The Untitled... from 1988, page 25

  

I.

she was a good lover

good at helping me

forget how much I

cared about no other,

she was good anytime.

II.

I felt like a schoolboy waiting

for your call that never arrived,

thinking it was because you had

changed your mind or found another.

III.

I wasn't interested in men my ow

age, they seemed less interested 

in me than the older ones did...

they were nice for a change.

IV.

afternoons were spend with lofty

ambitions while the mornings

pieced together broken realities.

V.

our evenings began after nine,

giving us sixty minutes or less

and yet we always seemed to 

manage to have just enough time.

VI.

your reflection can be seen in the eyes

of other men and for every lie told so

shall your happiness be thus delayed.

VII.

for how long do we search...  how

long do we go without caring?

for how long do we live without trust

doing to other before it is done to us?

how long do we live with the neglect?

VIII.

will you share my loneliness,

will you be satisfied with

all of my routineness?

there is so much to consider

before we can get serious.

IX.

he set the example and then no one 

would follow, thinking sooner or later 

he would just have forgotten all about it.

X.

the bright star in the sky is Venus,

it looks big in the darkness beside the moon,

and we change the charts to accommodate its path,

wondering why things are this way.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 24

  

I.

I spent the evening in my room

counting the bricks in the wall

and the number of times that

I longed to be with you tonight,

if you were with me anymore

than you are right now, the odds

are that we would not get along.

II.

press your lips against mine and

allow the moment to guide us,

press your waist against mine

and contemplate complete frenzy,

press your thoughts against mine

and openly accept my passion.

III.

I saw you demonstrate my love

back to me and could not adjust

to it pitiful outbursts of needs.

IV.

I surrendered myself to you

but retained control of my

ability to get out of what

might be anything permanent.

V.

even though we'll be together soon,

it's still difficult to leave you,

seeing you standing there watching

as I wished that I could remain.

VI.

she knows how we fell but doesn't

know why since she'd been there

before the risks were understood,

still she would not have stopped.

VII.

it used to be easy to fall in love

as long as it was defined in a

physical way, but the more love

is based upon emotional needs

the stronger the sensation becomes.

VIII.

she lived in roseville, a half

mile from the country store...

(by the same name)

who extends her credit

whenever she's in school.

IX.

faces in the dark without shadows

meet on the streets to exchange

services and once complete, vanish.

X.

you became my teacher showing a

new way to think...  forgetting age

and caring in spite of other limitations,

you showed me that love overlooks

everything except the real feelings.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 23

  

I.

she had a hard time understanding

why nobody was ever good to her,

she was nice, cute, and polite for the

first few months until she got to know,

she tried too hard and always failed.

II.

he looked like the boy she used to love

years ago and now her youngest had

fallen in love with a married man and

she could do nothing to save her.

III.

he jumped first...

then she saw the lights

following him to the front seat

where they both felt relieved;

still, they started the engine

anyway and drove off...

they both forgot the glass on 

he dash until it fell into her lap,

miles away whey both felt safe,

they looked at each other laughing,

they both had looked for the humor

but it was her who found it first.

IV.

she not far from love and

the more they were together,

the stronger she felt and the

more she let herself be known

for the first time in her life;

there was something that let

her feel fine about this and

she was too busy enjoying

herself to worry if she should,

it felt right...  for some reason.

V.

thunder rolled around the small

neighborhood delaying meals

and postponing baths,

frightening children and animals,

a prelude to the rain and for the

crops planted...  just-in-time.

VI.

what were we to say afterwards

when all the pin-up girls went

home and we were left with

a few sore balls and hands.

VII.

on the corner they stood...

those who would look for work,

crops go unplanted...

just for minimum wage,

not worth the effort...

friday brings their check

since they looked more than once,

for some a nickel saved

is a good day's work...

they come looking for work,

and we send them out for

what they want and not for

what's actually available.

VIII.

she placed her talents against mine and

came out ahead which is as it should be,

she will have different regrets

down the road than I and when she

realizes she should not have given up.

