Diving

First it was the snorkel
and then the mask
that took me below the water’s
surface

where the silence of the sea
coral, fishes and sea anomie
floated in quiet harmony

Along the bottom
I saw things
I had read about
and like a dream
I floated in

short little trips
interrupted
before I was through

needing air
I returned to
where oxygen
was plentiful

I'll need better
equipment so
I can stay longer

Now I take tanks
and go down,
wearing a body suit
to control
the temperature,

a camera,
some lights,
so I can stay
awhile

The sound of my breath,
a comfort,
deep in this
world beneath the sea.

Post Katrina

Refuse dumped in several places
some houses almost finished
residents determined to return
to the place they once called home

Musicians back on city streets
saxophones evoking a deep wail
trumpets heralding a new dawn
but the blues darken summer skies
and won’t let the sun shine through

Daddy’s car still buried in mud
memories of bodies floating in sludge
“do gooders,’ try to set things right
still wake up late at night
'cause every road leads to hell

Police snipers shot at looters
but no one took aim at the civil engineers
whose levees did not stand
the pounding of the hurricane.

Let the little guy, stealing milk,
take the hit for all that’s wrong
blame the cripple for not leaving town
insurance won’t cover their losses

National guards gain control
but normalcy will never return
many survivors are soon forgotten

Money cannot restore the balance
an "I'm sorry," won’t bring back peace
as they continue to fight to survive

Their will to live can overcome
this devastation. God isn’t mad at them
their faith, though shaken, is not forsaken.

Playing Peek-a-boo

It doesn’t matter if you know
the child looking over her father’s shoulder.

You cover your eyes and surprise her
when you remove your hand

she lets out a squeal, dad doesn’t
know what distracts her and looks
with a warning glance,

“You’d better not be
messing with my baby girl!”

When he turns away
you cover your eyes again

then a quick move

and she lets out a belly laugh
the father decides you’re doing no harm.

A game of peek-a-boo can go on all day.

My Parent’s Love Story

Two people, ten kids,
the neighborhood gossips
impressed that they did “it” so often
but we knew they loved each other.

She had a hot meal prepared and
hand rolled tortillas ready
when he came home every night.

He had enough energy to play with the kids
and at night we would hear their laughter,
her high pitched giggle, his low rumble.

After everyone had gone to sleep
we dreamed of flying
sitting at the edge of their bed
and breathing in the smell
of Pond's cold cream and Palmolive soap.

She stood by him when he got sick
his hands burning with lime
cracked and oozing
no health insurance,
no disability payments,
a second on the house
and he getting back to work
before he was completely healed.

Working as a janitor at the church
no more plaster to get in his wounds.
She volunteered the kids as repayment
for the priest’s kindness.

They helped out families in the parish -
one with too many children
all of them out of control,
another where the mother seemed
to be sick all the time,
then there was the free spirit,
who we later learned was having an
affair with the assistant pastor.

They didn't gossip or complain
leaning on each other, trusting
the other would be there in good times
and in bad for all the days of their lives.

Interrogation

How would you fare under interrogation?
Would you be able to withstand the tortures
designed to tear secrets from your heart?

In the name of national security
all kinds of actions are deemed
necessary to force the enemy
to divulge plots against the
citizens of our free country.

A standard of behavior toward prisoners
developed when the United States
was a super power, when our will
subjugated all other nations
to our leadership and our visions for peace,

but when greed from corporations
took precedents over diplomatic goals
abuses of power included enforced poverty,
and torture ... in all its forms,
became an acceptable method for interrogation.

Once tempted by quick wealth
radicals emerge from the youth
to take back what was lost.

Now victims of their own weakness,
they pull back to the dark ages of their
evolution, with literal interpretations
of religious doctrine proclaiming
death to all infidels

Each new atrocity
gives the other side another reason to fight
and to perpetuate abuses in the world.

The greatness of Egypt turned to dust,
Rome and China, at one time
were relics along with the Aztecs and Mayans.

Persia and Christianity
have fought battles for generations.

Weeds cover former glory
time decays most structures
mother nature acts up
and destroys all that humans covet
without torture or interrogation.

Tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis
earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions
causing all things to return to their
original state so mother earth
can start all over again.

Maybe she'll get it right next time.

Four Females

Here is my sister with her two daughters and her first granddaughter. I will do this again hopefully getting a better transparent quality to their skin.

Make A Wish

Wishes are available if you
toss a penny in a wishing well
supplicate through a church for a small donation

seek ways to manifest the heart’s
desire just by wishing for it,
“twinkle, twinkle, little star.”

Some proponents of the new age
tell practitioners to cut
pictures out of a magazine
visualize how you want it to be

see that new house and paycheck,
the perfect job or relationship -
act "as if," and "it will be,"

and everything you wish for
will transpire. Just by believing
you can make it happen.

Let me take this lock of hair,
a lizard’s tail
and some nail clippings,

I hear that lady in the woods
has the best reputation
for making wishes come true.