Not Today

Squadrons of geese

Flying in vees

Reminding me 

That today is to be seized

Time to plan ahead

Thankful I’m not dead

Preparing for the glorious

Swatches to burst into view

Then the cold hard scents

Of rotting leaves and 

Skeletal trees before the 

Inevitable freeze.

Flock off birds.

Not today!

Sept 2016

Matter

For three weeks.

There.

On the road.

By the curb.

Where each day

thousands accelerate

onto the highway

She started out a cat.

Somebody's cat to miss

or 

maybe feral, 

missed by her own

She's a cat no more.

Matter.

My glimpse is just a blip on my trip

Each day there is less of her 

Each day there is less of fur 

One day there will be none.

No one stopped and scooped

"Not my job", we say

Pass by passively every day

Unnoticed 

unwanted 

uncaring

These words are all that's left

Of a life that didn't matter.

Lightning Bugs

Fireflies flicker in the thicket at dusk

Winking in the warm breathless night

Little beacons luring mates or prey

Being neither, I delight in their display

I heard there were more this year

This evening bears that out

Sequins on the lawn 

before the dew settles

A week of calm before 

the Cicadas arrive to crow

The slow decline of summer

And the next turn of the page

The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams, You dreamer,

Bring me all your Heart melodies (2x)

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the rough hewn fingers

Of the world.

bring me all of your hurts, you hurter

bring me all your festering wounds  (2x)

that I may bind them

in cool white linen

away from the rough hewn fingers

of the world

bring me all of your fears you fearer,

bring me all your darkest nights (2x)

that I may wrap them 

in my bosom

away from the rough hewn fingers

of the world

Bring me all of your dreams, You dreamer,

Bring me all your Heart melodies (2x)

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the rough hewn fingers

Of the world.

Ami Bmi7(b5) E7

Fma7......E7    Ami

song adapted from Langston Hughes poem.

Tea

Chilly fall day

After school

A craving for tea

Not chai

Not coffee

First tea in years

Sweetened 

With maple

Syrup

Sitting in 

The ancestral 

chairs that

I inherited

And my dad

Inherited and

My kids

Will inherit

I think of 

cribbage

And 

Get Smart

Reruns

Fifteen two

Fifteen four 

Fifteen six

And a pair

Is eight

One day

my mum

Forgot

How

I hope

I never

Forget

The Cough

Woke up coughing

Shortness of breath

Felt I was drowning

Felt closer to death

Nothing seemed to work

I was gasping for air

Hard to remain calm

With death hovering so near

I'm breathing easy now

The coughing's settled down

But afraid to close my eyes

In case I really drown

I'm not ready to go just yet

Death knocked at the wrong door

I'm counting all my blessings now

And wishing for many more

Cherry Squares

I made Cherry Squares today

The legendary recipe

(Doubled) 

I only ate one (to test it of course)

Enough calorific value 

To power a generator

Or keep me awake.

When we were kids

We could honk as many squares

As we could get away with 

Avoiding my mom's wooden spoon 

Flailing at us like some 

Pathetic scarecrow

Doomed to failure.

I thought maybe the smell

Might bring her back

Or maybe the taste

Or the pride in seeing them disappear

Down the gullets of her loved ones.

Make this broken house a home again. 

My mum is gone now, almost two years

And that's just her body. 

She started leaving several years before that.

Her Cherry Squares (the legendary ones)

Aren't the same 

Without her around.

Now I can eat as many as I want,

And I only had one. I only wanted one

A lot less fun. A lot less magic.

A wee bit tragic. No strategy to beat

The sentry. No sentry, free entry

There they sit in the fridge

Waiting to be coveted

Waiting to be fought over

Waiting to be honked

Nobody here to honk them

It said "guard with your life"

On the recipe

Maybe that's why i can't sleep.

My family is all apart now. 

We come together for

Weddings and funerals

And talk on the phone

Less and less often. 

Too busy.

"If you bake Cherry Squares, maybe they will come"

Pan of dreams.

Better stolen.

April 7, 2016.

For The Birds

If it weren't for the sound of morning birds

My waking in the suburbs

Might be just an ordinary day

The birds remind me that I can hear

And I can think and be thankful

For small mercies

Cardinals and robins,

Finch and chickadee

And mystery birds that

Only people in Tilley hats 

And grandmothers can name

No mourning doves

Or mockingbirds today

Nor crows or squawking jay

A lone goose (probably silly)

In search of a V

Time to meet my day

And make the coffee

Lighter on my feet

Because I listened up.

Serenity

I love the silence

It lets the music shine through

You love my music

It's my gift from me to you

From me to you

Serenity

I love the peace of knowing

You're here with me

Being her with me

And knowing that we are free

We know our days are numbered

There's no time to waste

We've got to cherish every moment

Savour every taste

Every taste

Serenity

Some battles can't be fought

Some treasures can't be bought

We've already been taught

What's right and what is not

2016/07/01

Where Did The Words Go?

