Watercraft
A wallowing, heavy laden steamer
is not a slender canoe,
nor is it
a lonely kayak,
nor
a sturdy skiff,
nor
an unsinkable Boston Whaler,
nor
a sails billowing schooner,
but all dance through dark water,
leaving naught but a
r i p p l e,,,,,.....
then gone.
A Royal Flush
Even when hidden,
a pheasant is
never
a peasant;
rather,
in color and plumage,
he is always a royal,
regal and ready
to fly his throne in an instant
when betrayed,
and the whirr
of his flight
will both
startle
and delight.
A Morgue Encounter
There is a most primitive wailing sound—
a stricken keening of utter despair—
a mother’s awful symphony
of savage tongue,
throbbing throat,
and ruined heart.
Identity must be determined.
A son? handsome youth cut down?
A daughter? blooming beauty snuffed?
Father, steeped in rage, refuses to go,
preferring to drink himself numb,
and lay blame at a careless God’s doorstep.
There lurks a hidden cavity,
a storage pocket of sudden death,
murky beneath Seattle’s
dark, wet streets.
An officer of laws for the living
escorts Mother down a dim hallway
to a large viewing window where
teenage boy, lies in state under bright lights
and hideous shroud of white sheet.
The blanched face revealed—
Sightless eyes cannot see Mother,
Stopped arms cannot hug Mother,
Silent voice cannot thank Mother,
Sealed lips cannot kiss Mother farewell.
Comes the keening.
Red
Hummingbirds and men
are haunted by an irresitible attraction
to the color
Red,
but
Women
have an uncanny,
almost instinctive,
ability
to sort out
the two.
Overheard At The Derby
I do like your hat.
really?
yes. it reminds me of a lampshade i once knew.
really?
yes. like you, the lamp wore it slightly askew.
you mean crooked?
aye. awry. cocked just so over one eye.
really?
yes. it’s a fabulous look.
thank you. is your horse running today?
horse? i came but to see the hats.
Shopping Trip
Little baby bunting
Mother’s gone a hunting
for broccoli
and garlic
and onions
and wine
and cheese
and bread
and eggplant
and ground beef
and pasta
and evoo.
evoo, Mama?
pay attention, Child.
extra virgin olive oil.
Hot Stuff
Whenever my
ego fluffs up
and
gets in the way
of
humility,
i remember me
how little i know
of
auto mechanics,
pie crust,
algebra,
and especially
the unfathomable riddle called
women.
Then things even out
real fast.