IX.

your voice call out to me and there

is nothing I can say to prevent you

 from seeking your false illusion;

I watched you destroy your sense

of honor and me along with it,

I watched you from the sidelines

trying to keep my perspective clear.

X.

the needle and her became good friends and it

was a good thing since she lost all her others,

they were together everywhere and her

mother did not want to say anything bad,

she was lucky when the coroner's report

indicated there was probably not much pain.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 22

      

I.

it howled in our faces and beat

against our backs as we stood

admiring our new predicament,

a crown of racks lay at our feet

to be reassembled once we knew

the new arrangement...  so strange,

our lives were never the same.

II.

the hot water against my muscles aching

felt better than good

felt sensuous but not physical

relaxing the soreness,

steaming out what little strength remained

until a shell laid on the cold porcelain.

III.

for myself was her reason and if

it also attracts an interest...  well

then, so much the better it is.

IV.

she looked at me with her brown eyes

so sad and pitiful they seemed and

once I patted her on the head a little

she left to her blanket to lie down.

V.

it was a long time to which we both

had agreed, knowing it could never

be more than it always was for us.

VI.

I watched you leave and wanted to

go back in time to say a last goodbye...

how foolish that would be since in a

couple of days we were together again.

VII.

it was "no" for me and "yes" for you

and last week it was just the opposite,

it would have been fine, if not for spite.

VIII.

we mate in an afternoon frenzy

between other choices and we

never share meals only each other.

IX.

the voice on the other end sounded

different than you from what I had

remembered and wasn't sure if I

should talk with you or not, especially

since you were of no interest to me.

X.

returning to the nest after all the winter's destruction

she rebuilds the same home she had to leave earlier

and soon will have another new family to feed there.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 21

 

I.

with delicate fingers she played

with his manhood...   teasing

with her eyes as she watched

his expressions of pleasure,

her tongue licked him to the point

of no return and she held back

a little to take more of him.

II.

she called out his name as she

brought herself to an orgasm,

she knew it was better with him.

III.

she was the kind of woman who

speaks her mind even if what she

has to say is something that no

man in her life wants to hear.

IV.

the evening took me by surprise

an orchestra of creature sounds

and no wind to blow them away.

V.

I heard you howling this night 

and was pleased by the sound,

my outside chores were done 

or we could have been closer,

we could have been a lot of things

if it were not for bad choices and

wanted to make sure you howled.

VI.

she came in through the back door

to see an old friend only what she

found was that he no longer lived there,

so she left through the front door.

VII.

it has always been at the heart of their affair...  his image,

it has always been their concern with what other's think,

when she wanted more and he could not be there suggesting

the she take another lover instead of being so lonely...

then their affair was never meant to be and the words,

"I will love you forever and ever," weren't meant either.

VIII.

"I'll go into my room... but why should I be alone,"

she exclaimed!

and she shouldn't but she did and wondered

what good was either of them?

IX.

momma...  this guy is so different

from all the others...   and, I know

I must have said that before but

this time it's not the same...  it's 

like that friend you had years ago

after papa died...  it's time for me 

to be happy momma...   like you.

X.

if it was real this afternoon or

this evening, I'm not so sure...

it was for us to judge and our

participation made it quite

impossible to be abstract...

it was gone before we sampled.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 20

 

I.

I am afraid to close my eyes,

afraid to sleep and loose control

over my perception of reality.

II.

through my senses it appears

coming on its own accord,

seeking a teacher,

one who would challenge it intellect,

this alter-ego manifestation,

alive with its warnings

and fears of rejection,

wishing it could leave the

same way it had arrived.

III.

you taught me to love again

and that was the nicest gift

anyone could have given me.

IV.

see...  I treat you nice until

you are hired, then I treat

you just like an employee.

V.

along the evening's tower watch

we...  a rational sort of job watching is,

but what else?

what are we watching?

and why?

along the evening's tower watch

we are watching you.

