Things I Notice

One small bird stretches a vocal chord,

mixing with the smooth carriage 

of wind and leaf.

Purple crab apple blossoms slouch

over a grey panel fence.

Streets reach between tall narrow houses,

siding, grey brick, red brick,

bright signs advertising error-

not this way.

Concrete telephone poles holding

street lamps over us.

Did you see the leaves poke through the fence,

the stop sign concealed by a shrub?

The bearded man walking a hairy dog?

The years have thickened my skins,

though I look weather-beaten and mangey,

my eye is keen as a hawks

and my hearing discerns like a razor.

My gait is swift and silent.

Few notice me anymore.

When Death Comes

When death comes,

The room you were always going to finish 

Stays the way it is.

The grandchildren miss out on you

Forever.

The garden has grown wild and untamed,

And you will never get to it

Again.

They will all miss you

But you won't know or care.

There'll be nothing to resist,

No problems to fix,

No one to be disappointed in,

No one at all, 

Anymore.

Worth It!

Love has me stretched on the rack

of your mercy.

It is like a shot of tequila,

has me wincing at the taste.

I am an addict for the cringing feelings;

forcing my shoulders together,

and it is so good,

even if you reject me

and cut me off from him,

that smile and the energy

of his small body,

dancing and skipping,

throwing his joy around with every movement.

Just the memory and the knowledge of risk

lifts me off this chair

and I will not succumb to despair.

Gonzo

Give me the born again Christian
who cusses Christ! and God Damn!
Give me the Shia of Islam
who oft quotes Jesus and Rumi.
Give me the one who succumbed
in the time of trial and torture.
Give me the Buddhist who likes English breakfast and
admits that Hindus are right.
These are the ones who
smile with a child
and laugh at the
end of the world.
They seek the glory
in each fading moment and
never give up on the truth.
And they are beyond you my friend,
don't give a shit what you think.
There is no map to where they've arrived,
there is no time when they leave.
It is always a fool who counsels a king
and always a friend who betrays.
And beyond that exists a place of pure joy,
and that is the joke, don't you see.
It is a joke played on me by me
which requires a unique brand of humour.
And it's all quite amusing, you'll see,
it's become quite amusing to me.

Man of Clay

I don't think I can do my life anymore.
Filament cracks are forming all over my skin
which is becoming dry to the touch, flaking away,
the man of clay is almost no more.

I ask you, what is the core of this being?
Is it just air that will no longer care about you or me or him?
Or is it bright light, a being of white, a god so secretly veiled,
Like the one so sorely impaled a long time ago?

Stay in touch, I'll let you know.

Boy Mind Dream

From here to infinity
the small boy exclaims
mimicking his western star.
Rayman was caught
chasing a hen.
Emergency project this village,
reinforcing good mannered accord.
Forget it was never actual.
It was a slowly turned axel
in the invincible jeep of his mind.
Caravans are dreams
in deerlick thoughts.
Believe you me I know.

North Korea

North Korea

North Korea is a grievance
like the one I had against you.
A sliver sunk deep in the soft flesh
producing poison that may need a lance.
Mine I freed by soothing it out,
reminding myself of happier days,
believing that we could both change
while things were not so desperate.