Morning

alone

on a cold porch

sitting...

swift moving clouds

watching...

waving trees and bushes

bending,

caressing the air;

young birds gliding serenely

mastering,

learning

growing into adulthood;

fences creaking

rubbing their finger together

in an unorthodox

melody;

willows weep 

squirrels scamper

and

as if by magic

blue skies appear

above

my loneliness.

9 April 2020

COVID Ignorance

death came early

to a few,

later to many

while

some not at all

and we 

sit at home

on soft asses

waiting

for it all to pass

as if

oblivious

to all the pain

and suffering

around us,

feeding faces

gracefully

in the wake

of death,

dying,

and ignorance.

9 April 2020

Quarantine

cool breezes grips the morning
air and surrounds me...
arms grasp my ribs for warmth,
the blue eyes of a Siamese
thanks me for attention, purring
in cadence with my thoughts;
an invasion of concerns
penetrate my silent mind,
sips of hot coffee flow down
my morning throat not
caring about the rules of
quarantine that have been
imposed on all who live here.

9 April 2020

Given

we are born with

a predisposition

for death...

a condition of life

given to us

without solicitation;

we are a fulfillment

of a dream

not our own yet

we are in life's grasp

until it weakens

and are thrust

into the unknown

involuntarily again.

9 April 2020

Curved

time moves forward
along curved space,

life lays down rules
by which we must die,
the past emerges with
the future to create
its present conditions,
and our environment
loses its opportunity
to evolve without
mutations unless it
no longer involves
mankind's legacies;
that which we knew
as truth is gone,
replaced by that which
we know to be false,
accepting the predictions
of forecasting as a
means to an end;
we cast out demons
like fishing lines into
the vast ocean of time,
realizing that space
only exists in theory
when time forgets its
current forward nature.

8 April 2020

Last Chance

a moist coolness clings

to the clothes,

sniffles drop from the nose

eyes slant towards the

warmth provided inside;

and we are

calm...

serene...

believing in what we

believed before,

thinking nothing but

who will be the one

that finally sees...

and, in so doing

only a few survive.

23 March 2020

White Fall

rain melts away fog
no clouds in the sky
rumors fly from bird to bird
regarding Spring'd delay;
blooms on stems appeared
early as Bradford's push
out their whites too,
hoping to bring a little
color the gloomy brown
forest in which nature's
few tend to survive.

23 March 2020

Porch Light

a screened-in porch
protect me
from the rain
and pests that
appear when natural
light disappears,
leaving one to wonder
who might be watching;

a screened-in porch
with a wall light
gives me sight and
guides me in my
quest for words that
have all been forgotten
as if it were a badly taught
lesson from high school;
a screened-in porch
a fleece lined coat
a cup of Cappuccino
give me the courage to
sit here listening to
the rain like the
heartbeat of thought
tying to converse,
encouraging me to
listen to my soul.

20 March 2020

In The Zone

it is a zone of immaturity

that time when light fades

into the darkness of time to

prepare itself for rebirth and

all creatures large and small

prepare themselves for what

is lurking around the corner;

some say it is a madness

that roams at night without

the benefit of hindsight...

that preys on the weak,

taking lessons from the humans

who were their mentors and in

whose trust they placed themselves

like so many of their predecessors

had done and later regretted;

others, live for the day when

man will darken no more nights

and make no more promises

in the light of day not caring

about the despair they brought

with them in their carryalls

like the carpetbaggers who

descended upon the South;

it is a zone of unmatched

talents that bounce unevenly

between the goalposts of life.

20 March 2020

Falling Rain

rains fall individually

gather in groups
spills over it's limitations
travels the shortest distance
to nowhere in the hopes of
discovering something
it missed last time;
it moves with determination
but without regret
as it courses through the
space between grass blades
that attempt to resist,
never slowing down to be
friendly as it passes;
father knows that mother
knows best and does not
interfere with the process,
leaving well enough alone
in order for another day to
emerge from the darkness.

20March2020

How Natural

through the rain they swim

wings flapping silent

with their movement...

others, hidden on limbs

chirp out their departure

flight controllers or

nonchalantly noisy;

drops hitting drops

hitting water on the ground

other surfaces too

all around...

there is no escape

as the skies shed tears

and we watch from inside

protective enclosures

like animals in a zoo

to those who fly by us;

trees without leaves stand

transfixed as they have for

decades admiring the beauty

of that which lives around

its roots, deep in the soil

waiting to be returned to those

who had temporarily escaped.