VI.

color coded memories abound

in my consciousness

a lifetime full,

and some are sordid relics while

others are rather pleasant;

harsh skies burn bright red and orange

reflected in backyard pools...

not so tidy they have become with

baby's breath along the driveway

and hordes of irises in bloom;

our fancy may not be all that we see

our regrets not all that we miss

and we time our afternoon visits to

coincide with any precedents;

fading, are the fields

of light-hearted conversation

and the serious side...

the dark side -  signs of practicality.

VII.

but then...  it was not meant for just anybody

take the coward's way or not way at all,

doing nothing provides an excuse

keeping us from doing wrong or right

and living without excuses.

VIII.

I begged the sun to warm my chills

not to be heard today...

elsewhere's were common and

typical under these circumstances

IX.

post season and post graduates

and postpone what we would

have done or 

might have done or

could have done,

as one would the tea kettle

on a hot day,

as we are today

and it is rather mild outside. 

X.

she rated her thoughts with

the best of them, finding out

quickly it was speed not accuracy

that actually made the difference.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 19

 

 I.

she had no choice but to ignore him and he her,

their involvement to remain a matter of gossip,

they met as often as they could seeking out love

a few nosey neighbors did not believe it existed.

II.

can I sleep thinking about tomorrow...  will you?

can I love you like you need or will being there be enough?

age has its concerns these days...  and speculations.

III.

the years win the struggle and we take

and we learn to take our anger to the grave,

nature shows her strength and each new

child must learn this same old lesson.

IV.

I had you all to myself and

lost because my greed would

not permit me to indulge in

the fantasies you explored.

V.

my head burns with the thoughts it possesses,

my eyes water with an anticipation of sleep and I

contain my convulsions lying on the tile bathroom floor,

a rush overcomes me and I beg to be left alone,

swearing it will never happen again,

how I wish I could learn to let it take me there

without the struggle and if I paid attention

I know I could find my way back again.

VI.

last night the door to my thoughts

was left ajar allowing most of my

bad attitudes to leave before daylight,

what remained were all those outgrown

sentiments I was saving for the yard sale.

VII.

it is because I cannot be with you

that I satisfy over and over again...

six month ago I was just horny

preferring my own hand to

avoid caring for a fancy man.

VIII.

I relax with an image of you

in my mind, wondering how

you are getting along...  so much so,

that I can no longer find time

to enjoy the relaxing experience.

IX.

if I were a thousand pencils

and a thousand sheets of paper

and a transcript of a thousand

people's thoughts, I would still

want to write how I feel about you.

X.

"don't you dare miss me," he said, wanting

her to concentrate on tomorrow's test,

so, she did what she was told and wished

she had flunked so she would still have him.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 18

 

 I.

the same fingers that were used to excite him were

now used to feel his forehead for temperature...

a gentle firmness moving with confidence.

II.

all we seem to do is work...

no time to relax with a beer

and a movie to watch...

no time to read a book

or attempt to paint the sky.

III.

the darkness shines on me like

a beacon to guide the way...

no bearings of directions

no compass readings

no exit or entrance...  and, it

is while in these darkened

surroundings that the light

however faint is easily seen.

IV.

time became my enemy

robbing me of what I

could rely on while I was

motivated to look ahead...

it was the past, I fear, that

really brought me here.

V.

could I have missed

falling in love with you?

under any other circumstances

or did it just happen along?

VI.

the church bell  rang today and

it noise fell upon deaf ears in

the fields and in the valleys,

all because it had stopped

raining long enough to plant.

VII.

I sleep with my eyes open so I'll

be able to recognize you if I dream,

my bloodshot eyes can't see what

you mean to me this way so visit

me in the light of day if you dare.

VIII.

she booked passage with my thoughts

each night so I would not forget her

or the feelings that she had for me.

IX.

I wrote a poem about you and

it was so sexy I had to throw

it away before you read it.

X.

she was good at handling not being together

she had years of experience from another,

he was older and less patient but was not

going to die between visits with here again.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 17

 

 I.

she thought of herself as ordinary

no different than all the rest with

nothing of interest to offer anyone.

