She Knows
She doesn't know
Why she drives
To the sitting group each week
She doesn't know
Who the others in the room
Might be
She doesn't know
What to make of the talks
On something called the Dharma
She doesn't know
Or even care where this path
Might take her
She doesn't know
How sitting with her breath
Can touch her inner peace
She doesn't know
When she decided
To sit every day
She only knows
She doesn't know
Why she drives
To the sitting group each week
She doesn't know
Who the others in the room
Might be
She doesn't know
What to make of the talks
On something called the Dharma
She doesn't know
Or even care where this path
Might take her
She doesn't know
How sitting with her breath
Can touch her inner peace
She doesn't know
When she decided
To sit every day
She only knows
April
You can still find snow
If you know where to look
Dirty icy snow hidden in a nook
Or two but it's not easy
You can find crocus poking
Through piles of fallen leaves
Beneath bramble that weaves
Its way across the garden bed
You can find a towhee
Your first of the year
Or sitting outside just hear
While drinking your tea
You can find that black racer
Sun basking by the tree
The one you nearly did not see
Distracted by the colors of the moss
You can find hope
Dull roots stir with spring rain
Life's cycle begins again
You can find hope
You can still find snow
If you know where to look
Dirty icy snow hidden in a nook
Or two but it's not easy
You can find crocus poking
Through piles of fallen leaves
Beneath bramble that weaves
Its way across the garden bed
You can find a towhee
Your first of the year
Or sitting outside just hear
While drinking your tea
You can find that black racer
Sun basking by the tree
The one you nearly did not see
Distracted by the colors of the moss
You can find hope
Dull roots stir with spring rain
Life's cycle begins again
You can find hope
My Glasses
One intention
One small intention
For the day
One action
One mindful action
For the day
Each day
Mindful to start
The day
Each day
My intention
That mindful action
One simple action
Mindful Action
Where is my mind
When I wake
What's to do
What's undone
Come back to now
A mindful reach
For my glasses
Reach my glasses
My intention is clear
One simple reach
To start the day
One mindful moment
Could become two
Could become three
Become an hour
A mindful day
The mindful day
Requires a start
Requires an action
One intention
One small intention
To start the day
One intention
One small intention
For the day
One action
One mindful action
For the day
Each day
Mindful to start
The day
Each day
My intention
That mindful action
One simple action
Mindful Action
Where is my mind
When I wake
What's to do
What's undone
Come back to now
A mindful reach
For my glasses
Reach my glasses
My intention is clear
One simple reach
To start the day
One mindful moment
Could become two
Could become three
Become an hour
A mindful day
The mindful day
Requires a start
Requires an action
One intention
One small intention
To start the day
Offering Grace
Balance in question
Tied in a knot
Against the wall
Trying not to fall to stand
Tying my boot
This daughter of Mara
Laughs down at me
And offers grace
Just follow me
Through fields of time
And streams of thought
There is no goal
No other place
Than now and this
Naïve
I do not ask the price
I Scoff
A poem a day I scoff
There was a time I read that much
Easy yes I say
No No No
Not read you write
That poem one a day
A poem a day for a week
I've not written one in years
Quick now back away
No No No
You silly boy not week a month
And to my dismay
She smiles
A poem a day I scoff
There was a time I read that much
Easy yes I say
No No No
Not read you write
That poem one a day
A poem a day for a week
I've not written one in years
Quick now back away
No No No
You silly boy not week a month
And to my dismay
She smiles
Father Proud
She laughs that laugh
Seeing me father proud with pen
In hand my poem birth wet
Here look I say poem complete
I could read it read it just to you
Not done she says not yet
And not for me
There's one last step
You place it on the internet
Body fear for all to see you didn't say
I can't do that there's just no way
My fingers shake my eyes wet
She smiles
She laughs that laugh
Seeing me father proud with pen
In hand my poem birth wet
Here look I say poem complete
I could read it read it just to you
Not done she says not yet
And not for me
There's one last step
You place it on the internet
Body fear for all to see you didn't say
I can't do that there's just no way
My fingers shake my eyes wet
She smiles
Running Thin
Do not tap the maple said
Red letters on black ground
I tried a little soft shoe
The maple made no sound
My waltz across the meadow
Brought not a hint of grin
A tango and a two step
My patience running thin
What's left I pondered
Running out of dance
No pleasing every maple
Even given every chance
I tapped myself away
Do not tap the maple said
Red letters on black ground
I tried a little soft shoe
The maple made no sound
My waltz across the meadow
Brought not a hint of grin
A tango and a two step
My patience running thin
What's left I pondered
Running out of dance
No pleasing every maple
Even given every chance
I tapped myself away
Life List
What bird is that
Quiet is that its song
ID that bird for me
Have you seen a tail that long
I just need to know its name
Did you see the color on the bill
I can't find it in my guide
I think his mate is on that hill
Life bird haven't seen that bird before
Any detail that you missed
Tell me now what is that bird
A checkmark on your list
What bird is that
Quiet is that its song
ID that bird for me
Have you seen a tail that long
I just need to know its name
Did you see the color on the bill
I can't find it in my guide
I think his mate is on that hill
Life bird haven't seen that bird before
Any detail that you missed
Tell me now what is that bird
A checkmark on your list
These Words
Easy these poems
