My Themes

behind the clouds two moons
rain on the skylight balances
Clair de Lune my themes are
love and work what else to
want nothing more or less

can I beat the deadline will I
survive another year doing
probably not my last chance
never knowable philosophy
comforts homespun of words

Old Mistakes

what am I thinking about the space inside
starry vast breathe Afghanistan in breathe
it out so with every woe or problem to be
acknowledged and blown away like broken
records your work two different wisdoms
intertwined with trivial misconceptions re
should and must begin solving old mistakes

Fresh Flowers

changing habits keeps them fresh
flowers wonder at snow what am I
doing here is it appropriate to exist
when others don't or can't or won't
is it polite to invite people I hardly
know their friendliness surprises I
wonder if they will come hope do

Very Easy

email setup give me a break
at least the internet is up to speed

we are reading "Sentimental Education"
on my new Kindle very easy to read

what a ridiculous hero maybe I
should be more satirical about myself

I have been just as silly but I learn
slowly meditating again during yoga

Better Part

I chop it up throwing out some of the best stuff
maybe it's just for my family if there is such a thing anymore
scattered as we are willing to be apart like this
maybe I've said all I have to say about love and personalities
in action is responsibility for random reference
revision is the better part of writing I always heard from you
at Christmas at least and on my birthday if you
don't remember I remind you what the story is that matters

Blue Depth

can this go on as if puffy
clouds manufactured just
beyond blue depth barns
built by individuals last

not so they are still dead
their voices killing sleep
who knew I care so much
warming up the pajamas

All Weathers

breathing stone the buddha
sits through all weathers
the stone is heavy
the stone evaporates
only the breathing remains

Public Giving

that a child is born is enough
that anything happens beauty
at every level intricacies mesh
that I can secrete words here
in public giving that someone
cares enough to print books

music bodies brain structure
manipulation that any child is
able to hear that his possible
suffering is natural energies
rise before dawn to think and
write often that will be done

Intimate Impressions

invite plan cook they're here from Houston
news of opera from all over relish intimate
impressions talking a medium of display

haircut looks good hot change cashmere
to silk mix after we sat started eating talk
connect 'Loser' gmail highly recommend

was I over-eager it doesn't matter if I was
the occasion demanded it starting to feel
like something I can live with perfectly fine

Obama: stop pushing, start leading

My Way

black congealed slime lines drain
what is it moose munch seasonal
gloom threat confuses solid work
there is no substitute for Clorox

diet does don't slip up now but
I lost enough six percent less me
never thin again oh well realist is
my way senses when life is good

Ring Twice

"We seek the plasticity of words and their interrelations and musical connections rather than their denotations." —Louis Zukofsky (1933)

the same things said then rang
and ran away only after making
Vivaldi ring twice as much when
heard more than light returning

you knew what you meant until
general knowledge was missing
the point receding to even less
long night beside your beloved

not satisfied with two she lost
what she wanted while she did
never living in the capital only
wish the outcome to be better

Sunday School

avid conversationalist remains in martini
shakers says his son Saint a schoolmate
somewhere my mother went over a cliff

I saw her tumble end over end into the lake
my father and I were stunned so sudden is
that the way it ends without warning

you turn pages calmly the rain spatter
stops the Chinese lights betray the season
we learned about in Sunday school

Both Ways

the hunter never hunts only talks
to peasants describes landowners
looks at Russia silently observes

the cadence emerges on its own
thought as much as spoken well
considered accidental lucky

I want both meanings connected
both ways no poverty anymore
but riches beyond imagining

No Dark

how he fell to how to tell
without reliving it enough
soon follows like the dark

there is no dark a village
glows redly distant cities
infuse the night with light

never silence on the road
machines rush past wake
of sound drowns his ears

being on all the time too
much what did bushmen
dream in the time before

High Ground

not knowing won't save me
but I'm not threatened I live
on high ground and I'm old

everything is going wrong
but let's do something right
start the needed reversals

hope helps but how can we
if Obama won't lead stand up
to old ideas begin the change

Be Ready

I forgot what I was going to say
or did I say it and you
weren't listening is that it
something about every day different
surprises you don't even notice
regular habits only more so
getting up at 5:30
etc. still
unexpected things will happen
be ready

Infinite Variation

is this simple enough converging
colors green and green between
seasons musics whispering to be

that's what I saw when I tried to
hear the infinite variation above
the singing in my private mind

whether you can tell differences
or am I the only one less known
merry about a holiday calendar