II.

there was no hurry about her manner

even with her accent other that she

was more cute than she was obnoxious .

III.

a door was opened giving her the courage

to be self-supporting and without it she

she would have remained inside until

her home had tumbled down on top of her.

IV.

her thoughts dug into me like fingernails

and smiling at her arrogance, said she

did not understand what my problem was,

that I could leave her anytime I wanted.

V.

beside me you sit

and say nothing...

riding with me wherever

I go but still say nothing.

VI.

her image of me was flawless

until we spent the week together

and photos of my past lovers.

VII.

she called herself a "pushover"

because every time her former

partners asked for her help she

could never turn them down like

she did when they were married.

VIII.

he looks inside her head through

the behavior she exhibits greeting

her clients with caviar and champagne,

he looks to see who's at home and

if she is beyond redemption...

he looks more to see her than to help her.

IX.

charity begins at home with

a few kind words spoken...

if nothing nice can be said then

one might as well be hateful.

X.

the dog and pony show was

for adults but it pleased the

children to think that their

parents were having fun.

Losing Is Not A Crime

age is a natural predisposition of existence

birth, death and what's in between flowing

faster than the smoke that thunders on the

misty memory side of the southern zambezi;

our mistakes for racial barriers that we tear

down when it suits our purpose, creating

friends of the survivors no one wants to have but

cannot shed easily as if it were a lingering virus;

moments stretch into years and soon decades

are left on our doorstep like some holiday package

the postman left at the wrong house and was

used by strangers until no longer of any use;

heaven is the ideal state-of-mind as the devil

takes up residence in the minds of the forsaken

limiting their chances and outcomes while providing

sustenance to those who have forgotten to die;

the street cleaner's moustache is like his broom

that sweeps up wall street dirt as if it were car parts

from a chop shop that did not use sticks to feed

themselves the truth that they were trying to hide;

potato peelers trim off life's excesses while the

sous prepares the meal for the drunken chef whose

life no longer depends on client patronage or

on the customer's constant irrational satisfaction;

unintended consequences are the memories of the

blameless as their tithes never reached the homeless

and the homeless never went home to their mansions

once the pandemic put fear into the hearts of man;

daydreams and wet dreams became the folly of congress

once the parties collided into compromise and gave up

their will to an counterfeit antique dealer who was

high on cocaine from a previous failed marriage;

honor and integrity were treated with chemo

since all the illegal immigrants became oncologists

and live in the hospital so they can walk to work

just as easily as they had walked their way to freedom;

clever words were buried with all the removed statues,

the law of the land were sold for super bowl tickets,

and aging became a luxury of the dare devils who

lost their virginity when we lost our constitution.

20 March 202

The Untitled... from 1988, page 16

 

I.

it was my support on which she drew 

when I was in the arms of another...  far away,

returning...  I was still in her arms and

all the rooms in which we lived

became empty all of a sudden.

II.

her feelings crawled up my leg

in her absence and before long

it was my manhood that had a

problem with erect situations.

III.

she couldn't way what was on her mind,

but he felt it and knew what it had to be,

she didn't want to leave him on a negative note

but she was spending another night alone.

IV.

she could have any man in her bed,

so why should he feel bad because

she only wanted there to be one.

V.

he was accused of acting like her ex-husbands,

then she decided that they were nice now...

it was only as a husband when

they were a pain-in-the ass.

VI.

I came home early and spent the entire

evening wishing I was with you...

I knew if we spent more time

together we wouldn't care as much.

VII.

dress yourself in the finest silk

and wear your hair pulled back,

tonight...  we're going out on-the-town

to celebrate our new found love.

VIII.

over the shoulder of his imagination

came a daydream unlike all the rest,

one in which he controlled the action

as long as he accepted the consequences.

IX.

she wanted the advantage over him

she already knew she had the edge

over all the other women in his life,

he gave that advantage to no one.

X.

he had the best part of her

even though she woke up

with another in her bed...

he had her in spite of herself.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 15

 

 I.

she sent me a message with

her eyes but I was too busy

trying to understand what

exactly created her interest.

