2015

Celebrating 45th. Anniversary in 2014

Waiting for Company

He knew better
but told Humphrey anyway
that we were expecting
kids and grand kids,
to come by three.

Right now it is noon
so every little sound
has his attention
so he will bark and bark
'til they arrive.

Accidents Happen

He had been a champion
catering to every little need
making sure I was comfortable

then he moved the ottoman
with a single shift
and tore the nail from his big toe.

It looked like he had opened the hood
of a 1956 Chevy
he screamed, I cried

then he pushed the nail back in place
wiping off the few droplets of blood

and all the pain I had been suffering

seem to pale in comparison
and I stopped complaining.

I guess the mystery of the cross

is to bear witness to the crucifixion

making life sufferings manageable

compared to real pain. 

A Cloak Woven in Pain

He smiled, said everything was alright
but the magnitude of loss 

permeated the air around him

his shoulders bent under 

the weight of the heavy coat

whose threads of pain 

crossed stitched and knotted

were dripping from open wounds 
scabs never healing the injury 

and in his smile the shortfall of hope
his eyes seeking the promise of a loving god
but each step crushed by this mantel of pain. 

Positano

Narrow winding road brings you to the town

hanging from the curves of a mountainside.

Waves splashing off rocks of dark sepia brown

animating a view recognized worldwide

Take a vacation on sheer mountain cliffs

where villas are built for pure pleasure.

Climb the narrow steps to seek out rare gifts

to expand village charm with each treasure

Positano, scenic Italian dream,

awash in sapphire skies,

Mediterranean seas, coffee with cream,

temptations of food and drink to fulfill every desire

If you are inspired by these visions

Hurry up and make your reservations.

There is something in the town that inspires even the most amateur poet to praise the experience in verse, with a deep desire to return again. Of all the cities I visited during my Italian vacation, Positano, most captured my imagination. Traditions say it was founded as a refuge from pirates, or by the god Poseidon as a present to a nymph, or as a shrine where a statue of the Virgin Mary saved travelers from a fierce storm. This mixture of truth and legend provides an added charm to the area and has been a getaway for writers and artists for years.  John Steinbeck, wrote in Harper's that "it is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone." 

Dogs Are Healers

Without the word a dog
seems to know

licking a wound
can heal it.

When I am ill, my dog

will lie beside me,
breathing slowly,

‘til I feel better.

Sometimes the dog
dies young because he takes
the physical stress
and consumes it as his own.

Soldiers from war 

feel their anxiety
leave when they have 

a dog beside them.

Frighten children 

are calm and serene
reflecting the mood 

of their pet

unafraid 

with their protector 

to guard them.

Awards Season

Another chance to catch

the red carpet glamour

seeing the latest celebrity couples
watching the hopefuls reach for the stars.

How many shows are too many:
People’s Choice, Golden Globe,
Emmy and Academy Oscar?

I guess it is to be expected
if you choose a profession
where people crave attention

while they feign surprise
and humbly accept adulation
dressing for the camera 

and center stage.

Lime Green Car

Things are back to normal.
Up early for appointments
and household tasks,
then a bone density test,
pick-up some furnace filters,
get matching stucco to patch the wall,
wash the car, check-out the location

for the Social Security building.  

A new year and everything 

looks almost the same. 

The biggest thrill was the sight
of a metallic lime green car. 

The driver looked mundane
but his heart must have desire

for adventure still ahead. 

Scoot over life
I'm with him!

When Antiques were Modern

They were not antiques in their day
but modern artifact of the time:
the telephone on a party line,
a refrigerator instead of an icebox,
a sewing machine run on foot power,
an automobile to replace the horse and buggy,
the locomotive improved on the wagon train,
the vacuum to replace the broom,
computers made typewriters obsolete,
and on and on with so many things.

Morality and traditions also became outdated
replaced by a different value systems.

Regular church attendance dwindled,
belief in god questioned and ridiculed,

the sanctity of the home was infiltrated
with cable TV and pornography,
seeking pleasure for pleasure’s sake
self sacrifice left for the volunteer soldier
sent to fight, not for liberty, but for corporate greed,
while the government spied for national security
but left their own house in disarray

I found a macramé plant holder out in the garage
a few beads and rope left over from the seventies

when times were simpler and less modern
sometimes I long for that simplicity. 

Leg Cramps

It is late evening after a hot day
tried to stay hydrated by lost my way
fell asleep while watching TV
and without warning I felt the pain

first a pull then a tightening of the muscles

it felt like the size of a baseball
in the calf of my leg

I let out a scream,

my husband came running
but there was nothing he could do
I tried to relax and change positions

then finally massaged my leg
until the cramping was done
I don’t want to feel that pain

any time soon
so I drink some Gatorade

and flood my system with water. 