Nasty Weather

few friends fade I can't talk
to no one poets and wives
not introduced as if I don't
exist have feelings or care

I'd voted with my wheels in
nasty weather thought that
counted still solitary chilled
browse second-hand books

where did we go wrong that
I'm not part of anything not
invited to Christmas parties
can't always enjoy it if I go

Two Brains

can slow match wait mind still
here spinning movement while
clicks imply something goes on

happening faithfully two brains
mysteriously redivide as three
or more if you can think of it

my own practice so ingrained I
forget it's there and I made it
up from books and experience

able to choose to go on or let
this be the final stanza please
myself share it with the world

Real Think

13 at 5:38 horse troughs frozen
Dennis crazy executing squirrels
eat into his studio thump on roof
aforementioned cat here after all

if you must know I was thinking
of you don't fret I won't tell much
my memory not images but facts
in words thin membrane still do

the trick is biting them like coin
close examination try substitute
check ring listen what they are
trying to say must be real think

Another Level

there where another sleeps I rest
in closeness precious acceptance

these lines try too hard to say be
everything in a few random words

if you don't answer my emails how
do I know you are there anywhere

inundation of silliness hits mailbox
images of clothes on glossy pages

I have everything I need too much
wear this look like that model life

it doesn't matter what we wearing
vibrations merge on another level

Sand Storms

no snow cold kills noble oaks
art lives on all seasons equal
here in Russia don't let desert
replace the world like our own
images of cities blasted sand
storms embattled tribes alone
rewrites minds die for stories

Used Words

minor inconveniences loom large
if you let them know how lucky
you are or not either way praise

learn not to push unless needed
step forward step back all time
unbearable unless you want it

accept that all words are used
all thoughts thought ideas said
look for a space between them

We Few

trapped cat taken home
after a warm night in the tack room
four-footed beings thrive around us
Tom talks fattened Phoebe
whitely goes her way Ginger
cringes from some ancient threat
whole deer families nibble through
day and night turning on the light
Annie Chinita Guinevere Mercedes
wearing blankets graze the pasture
spooked by the sudden wind
squirrels bury nuts climb trees
and walk the telephone wire
a skunk shares the cats' food
we few humans watch wonder
at our place in the web of life

Ignorant Bliss

the more you study history the worse it is
serfdom in Russia IBM counting Jews Mao
loss of innocent ignorant bliss inevitable
ever more needed redeemer not to come

then what then is the story can be told
to laugh and love prize beauty harmony
or relish contrariness be harmlessly bad
for fun or freedom and be good yes best

Precious Order

what is not said and if it were
would we be better able to see
what we need to know to go on

who is not there is not noticed
while who is fills all the open
spaces between silent thoughts

when will be soon enough to act
on all we comprehend too late to
make our wisdom voices heard

where if not here will any speak
of chaos devolution change if
we cherish our precious order

Other Senses

sunlight on frost more enchanting
than any Christmas lights stops me
going and coming on the gravel path
white light white frost over light blue
clarity of cold comforts other senses

the lights are shining and the garland
welcomes Christmas spirit as we edge
toward solstice jobs report hopeful but
more of the same even better solves
nothing only obfuscates the reckoning

More War

ostensibly sensible woman emails endorses psychopathic ravings
Moslems want to kill us all because we're Christians the only way
to beat them is be more ruthless than the enemy the guy will kill
to keep his guns refuses to acknowledge Obama is our president

it's embarrassing frightening how many more crazy haters among
our fellow citizens Obama's Nobel sad travesty instead of leading
listens to experts expertly defend their turf deserts his own better
ideas makes himself hostage to illiberal nuts and buys more war

Secondary Dust

ravages of history our time descent
they all say that but this much worse
losses mount life is suffering but old
arrangements helped survive texture
thinned poor populations swirl in
secondary dust blinding aging eyes
we need civilization our bodies weak
alone the planet hospitable to other
species thrive as we throw off hard
millennial lessons smug in our cars

Six Minutes (for Johnny)

sleep like dirt
like melted glass
rocks brain tomorrows
narrowness like hate
like dull wind
American coffee separate
dream rocky road
sits like never
like flat hope
heavy mouth stiff
hard speed powerless
dim gift nothing
heater like tonight
like opening burns
road of deep water

(8.II.65)