Alpaca Farm

Tomorrow there is time to plan
for what to do with the undeveloped land
thirty-six acres of grazing space
the perfect place for an Alpaca farm. 

Grade the driveways and divide the plot

build a barn and a house or two
fence the property and corrals,

bring home two females and a male to stud
from the best alpacas in the southwest region.

Brush them daily for their soft fur,
learn to weave rugs and crochet sweaters and caps. 

Advertise on a worldwide website
open the farm for visits from school kids
Thrive in the open space
on an Alpaca farm of your own design. 

Musician in New Orleans

To say you’re a musician in New Orleans
is like saying you’re an actor in Hollywood
one of a million in a sea of unknowns.

Talent gets forgotten along with the wannabes
tossed in a heap of anonymity
but the longing in your heart
keeps you trying to get the part

honing your skills, playing
to empty rooms and distracted crowds,
letting the music seep deeper into your bones
calluses on your fingertips

worn off and formed again
looked for a bus out of town

found a train but leads to nowhere,
the music won’t let you go

so you stay another day
write a song for others to play
your words get swept away
leaving your music floating in the air. 

Rising Star

Outlandish on a public stage 
performer, quite extraordinary 

adored and envied by many 

Her eyes are green, deep emerald,
hair, kinky and black; skin like chocolate 
athletic body illuminated on the stage. 

Crowds wrap around the block, 
tickets in hand, ready to listen to the band 
pushing to get close but there are too many. 

Her songs stir the soul, giving insight 
to love and heartbreak, the fans 
scream when she dances across the stage 

reaching out to touch her 
but she is guarded by the man
trained to protect her from so many 

When her time in the light is done 
she blows kisses then she’s gone 
but her perfume lingers on the stage. 

She is whisked off into the night 
to hide from her fans
to a secret location to be with  

members from her band  
who comfort her and hold her hand. 
making sure she is ready

for the next time on the stage
tries to count the days on the road

but there are too many. 

How Things Work

When it comes to machines,
I find someone who can make sense of it

then ask them do the work
which they do with logic and skill
fixing most anything if they have all the parts

For growing things
it is pretty much the same,
seeking out someone who has the gift
to work the ground and make things grow

this inter-dependency creates community,
a give and take, sharing one another’s gifts
to become productive and cooperative

competition has to be put aside
tapping into the intelligence of many
so all can survive, 

but when greed takes over
exploitation of labor for personal gain,
society falls apart never to be whole again.

Moving Target

He won the election but what is leadership 
if no one follows?  Being out in front of the crowd
or on a pedestal makes an easy target
for opinions and sniper fire, not able to change 
things on the inside, he must venture out

to the skinny branches to succeed or fall
better to try rather than to stay in safe spaces 
hidden away from greatness, walking a narrow road
where nothing is ever accomplished.  

I can remember when I was part of groups
who were responsible for changing things 
there were always the big idea guys
sucking up air in meetings but when it came
down to doing work they were nowhere to be found 
except when awards were handed out  
then they wanted to step to the head of the line.

 
Others complained at every step 
making most action impossible but their negativity

actually revealed what didn’t work, then a handful 
of dedicated workers persisted and manifested
the change they all dreamed about.  

Juxtaposition

I sat on a wooden bench in a museum
to watch a large black and white movie projected on the wall-
archival film clips from Columbia where fair skinned Europeans
live in luxury, dancing at fancy parties,

dress in beautiful clothes,
enjoying the best life has to offer, 
eating at opulent tables with perfect teeth
and bodies adorned in diamonds and gold.

These images are juxtaposed against
the indigenous natives with their dark skin
and rags, life of misery, working for the rich,
sweeping floors, washing clothes,
living in squalor, then flash back 

to the wealthy in late model automobiles
going to the theater, seeking pleasure
in song and dance, laughter along with caviar.

The poor dance upon the dusty ground
accepting suffering as a way of life
until they rebel against the elite,
destroying their cities, forcing them to flee

their strength in numbers doesn’t make up for the gap
in education, so they align with a dictator
and do exactly what he says. After all,
he knew what was best for them.

Relegated once again to poverty and ignorance
but at least, in this new world, they were not juxtaposed
against the lives of the wealthy,
poverty was equally shared, suffering a common reality

making life easier to bear
when everything
was the same for everyone. 

World View

I asked her if she listened to world news

sports scores were more her speed
didn’t care much about the unrest in Egypt
or the recovery after Super Storm Sandy
the economic downturn was not her issue,
she didn’t have much to say about the election,

except her candidate won.
Her face is wrinkle free, not worried about
problems that are not her own
wants to get home to feed the dog
and get to work on time
marks her calendars for girl’s nights out,

and when she needs to get her hair done,
but what can be done about world problems?
She doesn’t care, not her concern
but did I know April and Kent are splitting?
She’s pregnant with his son, but he's too immature
to stick around. Ashley posted pictures of her trip,

did I want to see them?
She learned a new dance step
tried it out, also a new recipe
for macaroni and cheese,
didn’t like it with mushroom soup
preferred regular milk and sharp cheddar.

Governments fall, soldiers are killed
thousands of people now homeless
none of that crosses her radar,
glad the Buckeyes won and going
to the championship, found some new wine
in Temecula, an aloe lotion for her dry skin.

She's too tired from her job to go to the gym,
her boyfriend is so busy they don’t spend
as much time together as she would like,
the price of gas is going through the roof,
and it costs more at the grocery store
familiar shops have closed nearby

might have to get a second job
at least through the holidays
looks at cat and dog antics
on You Tube, doesn’t read the news
can’t do anything about it anyway
better to keep her eyes on her own problems

rather than being concerned
about people so far away
and things she can't change anyway.