The Moon

 

Did you hear the moon last night?

Hushed light on rising

Silver sibilance

Behind the clouds

In a first quarter

Pianissimo

 

Did you hear the moon last night?

Fulsome waterfall of light

Pouring down to light the streets

Casting faint shadows

But a great fortissimo of glow.

 

Did you hear the moon last night?

Silent as the breath

Of a sleeping babe

Gone dark with the turning away

In a shadow from our earth.

 

A STRANGE LAND

 

This is a strange land

And I am a stranger

To all that is here.

Shapes come and go,

Silent

With sibilant footsteps.

all is milky white,

No clues to where I am.

Sometimes a gentled thought

Comes to me

And I walk with it a while,

Slowly and slowly.

It gestures in deep silence.

I follow it up to

the low rising hills

of early autumnal grace

That lift me as I climb

 this part of the world.

I pass thru a gate

And lie down in a deep pasture

With golden wallflowers

Red clover and

Frothy white yarrow

Wild pink roses and

Blood red prairie lily

To sleep and sleep and sleep,

Forever grateful.

Asleep (for my wife Merry, who has cancer)

 

asleep

in a room

without a ceiling

a waterfall of light

pours down from the moon

cascades coldly across my feet

 

asleep

in a room

without windows

stars peer in

where glass might have been

silver light caresses my eyes

 

asleep

in a room

without walls

fireflies wander in erratically

silent, lambent

drawing in the humid night

and settle on my open palms

 

asleep

in a room

without a floor

night creatures ascend

invade my bed

crickets and worms

tap on my forehead

 

asleep

in room

without you

and all that was before

is no more

This is the summer garden

Carrots

Radishes

Beets

 The colors come and go

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Broccoli

 And breezes delight, to and fro

Cukes

Beans

Peas

 Vines and pods and fruit

Row on row on row

Sweet potatoes

Brussel sprouts

          Lettuces

 A feast of leaf and seed and root

Spinach

          Romaine

Chard

 pans and cutlery

          garlic and olive oil

                    basil and fresh ground pepper

await

This Evening

Out back on 

The patio this evening 

A pint of fragrant stout 

 and a book of poetry by my elbow 

Crickets rasp sweetly somewhere 

Heat of the day gone soft 

The hammock beckons 

Over the trees a fingernail sliver 

Of new moon hangs 

In the far distance 

A freight train blows 

That lonesome horn 

Cardinal sings a measure 

 Of honeyed notes 

Monarch butterfly

Regal in orange and black 

 Wanders in the flowers here there 

And pauses at the milkweed. 

High in the black walnut 

A squirrel scolds. 

Cottonwood leaves in the middle distance 

Rustle in a petulant breeze. 

Then The air is still 

As if the soil was breathing 

And we all stopped to listen

A family dinner 

 Mom simmers sauce on the stove

 For the spaghetti. 

Hamburger, cans of tomato 

A bay leaf, a spoonful of oregano 

A sprinkle of garlic salt.

 One hand stirring, 

Using the pressure cooker: It’s our largest pot. 

And then opens cans of green beans to go with.

 This is dinner. 

 The table is set for eight around the Formica. 

Flatware, pink melamine plates, plastic drink cups 

A pitcher of milk from nonfat instant dry

 May I have more spaghetti please? 

Dessert is fruit cocktail 

Spooned into small glass dishes 

And each of us wishes for the single cherry 

 That graces each can. 

Please pass the milk. 

 Dad will have instant decaf after 

With saccharine In a stained pink coffee cup. 

And Mom, from where she sits, 

Will preside over the table, 

Guide the conversation, 

And watch the sunset 

 All at the same time.

A Prayer

There are so many needs in this room

This place of waiting

Winter, and we’re all in gray

Or navy

Or black

Colors of mourning

One is here for x-rays

Another for a blood draw

Here is a walker that glides on wheels and tennis balls

Steered steadily by gnarled hands

And there a cane

One lady clutches her husband’s arm

As he steers her through the doorway

They pass me as they exit

Murmuring to each other

I’ve brought my bride of fifteen years here

To start cancer screening

I swallow hard as her name is called

And whisper

Lord, have mercy

But you know better than I ever will

Still

Lord, have mercy

Amen