II.

outside the door is the hall,

she waited all night...  as if

her purpose had meaning

and when I emerged the

next day she asked when

was it I was coming home.

III.

the cool air felt good

on his heated thoughts,

his mind raced with

all sort of crazy ideas,

all the groupings

were at his disposal,

sooner or later, one of

them would win.

IV.

there is uncertainty in the words I speak

and heard in those spoken to me...

still...  we must think the best leaving

the worst possibilities for those who

sit around worrying about them...

V.

she spoke to her audience of animals,

Mr. Buddy...  Polo...  Missy...  and, Pepper Girl

none of them caring whose 

turn it was to be fed first;

she spoke to them as she would a sick fried,

it was her attraction to cats that

did her in because they usually

knew how to take care of themselves.

VI.

her face was flushed with anger

but what showed was her

blushing from embarrassment,

she recognized him too late and

they all met in the lobby of the theater

giving reasons as to why they were there.

VII.

the temperature outside was less 

than inside but not by much,

air movement was non existent

and the humidity inched its way

up as the sweat dripped down our

steamy bodies while making love.

VIII.

it doesn't matter who approached whom

any longer or why it was something

that we both had pursued...  our

feelings never really mattered.

IX.

there was an attitude among them 

that could not be changed...  a

feeling of superiority where none

should have existed at all...

there was an air about them that

enabled us to detect them in summer,

they were bluer than most and

were making a come back, it appeared.

X.

our emotions were released carefully

but gently...  convincing our apprehensions

to compromise just one more time.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 14

 

 I.

she didn't think of herself

as the other woman just the

wife he could never leave.

II.

rain beat against his honor

eyes upward looking for an answer,

nothing was for sure anymore

only the rain on his face.

III.

she sat in the corner of his thoughts

as the explanation of why she loved

him always remained the same...

because of his special love for her.

IV.

she let the water trickle down her

body as the jets of liquid massage

beat against her pelvic bone...

she had liberated herself from the

need of a man but allowed herself

to remember how their fingers 

would have felt inside her...

fantasies were better that having

all those disappointing lovers.

V.

she fought for the right to love him

he was her only competition...

she expressed a need for him which

she had to identify and justify 

each time they were together...

both were worth the struggle yet

neither knew how to end what

had seemed so easy to start.

VI.

if I were to stare at you

it would be because I

was pondering an idea 

and not because you 

were ever on my mind.

 

VII.

and with him firmly in her mind, she

slide further down between the sheets

into the penetrating softness of the bed;

feeling his eyes and arms on her, she turned

until her own hand rested between her legs,

where he was minutes earlier and the

surge she felt lifted her spirits and she

moaned his absence as his wet memories

slowly left her...  she was content now.

VIII.

their hearts were covered with

drops of acid rain and neither

had a raincoat or an umbrella

to stop the slow deterioration.

IX.

her tears of love stained his

serious denial of her love

which she felt compelled to

prove to him time-after-time.

X.

a reflection of youth passes

through our imagination...

forgiveness is asked each morning...

we accept like's passion for

tolerance as the struggle will

end before happiness is secured.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 13

 

 I.

she needed to see a lawyer who had

handled her first two divorces...

"thank you for small favors," she told him,

"that this one had died in his sleep."

II.

her red, white, and blue attitude was

washed away in an afternoon rain shower,

she took sick leave to fix the damage.

III.

"well hullo...  haven't seen you in a long time,"

the old woman said in a shrill voice,

"whatcha been up to?"

"nothing...  I'm just gettin' married next month,"

she said happily.

"to whom?"

"a farmer."

"you don't want to marry a farmer,"

the old woman exclaimed!

"what I don't want is to share my happiness with you,"

replied her daughter walking away.

IV.

we've caused them to turn and look

and we've caused them to talk...

whatever is unexpected

attracts their attention the most.

V.

only to her does he talk

does he complain about

how he has been wronged;

only to her does he share his grief

only to him does she listen...

after thirty years on not saying a word.

