer without my help
they are my daily angels
reminding me that when they confuse f-sharp and a-flat
we are all human just trying to do the best we can


black keys
[2012.11.1...a]

there are always choices

faint hints of powder blue try to influence the sky's hard winter grey
the cat refuses to drink from his floor-bound bowl, preferring an old applesauce jar in the sink
while I watch green tea slowly transform clear hot water
I have two choices:
return to the comforting arms of Morpheus until noonday hunger stops my torpor
face the day, its grey loneliness, my blue grief 


there are always choices
[2012.10.1...a]

one fleeting moment

slowly, as if afraid of what will be uncovered, she looks up
and sees herself as many will always see her
someone unique, someone capable of more than just going through the motions of life...
for a fleeting moment, she believes everything is possible


one fleeting moment
[2012.8.1...c]

while the tea cools

through invisible tears, I notice nothing
but an absent pain that should paralyze me
the cat covets birds visiting his balcony
a pot of green tea cools
I answer the phone and console a weeping friend
life returns to a calmer pace
and I know in the years to come 
a larger hole of loneliness will slowly befriend and tame my grief


while the tea cools
[2012.8.1...b]

to tarry close

this evening at dusk, she decided to calm my spirit, this lovely, waxing moon underlined by stripes of pink and baby  blue that tugged closely to the  horizon's promise...
her nightly destination did not allow her to tarry close to my tears, but through my large third-floor picture window I rejoiced with her for an hour before she passed elsewhere to spread her calm beauty to another needy soul...


to tarry close
[2012.6.1...b]

"stormy weather"

the first storm has passed, winds die, rain dries, sunlight tries for good cheer
the second storm will follow me to my death :
mother leaves her riches to my sister's children
I retain the black memories, still a pauper 


"stormy weather"
[2012.6.1...a]

I am cold

a trembling seizes my gut, sixth sense of foreboding
the telephone had an urgency when it rang, I ran, but got an unusual rhythmic beeping
the angel of death is visiting my doorstep far on the other side of the world
I am cold, love is never enough 


I am cold
[2012.5.1...a]

forward movement

brisk morning walk
winter breath  escapes upward like a crisp fog
sunlight , a warm, exhilarating beacon upon my face
my eyes sparkle  with the universe


forward movement
[2012.4.1...a]

return to peace

sadness grasps at my gut, anchoring me
to this place I must leave, this harbor for my heart at your hearth...
today my brief smiles are  filled with longing
for a return to peace



return to peace
[2012.3.1...a]

cloudlike

fluffy make-believe mountain ranges, brown-grey wisps of smokey cigars
feathers of cotton candy, yesterday's leftover firework puffs and other phantasmagorical dragons, icebergs of snow to be, a globe of sci-fi continents
destination approaches
hugging the horizon are not clouds
but daggers of perfect white peaks not yet melted


cloudlike
[2012.2.1...a]

a new motto

morning is wrapped in a thick, ethereal fog
as if we have followed E.T. home after midnight's frenetic cry for newness
silence is the day's motto


a new motto
[2012.1.1...a]