aether

Somewhere in Paraguay someone or something

Has reached out and touched my words - take 

That Emily Dickinson - and I’m still alive yet 

Take solace - not a penny have I earned - and 

Truth be told - the words come from the ether 

The very strength of the clouds - of oxygen 

Linked to humanity - so Emily take solace - 

Your shoulders I stand on - the very dirt where 

You decompose - I visited once long ago - a hop 

Away from a conference - that demanded obedience 

Promised hope sprawled out in pamphlets long 

Gone 

And so I  carry your  words - I must wait hundreds 

Of years to learn - so let me rest and wait to be recalled 

lucrum cessans

Hate as a passive response

Not the verb that’s needed 

Just a sigh - no action - just 

Quiet immovable hate - I can 

Chip at it - resonate it - chat gpt it 

Still it comes down - to why 

Why come back and give so little 

Why expect the moon on my back 

Why - extend a hope - what was I 

That deserved so little - a significant 

You - lost in a myriad of threads 

It all turned into slush - a quick 

Sand - I easily fell into - hope on one end 

Hate the other - not of you - hate at what 

Was lost 

To sleep*

There’s an awful lot to write about

And not much time - each name is 

Called out - arms outstretched - 

Shackled - the last moment of life 

Before - once again - released - each 

Silently makes a promise - this time 

After this - but before that - it echoes 

This silent - rebuke - prayer - for others 

How it all came to pass - each a story 

Mine could join theirs - yes there is 

Much to write about and time well time 

Has a habit of not caring - 

* “ To sleep; perchance to dream: ay there’s the rub: for in that sleep of death what dreams may come?” William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1)

 

the violation of thermal dynamics

            and you'll say i never loved you

and i'll say - i love you. i love you now 

                                                                    why 

    i ask myself - 

        each moment i let a thought in  

            a whisper, a whisp, a glance - it all ends with 

i knew you once, i know you now, and when 

it all ends - i will know you again. 

                                                        so i'll see 

you when i see you - a mechanism in perpetual 

        motion 

As humans we have to stop - there is an eventual end to - us 

    for if not we will go mad - the heat will numb us, the rain 

    will drop and we will smile of that one moment in mexico 

    the cold will remind you that i cannot exist in such temperatures 

    i am after all made for dancing and for the other things you 

need

Joy for Free*

This month is over - and I survived it 

For a moment there I felt I would falter 

I was angry - the disappointing - stung 

And that was what it was meant to do 

And it did - and it will for a while - yet 

It’s just another thing I survived -  and it 

Gave me strength - the strength that comes 

To someone who has suffered  much worse 

So bring it - 

And then leave it - be safe - that’s all we can 

Hope - and someday many years from now 

I’ll smile and think how sad - how such a slight 

Hurt so much 

* Joy for Free: Cole Adams and Paul Niehaus IV

6.14 aka a new kernel

In honor of your bday

I bought myself a blazer

 

It’s feminine enough

In my favorite of color

Embroidered Black -

                            I’ll wear it 

              And think 

of you 

              I’m kind 

                      

                             like that - I hope 

it doesn’t disappoint 

Gen X

This little box keeps me so entertained 

It’s stuck to my hand - it’s my work, my

Solace - sleeps by my head - in trance 

It even has me an - I - how diabolical 

And glorious - it is more real than friends 

Who reach out thru the little rose gold 

Box -  wrapped in careful leather that holds 

My life - the necessary plastic we are told 

Makes us: license, a debit and credit card 

To legitimatize our existence - and makes 

Buying coffee ok - my daughter is younger 

She carries no plastic - just a pale blue box 

In her back pocket