VI.

the entrance to her heart was

well concealed and guarded;

her ambitions kept her from

loving too many mean at all.

VII.

she had freed herself from

greed and envy once she

realized many of her needs

were down in his basement

just gathering  a little dust.

VIII.

a fence covered with roses, its

vines crawling around for support,

red and green quilts look like blooms

through a dusty closed window,

eavesdropping on their silent beauty.

IX.

the words formed in his throat like

bit of food caught halfway down

and it wasn't until later that he

she was not paying him attention.

X.

it might have worked years ago if they had met first,

it is hard to say for sure...

if only what they shared wouldn't end...

relationships could become almost perfect;

and some actually are...

it is always someone else that steals our moody

attention and who we ultimately fantasize about,

not the one with whom we really belong.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 12

 

 I.

we are governed by those who ride

the prevailing winds behind our backs,

by those who search for their own purpose,

by the volume of gossip generated

within one rotation of our sun if necessary.

II.

we begin early in the hopes nothing is missed

and loss of rest becomes the norm and when

our love affair with tiredness gives all it can we

we return to living with a good night's sleep.

III.

our mornings unfold like

passing gas until one day

we realize that there were

worst smells we endured.

IV.

they are out there...

everywhere one goes,

they can be seen with

their young people...

mothers with the only thing

their husbands gave them

before they left for good.

V.

he was not available when she wanted him and

was not given a second chance to win her favor,

he had been allowed one mistake and she was gone.

VI.

when this morning began I was

on the verge of something special,

a new thought for a new day,

the day seemed to have been here before

and the thought, a singular version of a pair.

VII.

his rescue was inevitable and

she was the one who just

happened to be there...

together, they repaired the roads

that took them out of danger.

VIII.

my thoughts end up each morning on paper

a handful of clues and no puzzle to solve,

each day my thoughts are misplaced

in the same manner and each day

they get increasingly harder to find.

IX.

there is a lad who waits for me

spending her time with others

until the day that I finally return,

there is a lady whose pride is

undermined by her desire for me,

there is a lady whose tears I ignore.

X.

around the room they sit

in their business suits,

eating from styrofoam plates

a meal their wives did not cook;

and, what can be deduced

from this manner of behavior?

a daily routine while reading the news

that really belongs in another city.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 11

 

I.

I listened while you cried

wishing I could forgive you

for the guilt you felt and before

the day had passed away into

old memories, I cried for you.

II.

I wanted to make you feel guilty

for disappointing me until I

realized how upset you were.

III.

she shared her evening with me when

they should have been for her children,

her ex husband had been hanging around

when she had wanted me there...  this

affair had more problems than marriage.

IV.

they left school early to work wanting

a car more than an education and were

admired by those who stayed in school

which helped them tolerate their work;

years later when those who dropped out

had the same car and the same job,

those who stayed in school were the

ones who were to be admired instead.

V.

One Woman DC

the license plate read...

was she proving to herself or

the rest of the world

that she was not gay?

VI.

I wanted you in my dreams as

frequently as you were on my mind,

you said you could not stand that

much attention from any man.

VII.

it was easy to talk with you and

easier to make love with you,

there was a purpose even though we

preferred to think of it as animal desire.

VIII.

what I did with you 

became a habit

like attending class

and it took longer

that I had thought

to break it off...

IX.

the earlier we rise the sooner our thoughts

play with unregulated morning conversation,

listening to what others want to discuss

and we measure ourselves accordingly.

X.

your appearance blackens my imagination

a fragrance of many roses...

double exposed for no one's benefit

all I see is the first flower in the field

turning my thoughts over to you

and the new direction we should take.

The Untitled... from 1988, page 10

 

I.

she was attracted to his looks 

and loved him for his kindness,

making love to him because

he was making her happy;

she wanted to love him forever

but knew he would leave soon,

about that she did not think,

and when she did she hated

him for loving her like he did,

wishing she had never known him

or fallen in love with him but

deeply down knew it was not true,

she just wanted him a little longer.