I don’t remember this pain when I was younger.
my body keeps changing but not for the better

I’ve learned not to stretch too quickly
do it slowly to avoid those darn leg cramps. 

Sampling of Architecture in MA

Strange Sculptures in the Berkshires

   Bear made of chicken wire. 

   Mailbox molded to resemble a beaver on a tree stump.

    Recruits made of hay and old clothes. 

Reconfiguration

In today’s world everything is temporary
flashing by in a few seconds 
then gone. 

Planned obsolesce is a market strategy
to keep the consumer purchasing 
the newer, better model;
the latest fashion, this year’s dream,

Nothing is designed to last forever.

We expect to repaint our homes
repair water and termite damage, 
redecorate and remodel in time
to keep things fresh and desirable

now we also expect to do the same
with our bodies; enhance the breast
lift the chin, reshaped the eyes, 
color hair, in an effort to stay
young forever. 

Relationships are also superficial

People don’t live in the same town forever,
childhood friendship depend on proximity

who disappear if we don’t take the time
to write letters, make phone calls, 
or get together for visits. 

Families now are also dispensable
separated because of divorce

blended with remarriage

parents abandoned in all the confusion

some children too, people left isolated

can seem to establish themselves 

in the new configuration.

Social groups and work 

become the new centers
filling up time with activities
coming and going without the burden
of past hurts and neglect

but not feeling connected

and sometimes that is 

the greatest threat

and one that can't be

reconfigured.

Child Star

What is there about being a child star,

attention garnered at an early age

children who get primped up
and pumped up too young

expecting to get everything they want
throwing tantrums 

and have screaming fits? 

Sometimes a child has the symptoms
when they are spoiled and the center

of their parent’s attention
the center of a universe

with fits of anger when anything
does not go their way.

They demand to be indulged
and will not be happy 

until the get 

what they want.

Wind Chime

You are created with dream
catchers and chrome
to capture god's breath 
from the wind in the sky.

Your music brings peace 
to everyone who hears
your song in their soul.

Some chimes are made with shells,
others bamboo and each creates
a unique tone so personal and true.

Mine is made of feathers and chrome
creating a beautiful sound
bringing joy to all who hear its song. 

A Monk Carrying a Golden Urn

When I was a child it was common to see
groups of nuns walking in long dark robes
and stylized veils, they were respected
members of the community.

Times changed and the nuns changed
wearing secular dress to better blend in to
service their parishioners.
Now there are almost none at all.

After the Vietnam War, refugees flooded
the land bringing their own religious beliefs
and today on the same streets where 
I used to see nuns I now see Buddhist monks

with clean shaven heads, wearing orange
robes, walking down the streets, 
carrying golden urns. They are now
part of a community where I grew up.


Interesting how the world changes
around me everyday.

Time for a Miracle

I can go for days not praying for a miracle
but after several weeks or months
I know, in the grand scheme of things,
it’s is my turn for good to come along.

I don’t have to get on my knees or light candles
it is just my turn. If I need money
it will come as a gift, a promotion, 
a new job, or other opportunity. 

There are times, after a slew of bad luck:
a flat tire, unexpected death, an injury,
I know the tides will change and miracles
are on the way.

It helps to be in a prayerful state 

all through the night and day. 

Happy Fourth of July

Families gather to celebrate 

in the summer with backyard
barbecues and ice cold drinks

lots of laughter and company
until darkness falls
and the skies glow

with the explosion of fireworks 

celebrating the declaration
granting us liberty

from taxation without representation
becoming an independent nation
united under one flag. 

The Magic Bowl

He trusts in his world
has the power of faith
he never has to pray
when he is hungry his bowl is full.

In the reality of his life
he doesn’t  want
his needs are filled without request
and that’s how he likes it best. 

Commuting

Merge onto the freeway
car after car moving ahead and behind

now part of the flow of metal and glass
a rhythm of red lights and honking horns

imperfectly formed lines of silver and grey
like a discarded necklace at a garage sale.

The drone of the motor always heard under
the sound of favorite music, even hard metal

doesn’t mask the sound. Forget about
a foreign language, or listening to books

on tapes for the best seller's New York list.
Feel like heading in the wrong direction

the other side seems to be moving more quickly
too much time to be sitting so cramped

everything in slow motion, almost
a bad dream silhouettes and faces

of other commuters, like vague creatures
added to give substance to a nightmare

filling lanes in tandem, moving
in and out weaving through traffic

until the exit home is up ahead
pull off until it is time to start again.