Poetry

Before

It was pink this morning
The sky
Before the sun came up
I walked the windows
Bursting clouds in grapefruit pink

It was perfect this morning
The coffee
Before my dream fog left
I inhaled the aroma
Generous beans in savory nectar

Before today’s news
Before the “Oh My God”
I bathed in a sunrise show
I swam in coffee ambrosia
Amidst the daily trepidation
I’m still here

Winged Sisyphus

Our warm tight sanctuary
Home

Our safe place from the horrifying
Turn our world has taken toward
Exclusion and hate daily
Disturbed

Azure feckless bluebird’s head-butt
Repeatedly flying torpedo style
Banging the huge clear glass
Futility

A winged Sisyphus’ hopeless effort
A beautiful kamikaze fowl missile

While taking up residence
Offered in loving charity
The vibrant flock observes
Unmoved

A bird-brain suicide

Silently
Complacently
Complicitous
Watching
Another
Senseless
Demise

Bleak Aftermath

In the bleak aftermath each morning is a struggle
Stretching into motionless afternoon of leaden despair
Simmering in boa knotted stomach and boiling over
Eyes narrowed by heavy deep-creased brow

Resisting the yearning impulse to burrow under covers
Grave digging designs on hibernating through the teens
Ostrich head sunk deep down unburdens encumbered
Shoulders crushed beneath invisible fear mountain’s swell

Can strength of purpose drenched with decency and love
Shake off the light-threatening sodden blanket dirge,
Soaked with bitter regret held down by daunting waves
Churning disorientating vertigo amid panicked yells?

Wake
Rise
Stretch
Hug
Speak
Scream
Fight
Hope
Love

Cleansing words wage war on fear’s frozen grasp

Love of Country

Part 1 – Written 10/11/16

Remember how we felt after 9/11?
Wrapped into the horror & deadlift
Weight of sadness heaped onto
Sagging shoulders and tears?
Infinite welling kindness, compassion
Overflowing goodness and charity
Filling buckets full of small empathy
Moments of love and pride and
Resolute determination that our
Country will not be brought down
By the hate of raging terrorism.
Donald Trump is a terrorist whose
candidacy is a 9/11 deja vu wreaking
Havoc on our civility and decency.
I refuse his offer to ruin my country from
His gilded towers of bluster and
Flashing gaudy hate-filled bravado.
When facing the destruction
Of crashing planes tumbling buildings
I remember the decency immersion
Love of country and unity of spirit

Part 2 – Written 11/10/16

I was sure decency would prevail
My splintered heart shards shred
Dripping crimson tears of hopeless
Dread convulsing endless sobs
Wrapped in stomach pit horror
A terrorist in our White House

Transfixing Pink

Transfixing pink minutes complete
A perfect day
Aware conscious focused pleasure
Full immersion absorbing beauty

Countless pink sky nights unnoticed
A lost day
Absent minded blameless passing
Floating oblivious unconscious drifting

RGIII

My favorite unrequited sports redemption story
A second (or third) chance unfolding on my TV
My beloved charismatic bombastically handsome
Dreadlocked quarterback unexpectedly appears
In orange and white with hopes of reclaiming
Reputation while stealing a win from my Birds
While drowning in the tumult of actual politics
I missed his trip from politics to rock & roll
I root for a dreamy successful orange rebirth
I need an all American mid-western come back
Feel free to start the renaissance next week

At the Soccer Game

My late summer walk across a steamy stadium lot
A thin young man in the wide hunter green head
Band restraining long thick curls brings on
Weighty full emersion nostalgia while blinking
Red, green and yellow river spanning lights
Oddly comfort presenting a holiday invitation
Sweet familiar smoke mixes with humid air
While sweat trickles down the back of the shirtless
Man walking ahead of me in camouflage shorts
And a full-sleeve tattoo swirling wildly in contrast
To the Philly Sports team logos tattooed on his calf
And ankle 76ers red white & blue and Union crest
I wonder where the Phillies are as his girlfriend
Pulls out of his reach as he drunk ambles turning
Left his incongruous billboard body mesmerizes me
The beer spilled 3 rows back that made slinky step
Progress toward my shoes whispers a sickening frat
Party aroma snapping maudlin memories back to now
At a certain point everything is evocative