20March20

The Right Time

for four days and nights a battle raged
inside the body of mankind and in the end,
no one was the wiser that anything had
taken place at all between the two of them;
the devil knew it had no jurisdiction
and yet it persisted with its claims, hoping
to find a sympathetic ear or an open heart,
neither of which he even possessed but
in his arrogance and man's weaknesses
he knew he had arrived at the right time.

July 19, 2020

Heaven Sent

my body turns one way, twists another

sweat puddles at the base of my neck

and for few moments I am free and clear;

my thoughts dwell on what it was like

my mind seeks clarity and continuity

but all there is left is futile hope in the

belief it will all soon just be a memory;

an unseen angel sits on my shoulder

guiding me away from despair and a

soon to be rediscovered depression

with the understanding that I have yet

to fulfill that which gave me my life;

destiny and predetermination are in

my wheel house and have guided

this body throughout its entirety or

so have I been led to believe a decade

ago when I was given back my life;

my body turns one way, twists another

and longs to be home where being

uncomfortable is comfortable and the

inevitable path to recovery is easier

tolerated as sounds of familiarity

wash over me as is Heaven Sent.

July 18, 2020

Forever Young

the evening rests upon my shoulders

in nonchalant colors of nostalgia as

my reflections remember a time of

beauty, compassion, and a love of life

without competition and at the center

of my whirlwind of emotions was

the knowledge of being forever young;

life offers no such filters today as it

places conditions on our health and safety

to the point that we are constricted like

like a blood vessel in the heart, receiving

only that which is deemed necessary

leaving all residuals in the sky to fall

at predesignated time across the filters

and fabric of our remaining lives as if

given one final gift to find and enjoy.

July 18, 2020

In Case i Don't Post Anything Over the last Couple of Days: This Is The Reason

I was seeking out the services of a Physical Therapist and was experiencing s profound in my lower back and decided to see the doctor at the Clinic.  All of my problems could be attributed to a Urinary Tract Infection and I never experienced anything quite so painful.

 I am talking a couple of days off.

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

       

any morning is pleasant as long

as not too many are involved.    1988

it was another man to whom 

her attention was drawn and I 

wondered if she would ever think 

back on on me as a loving father.    1988

the morning was clear and the

weather was warm and the more

we said goodbye the more we

began to miss our surroundings.    1988

it was her need for him that brought

her in live with everyone else and

oh so vulnerable if he ever left.    1988

she played with him for a long time

until realizing his heavy breathing

was really him sleeping and not her.    1988

it was the size of her chest that

most men objected to...  a rather

miniature version of normal.    1988

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

I crashed your party and now

you don't want me to leave;

it was more than just a

coincidence that took over

a year to happen with us.    1988

I tried to leave you once before and

holding that attempt up for scrutiny

    decided on substitute gratification.    

1988

the flavors of live with which

I am familiar are those colors

whose textures are more

personal than human emotions.    1988

tonight my feelings bend in your

direction like blades of grass in

the rain with each drop holding

the intensity of the moment.     

1988

I have given in to my feelings 

and will allow them to have

their way with me once again.    1988

evenings recently have held me

accountable to a twenty two year

old memory and what was felt

that has never been felt since.    1988

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

I have found myself in a

in a curious situation lately

as those feeling once thought

dead are starting to reappear.    1988

she called and I was hoping it

was her as a long weekend was

eased by the sound of her voice.    1988

without the usual

"moments of grief"

from you I feel so

unattended now.    1988

one day we'll meet for lunch

in public and will not care who

sees us together...  one day we

will do that so please don't cry.    1988

her time was mine and

mine belonged to anyone

who could pay the freight

and leave me "free time"

to pursue my passions.    1988

clouds cover my thoughts

as you cover my love

with you constant caring.    1988

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

the more often we were together 

the greater the risk that we would 

be seen and the more complicated

our lives would then become.    1988

there was something about 

her that drove me crazy;

