Yesterday

I heard a song today about leaving
and a friend read a poem about the road
where the wind insistently repeats
gusts of approval to the grey clouds.
It’s 50 * but it looks like snow.
The leaves are still green and
refuse to submit, so the wind
claims the dead branches,
the birds nests, and the rummage sale signs.
It isn’t even noon
I’m ready for bed.

UNJUSTIFIED POEM
　
Black holes never cry.
A stone was a rock
when it was young.
Arrows of love from
the Gods of war, away!
Away! Away to the space
between mine eyes and
save me from
lisping Shakespeares.

TABOO CONVERSATIONS
　
I was joking with my friend the other day
‘bout smoking stale tea, how tea was a name
for pot ‘way back, beatniks drinking wine and smoking’ tea.
Giving Bourbon as a cure for cowlick, whining,
or to counteract a sugar buzz; this is okay.
But joke about smoking’ a little Gange, some Buddha,
or Humboldt County homegrown and Holy Shit!
Smack me upside the head with a fry pan!
Didn’t matter her and I burned one together.
Ain’t my fault her father called and ruined her buzz.
I guess respectability will do that to ya.
And me, old reprobate, part hippy and part biker,
part stoned seer/prophet/poet
still willing to let my freak flag fly.

WRONG TURN SOMEWHERE
　
Starting to write poetry wasn’t
the best idea I’ve ever had.
It all seemed so innocent.
A limerick or two, a lousy ballad,
love poems so bad they hurt.
That is all it was ever meant to be.
I would have been happy with that.
Then the poetry turned into songs,
each one filled with its own music.
The words became Shamans, holding
mysteries, and the answers to mysteries.
Suddenly, it seems, I am become a midwife
trying at the least to not drop a poem on its head,
at most hold it up to the sun and announce
“ Here is another.”

Passing the torch

I want to tell my nephews that
some little part of our blood
comes from the Ojibwa, or Chippewa.
Not enough blood to put you on a tribal roll,
or get you out of an ass-whooping,
but now you know.
They were fisherman, and rice harvesters,
trappers and hunters.
Their warriors were feared and respected.
Yes,
we are corn-fed, fair skinned, right talkin’
sons of western Europe.
But part of us has been here much longer.
It may not be important to you now,
but some day you will notice how
you always end up back here.
It’s the blood.
It speaks, and
we must listen.

A Pinot Noir, and some tid bits.

ABOVE ME


Her face
risen above me,
the moon through the shutters
just touches the left side of her face.
She is not smiling.
Her eyes are like a cat’s,
but soft, and silver.
I think
My God,
that I should be here.
The moon just touches her face,
and still, I am jealous.
　
　
　
a few really short ones　
　
　
In my Pear tree
a bird I’ve never seen.
His song…
I don’t know if it’s sad or not.
　
　
　
A young Maple
blushing red…
embarrassed, no doubt,
to be losing her dress.

The older Maples
can’t wait to throw
their leaves like scarves
and dance naked in
new snow.




Hey Armand,
a shot and a Bud short.
And stop saying "God bless ya"
every time I mention Haiku.

Walkabout

Sorry, friends and neighbors,
but the road called and I had to answer.
After all, it is summer,
and you know how those roads are,
how the ditch mist is rich in clover scent.
And how the rumble of dual pipes
bounced off buildings and cornfields
sounds identical.
The people at the end of this particular road
shared their table with me,
and we laughed, and I returned home.
Armand, ya old fuck,
a bottle of your finest grape juice,
and a shot for the song of the road.
Damn it is fine to be back.