Lashing out, fair rationsthe slap and stingof salt waves mixedwith snowice and fire, a cold burnswirl and tumult ofupturned cargo and soulsnearly founderingwith progress breathlessfor the suffrage of a new life This is the second of three ekphrastic poems I wrote at the Kimbell Art Museum during their exhibition of Turner paintings earlier this year.Continue reading “The Ariel”
Tag Archives: creative life
Waterloo
The field of death illuminatedLight suspended, in suspensionpigment in medium,applied, brushed and varnishedbut not glossed – so much lossat what costBy their own lightthose who could not fightsearch for signs of life Wandering in suspensionthe crowds pass inmuted tones, hushed and dimmaking their own inspectionframe by framemostly weighed by ageand time, and glossedby the wonderContinue reading “Waterloo”
At the Cafe
Sidewalk scenes a good dogpatiently doingtricks for treats a small boyasks for the hot tubafter dinner an old manlong beard bristlinggoes inside music driftsoutside from inside,old show tunes a coupletogether but notholding hands window seata woman readingnow vacant a young girltalking on the phonewhile she walks flannel shirttied around the waistmakes a skirt in aContinue reading “At the Cafe”
Lies, Big and Little
I’ll tell you lies,sweet little onesor big fat juicy ones I’ll tell you howthe morning whipped inlike a windstormand last night fearpounded on the doorfrom 3 to 5 amuntil four of my neighborshopped the fenceto restrain himthen we all sat in the grassand watched the sun risesinging hymnsand passing a joint around I’ll tell youContinue reading “Lies, Big and Little”
Shaking the tree
we had it out, inspiration & I she got tired of my attitudeand left, taking the entirebasket of fruit with her always nimble,she climbed to the highestbranches before there wereeven any leaves I could see herfrom the second storey window,broodingover apple after apple it was quiet in the housequiet inside my head the sun moved,Continue reading “Shaking the tree”
Fall
I let the evening absorbinto my skinas the light fadesI let it soak into mesunset streaks and littlepinches of early starspunctuate the gloom,become ornaments forthe magical blanketof twilight thatI’m gathering about me smoke from the grillrises through the treeslike an Appalachiamountain exhalingghostly gossamer rays intothe encroaching nightthe lamps click on with asoft invitationbut they areContinue reading “Fall”
Flamenca
“torito veloz” wild toro on the wallbullish scimitar hornsa stab of the tailcharging colorful groundfullish circular forms “torito feliz” little happy bullhears the call of torosees the active capewith wild and smiling eyesfears no fall of morrow torito, hooves will clipthe pointed horns will snipblossoms in the ringhot fired rush of breathanointed, borne, they slipestoque’sContinue reading “Flamenca”
Carnation | Orchid
Carnation A coronation for a buttonholenear a man’s impenetrable heartcloves drift from the spottickling the nose, begging entry A crown for the wristsof beautiful youth boundin a fancy dress for the promfull of promises not yet broken A tightly ruffled wreathin the bundle from interflorawho outlasts the roses and otherless hearty blooms,with its princely feetContinue reading “Carnation | Orchid”
Eclipse
(For the full Super Flower Moon, May 2022) what more can I say about the moon? my daughter read an articleon rabies that scared the witsout of her, so I am thinkingabout all the wild thingsmarauding out therein the ghostly super light the earth’s shadowscrapes its way across her facea raw red nailturning the whiteContinue reading “Eclipse”
Day by day. . . .
After spending over a year hemming and hawing, an email from Medium reminding me my membership was fixing to auto-renew finally galvanized my decision to leave there. I’m sorry to do it, because I met some wonderful people and the community atmosphere amongst the poets is – for the most part – tremendous, but atContinue reading “Day by day. . . .”
The Poetry Patio 