May 1988

II.

he tried to enjoy her for

who she was but soon

learned she could not be

owned or possessed...

she was his by her design.

May 1988

III.

as much as possible she knew he

loved her and she knew he would

be there as often as he could...  and,

she knew every once in a while

she would want more, resenting his

freedoms and hoping he understood.

May 1988

IV.

the sunshine appeared on our madness

as if to bake it away and what started

out dull ended up to bright to handle.

May 1988

V.

she registered a complaint but would

never get specific with how she felt,

saying he already knew and was 

already too understanding for more.

May 1988

VI.

her feelings were under control except

every now and then she wanted to

wake up in the mornings with him,

knowing that he was with another.

May 1988

VII.

it is times like these...  waiting

for your phone call...  anxious

little moments of uncertainty

where I want another joint.

May 1988

VIII.

an echo of your image still

run through my mind as

caring seems secondary 

to being loved by you.

May 1988

IX.

it was not so much that there

had been a change in plans,

it was just an opportunity like

this will not come again soon.

May 1988

X.

there was no one for us to turn,

no one on whose shoulder we could cry,

so we forced ourselves to hide closed

doors waiting for someone to find us.

May 1988

The Untitled... from 1988, page 9

I.

over in your direction I looked

and saw no one of any interest;

perhaps, months ago when life

was not like it is today since my

combinations provide me all.

May 1988

II.

if I think of you anymore 

that I do already, then

nothing will get done

today or any other day.

May 1988

III.

he was called back into duty

because earners on the minimum

did not show up to work today.

May 1988

IV.

her heart was in the right place

but when she tried to show it,

the probability of failure was high.

May 1988

V.

"Have you been working hard,"

the silver haired lady asked of her gentleman friend?

"I'm working on account of one,"

he responded briskly with a grin.

May 1988

VI.

in the water the women of Turkey sit

with their black gowns floating around them...

it is not clothes they attempt to clean this time.

May 1988

VII.

we laugh less than we should

less than we need to but when we do

a nice sensation is felt unlike

any sensation ever felt before.

May 1988

VIII.

you were to blame for being there

to fall in love with me...   and if,

you had stayed home with your wife

like you were supposed to

none of this would have happened.

May 1988

IX.

you have become attracted to me

and I to you as the case may be,

and neither of us talked about

what we had done until too late.

May 1988

X.

you asked me to come with you and I did

you asked me to have only you and I did

you asked me to be there for you and I was

you asked me to love you and I did

but when I asked you to be there for me

you had to go home to your wife and children.

May 1988

The Untitled... from 1988, page 8

 

I.

she spent her summers on the coast

her falls in the mountains,

her springs in the piedmont

leaving her winters free to

sort over all her impressions.

May 1988

II.

he was a military man and she

was a military man's wife; but,

he was really married to the service

and she loved to play the field.

May 1988

III.

those least expected to have manners

usually have more than expected and

when that is seen, it is because one's

own manners are always missing.

May 1988

IV.

she loved him knowing

her need for him would

eventually end the affair.

May 1988

V.

two lives are led knowingly

one for the weekend and

one for the rest of the week;

two lives are led because

women and men are different

and have different needs.

May 1988

VI.

"don't you be at Mr. B's on Sundays,"

she asked, confident she knew the answer?

"yes," he replied, "I go there because the coffee is better than Mr. D's."

"I see you there every Sunday," 

she said drawing closer to him in the booth.

May 1988

 

VII.

roses in my garden bloom

reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, whites, and purples,

what cannot be said is offered with a rose,

we grow hundreds.

May 1988

VIII.

the managers compete for recognition

yet they are only measured on sales

yet their concerns are with customers.

May 1988

IX.

the fog in my head has cleared

and the distances I see in front

of me are longer than my desires

for me to want to get there.

May 1988

X.

I had film in the camera but not

the desire to take your photograph,

you paraded around like a princess

at least that is what it seemed to me.

May 1988