May 24, 2012

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.

May 16, 2012

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




May 14, 2012

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




May 11, 2012

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

May 3, 2012

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