Where did the words go?

They trickle now

Where they used to flow

Where did the words go?

Damn the dam

That side door slam

That took my words away

The divining rod

Of the fresh and young

That showed me where

the spring had sprung

From dowsed to doused

Verbose to close

The Cat had got my tongue

It's not that I have nothing to say

Or that my passion has gone away

Mundane things get in the way

The trivia of day to day

A turn of phrase that caught my ear

Why did the words just disappear?

But look, the words are flowing here

The cool blue stream is deep and clear

Magically they just re-appear 

So I dip my cup and drink

All is well

2016/07/02

Everybody Loved Nancy

Everybody loved Nancy

In a push me, pull you kind of way

Nobody ever knew her

Nobody ever came close

The loneliness of loose thoughts,

Random scenarios, and what ifs

Crushed her ruthlessly

Nobody ever cared 

The pews were full 

Everyone who didn't care

Caught unaware

Crying real tears on her grave

2016/08/04

Christmas Ornaments

My Ornaments are gone 

Trifles that meant something 

sometime, somewhere

....gone....

That tied me to tinsel memories

Of gathered pines and home

I left them on the curb of downsize divorce

I never missed them until just now

Four seasons into something new.

Her ornaments are testaments to 

Ordinary Eyes

ORDINARY EYES

You say your eyes 

are ordinary

Ordinary eyes....

Melanin loaded....

Common....

Mine are a fluke of 

Tyndall scattering

In the stroma

And larger

Deposits of collagen

But they see

Mine see yours 

Yours see mine 

unique, oblique, boutique

probes and globes 

A sight for sorry eyes

Anything but common

my Hands

My hands 

Are capable

They write

They play

They work

My lips 

Are capable

They sing

They play

They kiss

Remarkable

They are yours

Thank You

hank goodness for my open arms.
Thank you.

Thank goodness For the gift of time
Thank you.

Thank goodness You can count on me

Thank goodness that My thoughts are free

Thank you

I’m glad I woke up today

I’m glad I’ve got things to say

Thank you

glad I’ve got an attitude

thank you 

attitude of gratitude

thank you

glad there’s people

who listen out there

with hearts that are open

and minds aware

thank you

I’m glad I woke up today

I’m glad  I’ve got things to say

Thank you

grateful for the gifts I possess

thank you

grateful for all tenderness

thank you

grateful for the moon and the stars

my singing voice and this guitar

thank you

I’m glad I woke up today

I’m glad I’ve got things to say

Thank you

Darkness Spewing

I’m sick to death

of death and dying

sick of tears, sick of crying

darkest days of 

dark November

urged to feel

and to remember

darkness spewing from my pen

ring around the roses

…..again….

I’m tired of grieving,

sick of complaining

Of disbelieving and

no-one explaining

sick of this sky

it’s always raining

there used to be a moon, 

And now it’s waning

darkness rings from my guitar

this is what we’ve got

…so far…..

there’s crimes of gender

crimes of race

wrapped in the flag

such a disgrace

where’s do unto others?

and talking face to face?

you left me behind

I can’t follow this pace

darkness spewing from my mouth

lynching, flinching, happening

…down south….

under the radar and

under the sheets

too many losses,

so many defeats

bombs in the cities 

pounding up the streets

all we ever wanted was to

rest in peace

sick of second guessing

tired of being afraid

sick of learning lessons

tired of failing grades

I’m sick to death 

of death and dying

sick of life

sick of trying

darkness spewing very bleak

not so bad when you hear

…..me speak….

Nov 13, 2016

Who Can I Call Now

Three urgent messages

What could be worse?

They always said of love

Someone always leaves first

two short words

there goes my universe

Your heart gave out

My heart just burst

Who can I call now?

Danny knew everything

Who can I call now?

Danny was always there

Who can I call now?

He was my first call 

who can I call now?

he could spin silk

who can I call now?

who can divert me?

who can I call now?

why’d you desert me?

With news good or bad

Any time of night or day

He never let me down

He never pushed me away 

Who can I call now?

Danny's gone

Oct 23d 2016

Loot

Sometimes you shake a tree

To get fruit

But the fruit is easily bruised

Unless you catch it

Sometimes you have to dig

To find loot

That was squirrelled away

For some other rainy day

Sometimes you just need to hold hands

And breathe each other's breath

To understand and see

Without shaking any tree.

Boots

Ears strain in vain

for faint familiar tread

hatred reared it’s ugly head 

hearts ripped raw

heave sobs instead

empty boots 

that never trod 

on holy ground

side by side 

they make no sound

humble men

killed and stilled 

leave ready boots

never again 

to be filled

I see my father’s boots

and those are my teacher’s shoes

I see my brother’s boots

my friend’s and lover’s

stranger’s too 

I see my boots