it was not just her being

good in bed but that she

looked like she would be.  1988

she left home empty handed

expecting to pick up what she

needed from the men with whom

she went to bed along the way.    1988

she waited for her new lover

to arrive and was surprised

when her other lover arrived.    1988

she felt good about his love 

even though she had to share

it with his wife and announced

it to all her friends that she was

not yet divorced but back in love.    1988

they lay in each other's arms a

few minutes longer then got

dressed just in time to see her

mother walk in the front door.    1988

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

and the jobs we have

would be fine if there

were no customers as

you cannot please

them all anyway.    1988

and when the day ended

we found ourselves on

opposite side of the same

issue from when we awoke.  1988

eating the same food 

over and over again 

is like smelling

someone else's fart.    1988

if we don't redeem 

the ticket today it 

will be our luck that

when we do the game 

will have stopped.    1988

the point from which we

could return was passed

on the way over so our

fate is decided by how

well we continue to ride.    1988

she cried on the way back

knowing her opportunities

would now force her to

share the one experience

she acquired on her own.    1988

Quickies From 1988 Untitled

she loved him 

but could not 

deal with his

imaginations;

the more he 

questioned

her love for 

him, the more 

she questioned 

it herself.     1988

it wasn't so much

that he didn't want

to join the party.

but that he didn't

want to start

smoking again.  1988

her moods were

simple and direct,

if she could not

be treated courteously

the she would wait...

she spent a long

a lonely life.    1988

it was a new experience

an experiment

and we failed miserably;

as new understanding

was not gain nor

was any love lost.    1988

they expected each other 

to provide a measure 

of happiness;

they expected each other

to be entertaining;

they would provide 

the needed magic.    1988

she came to him from

around the corner, the

one around he was

afraid to look and he

followed he back

around and was knocked

down by all the traffic.    1988

Myrtle Beach June 2020 Series continued -9-

Our Failure

our future resides inside the

shallow minds of the next

generation whose nature is to

destroy rather than preserve;

feelings bordering on resentment

pass through a retired body

knowing all is out of control;

still, the white Vietnam Veteran

inside wants to yell and scream

as it once did before at our

Founding Fathers who gave

us the First Amendment;

helter skelter runs through the

mind while intelligence fails

to trump ignorance and we

discuss reparations for previous

evils perpetrated on a race

that only God can forgive and

equality will never sit on his

right shoulder as long as 

hate remains pregnant today.

June 26, 2020

Myrtle Beach June 2020 Series continued -8-

Victory

a futile flimsy breeze

moves occasionally

from the north

softening the heat

as it bears down

upon our fragilities

and the lotions we

applied earlier in the day;

sun bleached skin stings

in the salt waters of

the endless ocean that

continuously preys up

and down our eastern shores

on the recklessness of

people who do not fear

its inherent strength;

umbrellas block the sun's

intensities but do not

its imposing humidity

as dehydration offers

liquid encouragement

to endure the day and

boast of another victory

over mother nature.

June 26, 2020

'

Myrtle Beach June 2020 Series continued -7-

Coastline

a playful sun hides behind the

clouds today allowing rain to 

spoil our plans on the sand;

seagulls fly by in rows after floating 

in search of watery prey that have 

so far briefly alluded them;

sand castles built yesterday are gone 

today as the tides reached farther than

expected dashing childhood fantasies;

symbols of power terminate up and down 

the Eastern coastline reclaiming territory

that once belonged in her domain;

the sea exploits her admirers

every year as thousands search

out and visit her beauty as if

they have never been there before.

June 26, 2020

Myrtle Beach Series June 2020 continued -6-

It Blows Today

it blows today

a steady wind

without regret

or fore thought

cooling temperaments,

rippling the fabric

of time that joins

us together in our

pursuit of happiness;

it blows today

the winds of change

pursuant to our

own desires and

wishes that the old

be replaced with

the new vision

that unites us;

it blows today

the wind does

and with backs turned

we embrace its force

that counterbalances

our faltering beliefs

being of one mind

one heritage that

grants us all the

unique freedom to

abolish all we have.

June 24, 2020

Myrtle Beach Series June 2020 continued - 5-

The Sea Gives Not Easily Up It's Prey

for half a century or more the Southeastern waters

have been my home away from home during the warmer

months of the year and I have learned, quite reluctantly, 

not to ever underestimate its power...

white caps break religiously

consistent against the shore

leaving vacant the sand

that always reminds behind;

novice body surfers tumble

and slide along the rocky bottom

of what was once soft and smooth

before the storm a fortnight ago;

rip tides pull as repeaters

swim parallel to the shoreline

as do the sharks who occasionally

glide by looking for a way out;

floats move north with the approaching

northwestern currents from the triangle

a days ride to the east if one is hankering

to go that way for a thrill and

avoid these kind and gentle waters

that kill when they have a mind to

and we seem ever so innocent

in their presence without

having a right to be...

June 24, 2020