La Vita Boca

La Vita Boca

My Neighbor

He has to scrape his pockets
to find enough tobacco to roll
enough change for a bite to eat
he works my corner, has to build
clients with his engaging smile
sometimes urgent he asks, lady
any spare change, to buy a jolt
to get him through another day

he'd been missing for awhile
my husband said on vacation 
styling in the islands probably
he was in the hospital, diabetes
proudly displayed his syringes
he is a simple soul yet streetwise
he's learned to survive but never
prosper except with little gifts

he had to go to St. Vincent's
way downtown for his visits
doctor, labs, insulin syringes
asked me for subway change
I gave him a card with $11 on it
don't spend it on anything else
how would I do that he asked
he takes me for a fool I guess

Next day I see him wearing 
ten hats, sombrero, cowboy
assorted others, huge smile
a twelve pack on his shoulder
this bold man, I shook my head
then tapped my foot, he cut
around me roaring laughter
I let him pass with dignity

My neighbor

for Sunday Whirl
urgent, simple, pockets, jolt, build, how, dignity, cut, bold, scrape, roaring, pass

Fire

I Respect Fire

I know camp fires
burning marshmallows
on shaved forked sticks
sparks like tiny fireworks
glow of firelight on faces

I loved wood fireplaces
stoked up on a snowy night
the crackle and hiss 
blue orange red colors
flames dancing to music

I have seen conflagration
lumber yard burned to nothing
I watched from a bridge above 
I watched a barn burn down
thankfully no animals present

I packed my car ready
watered my roof while fire
ravished the hill above
firefighters walking woods 
plane dropping chemicals

I have seen burned bodies
skin turned to melted plastic
I can't imagine the pain and
I wished them dead for their
own sake, one child died

I respect fire

Bride of Evening

Bride of Evening

The moon gauzy
rises white above
black thunderhead
head now covers
gauze moon yet
she keeps rising
thwarts swallow
she is on a path
to avoid darkness
she rises, rises
as thunderhead
builds up steam
reaches, reaches
to no avail Luna
dressed to wed
but oh, she is 
swallowed, gone
all blackness
no there she is
bride of evening 

9/11

9/11

Early, dogs smiled along the lake
sunrise peach pink purple palette
clouds reflected in gentle ripples
baby ducks cruised with parents 
I felt as though I walked in a Monet
exquisitely beautiful gentle peace 

back by nine I turned on the news
one tower billowing black smoke
I dropped onto the hassock in shock 
a plane they said with excitement
my heart caught between beats
I felt etched in stone unable to move

they thought it had been an accident
I watched as another plane plowed
an explosion into the second tower 
I couldn't fathom what I was seeing
my heart still caught between beats
I heard the announcer shouting

frozen in place not breathing I stared
finally the horrible reality registering
I called my husband tried to tell him
stammering, sobbing, planes, towers
turn on a TV, terrorist attack, I heard
him saying my God, my God, my God

Come home, I told him, come home

Culling

Culling

Culling from experience
responses as to who I am
I think I will be less about me

I think I will sit back
not put myself out so much
quiet, watchful, nonplussed

I will not be reactionary
not come on too strong
not belabor my views

I will not share my soul
my deepest secrets
to be used against me

I will be careful for me
not give my heart away
for it is never safe

A heart can be broken
into bleeding pieces
hard to put back together

Culling from experience
I will trust my instincts
I will be more particular

Always War

Always War

Pallid women

quivering blooms

go about their day

war torn streets

studded hordes

men with guns

bar everyone going

about daily activities

children birdlike crawl

Moms hitch them

back up to safety

the rack awaits 

for Sunday wordl: crawl, rack, pallid, women, blooms, quivering, studded, hordes, hitch, bar, good, birdlike