Tripping off my tongue
Words tumbling about
About to fall
About to fail
Stumbling in articulation
Hardly tripping the light fantastic
Whatever that might mean
These words
A journey of intention
A journey of unease
Into fear
Into self
Easy these poems
Tripping off my tongue
Words tumbling about
About to fall
About to fail
Stumbling in articulation
Hardly tripping the light fantastic
Whatever that might mean
These words
A journey of intention
A journey of unease
Into fear
Into self
Warning Signs
Don't touch the tattoo read
Grand flourishes of neon red
Across each arm
Flashing off and on
In subtle emphasis
Don't touch the studded collar cried
In gleaming steel on leather tied
Across the neck
Coordinated with three rings
Petitely in the nose
Don't touch the scarlet hair shouted
That I'm bad is not to be doubted
Or trifled with
I'm warning signs on warning signs
Don't touch
Don't blink mind screaming
To the self I'm scheming
Adding bits that just aren't there
A blink you'll see her as she is
And touch don't blink
Don't touch the tattoo read
Grand flourishes of neon red
Across each arm
Flashing off and on
In subtle emphasis
Don't touch the studded collar cried
In gleaming steel on leather tied
Across the neck
Coordinated with three rings
Petitely in the nose
Don't touch the scarlet hair shouted
That I'm bad is not to be doubted
Or trifled with
I'm warning signs on warning signs
Don't touch
Don't blink mind screaming
To the self I'm scheming
Adding bits that just aren't there
A blink you'll see her as she is
And touch don't blink
Dice
Haiku dice tumbling
Clatter wildly cross the desk
One more poem complete
Haiku dice tumbling
Clatter wildly cross the desk
One more poem complete
Ms Roberts
I'd worried about you Ms Roberts
Your health a major concern
Week after week you had written
Asking in terse prose
Would I like to connect
I'm not that modern Ms Roberts
Connect I don't know current slang
What you were hinting was cryptic
Meaning what I could only suppose
I chose not to respond
Then you stopped writing Ms Roberts
For reasons unknown to me
I feared a connection gone haywire
Or arthritis in the toes
Perhaps you had found another
I waited for you Ms Roberts
Though I don't believe we've met
I find you a bit too forward
The type one often loathes
Yet I missed your appeals
You surprised me Ms Roberts
Thought I had lost you for good
I received your note this morning
Not telling me how it goes
Just do I want to connect
I'll pass on connecting Ms Roberts
That linked in device too weird
I wouldn't know how to use it
Though probably everyone knows
But please keep writing
I'd worried about you Ms Roberts
Your health a major concern
Week after week you had written
Asking in terse prose
Would I like to connect
I'm not that modern Ms Roberts
Connect I don't know current slang
What you were hinting was cryptic
Meaning what I could only suppose
I chose not to respond
Then you stopped writing Ms Roberts
For reasons unknown to me
I feared a connection gone haywire
Or arthritis in the toes
Perhaps you had found another
I waited for you Ms Roberts
Though I don't believe we've met
I find you a bit too forward
The type one often loathes
Yet I missed your appeals
You surprised me Ms Roberts
Thought I had lost you for good
I received your note this morning
Not telling me how it goes
Just do I want to connect
I'll pass on connecting Ms Roberts
That linked in device too weird
I wouldn't know how to use it
Though probably everyone knows
But please keep writing
Apologies to Bullfrogs Everywhere
Well did you ever wake up,
With jel' bellies on your jel' bellies on your on your mind?
Well, did you ever wake up
With them jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor one flavor on your mind?
With one flavor on your mind
You had to sit there laughin,'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.
Well, did you ever wake up, with Green Apple on your mind?
Did you ever wake up, with Green Apple Green Apple on your mind?
Sit there laughin,'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.
Lemon Lime got em,
Bubble Gum got em,
Juicy Pear got em,
Sour Cherry got em.
I woke up this morning,
Green Apple on my mind,
Don't got no Green Apple
I got them jel' belly blues.
Daiquiri got em,
Cinnamon got em,
Pomegranate got em,
Cream Soda got em.
I woke up this morning,
Green Apple Green Apple on my mind,
Well, don't got no Green Apple,
I just got them jel' belly blues
Well, did you ever wake up
With jel' bellies on your jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up
With them jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor on your mind?
With Green Apple on your mind?
You had to sit there laughin'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.
Well did you ever wake up,
With jel' bellies on your jel' bellies on your on your mind?
Well, did you ever wake up
With them jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor one flavor on your mind?
With one flavor on your mind
You had to sit there laughin,'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.
Well, did you ever wake up, with Green Apple on your mind?
Did you ever wake up, with Green Apple Green Apple on your mind?
Sit there laughin,'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.
Lemon Lime got em,
Bubble Gum got em,
Juicy Pear got em,
Sour Cherry got em.
I woke up this morning,
Green Apple on my mind,
Don't got no Green Apple
I got them jel' belly blues.
Daiquiri got em,
Cinnamon got em,
Pomegranate got em,
Cream Soda got em.
I woke up this morning,
Green Apple Green Apple on my mind,
Well, don't got no Green Apple,
I just got them jel' belly blues
Well, did you ever wake up
With jel' bellies on your jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up
With them jel' bellies on your mind?
Did you ever wake up with one flavor on your mind?
With Green Apple on your mind?
You had to sit there laughin'
Laughin' just to keep from crying.