Poems

cascade of worry,
darkened, narrowed
horizon, nothing to be
given or done

[expect nothing,
let words spill,
accept that they will not
reach perfection
and that neither
will we]

expansiveness,
possibility of delight
around every corner,
words flow

You haven't been here before,
have you?
You look familiar
I think I've seen you before
somewhere.
Can't place it,
on the tip of my tongue,
like the memory of a dream.
Well, okay, you can come in,
have a visit.
Just sit where I can see you,
I'm not comfortable with you
moving around,
opening up the cupboards,
looking in the fridge
for a snack.
Sure, we'll talk
keep to the pleasantries
skim the headlines.
But I've got to get to know you
before I get too comfortable.
What's your name again?
Joy, you say?

Withered old men in Hawaii
Sit at ocean view tables
With furrowed foreheads
Perpetually tan and red eyed
Accompanied by false blondes
They look at precious menus
Desperately trying to turn
Corporate frowns and greed
Into satisfied grins and smiles
No remorse
Just endless regret

Since human time began
Conservatives and liberals
Have been at odds
Who sat where in the cave
Whether or not the fire god is real
Acting in history protecting believers
Who got the biggest portion of the hunt
The hunter who made the kill
Sacrifices to the fire god
Conservatives said no hunting
On the fire god’s birthday
Liberals said hunt when there is game
Conservatives wanted a chief
To be in charge of things
Hunting lands should be assigned
Only the chief could talk to the fire god
Liberals wanted equal opportunity
With the hunt shared by everyone
Conservatives wanted the tribes
Leaders to be inherited by blood
Liberals wanted tribal decisions
To be made with everyone involved
And so it goes, so it goes

He wanted to say something truthful and hopeful
He wanted everyone to see him and like him
He questioned if entertainment could be true
Would it be more true if people laughed
Can truth only be told to frowning faces
Was he hiding behind his narrative
Written for editors and publishers
Would the author’s face in the mirror
Be the same as his face in the mirror

Was he lying to himself
Hidden behind the words
Parsed out for others to read
To do with as they wished
Perhaps create their own truth
Overwhelm his discourse
Maybe a synthesis is required
Melding the intent of many views
Or it all disappears in the mix

All he has is himself and time
To be spent alone
To be spent with others
With the writing to be done
To discover what is there
That is not understood yet
The recognition of the words
Others reading and hearing them
Comparing them to their words

Would it be different
If he were her not him
Jewish, gentile gay straight
Each its very own truth