Our Circus

Chagall courtesy Magpie Tales

Our Circus


laughing and falling from grace

we clown through life

doing trapeze acts

juggling our emotions 

walking a tightrope

riding bareback

subduing the lions

getting a cheap laugh

we pray to the ringmaster

hope for good audiences

and 

a chance to do it all again.

Love is

Love is

love is like
making cupcakes late at night for your son's class
rubbing medication on the guinea pig's mange
stepping into the scary bar to rescue a lost friend
wiping up after the rescued cat
watching your daughter drive away in your only new car
letting your loved one not see your sadness
sending flowers to a parent who never loved you best
ignoring the hateful politics of your friend's husband
planting gardens in places you know you will leave

love is like letting you just be
a rainbow

I, I, I

I, I, I


I will meditate
I will follow zen
I will retreat
I will pray
I will follow my bliss
I will be my inner child
I will go with the river

an awful lot of I's
on the journey to nirvana

Alone

photo by Joan Tucker

Alone

she was cranky and mean
she was drunk and secretive
she was victim and tyrant
she had no past or future
she had a daughter
she had no family
she just died

alone

Threads

Threads

history and folklore beckon
trying to explain things
to sort out the mysteries
find the cultural meanings
what where they singing
how to cook those
why the festival
no one explained
languages were theirs
we were to mind read
now saddened
by so much loss
need to hear it all again
with new ears
with new urgency
what about those rivers

Dnieper and Vistula

Paul G in Seattle

Paul Gauguin via Magpie Tales

Paul G

currently paul is hanging out

in Seattle with the totems

and asian lions

people crowd around 

don't seem to get it

these bright paintings

seems like long ago

girls were either covered up

or butt naked

who was this dude

maybe he should have 

stayed in France

clubs and oars 

from the Marchesas

garner closer attention

they say that painting 

is worth one million

I like that one

Not there

someplace so mysterious
I was not there
my blue pants suit was there
with its red stitching
but I was not there

I stood right next to a gondola
and a striped pole
the crowds were there
clicking and feeding pigeons
but I was not there

my husband and friend
were smiling in the photo
but I was not there
in a city so grand and chic
I was not there

I ponder the memories
review the photos
touch the old pantsuit
process that time and place
and yes I was not there

Seventy

seventy suns
seventy miracles
seventy mysteries
seven-ty
strangest sensation
 70

wow you don't look seventy
you just look what?
inside does not match outside
inside wants to dance fly
cavort do somersaults

outside tries to behave
appropriately sort of
don't embarrass yourself

yet the laughter is still there
and the twinkle and the storytelling

and yes that damn mini cooper