Monday, May 30, 2011

Road Trip

Road Trip
this trip
     Giant Sequoias
     and beyond
I'm getting too old
     for this
Myself tells Myself

Sitting in a car
     for a long time
Hiking about
     hurts worse
     than it used to

But the sights
     are more
     delicious now
     somehow

John Muir
     and I
Commune
     with trees
     and sky
     and clouds

The clouds drift through
     the giants-
as tour buses
     come and go

Silence - magic -
     Jurassic-
        dinosaur-
           giant
              trees

and the crowds
     of foreigners
        speaking in tongues

and then a busload
     of modern children
     Who wouldn't
        recognize
           reverence
if it got up in "they" face
and flashed a gang sign

and I with my
peanut butter sandwich
find a stream
to sit by

remembering
why
     I came

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The End of the World Today

The world is going to end 
@ 6:00 o'clock today 

Maybe i should run around 
and get things done 
Frantically-
Maybe I should pray
-Unceasingly 

But 
Surprisingly,
my reaction is more like, 
"Well that'll be a relief."

finally one can stop trying-
-stop trying to hold one's end up 
-hold one's head up 
-have good posture 
and eat your vegetables 

And 
it's going to end in fire 
-in earthquake and complete 
destruction! 

this 
is a huge relief for me- 
Because 
it won't matter 
if the kitchen floor 
is clean... 

The kitchen floor 
will be no more- 
its asbestos tiles 
consumed 
in the fires 
from which 
they came 

I'm going to relish the day-
my few remaining hours 
5 to be precise. 
I will party like there's no tomorrow 
or maybe take a nap 
definitely there's an excuse 
in there somewhere 
to have an ice cream 
after all 
It's the END OF THE WORLD !!!
today 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

old man band

Tonight
as day turns into darkness

i try to type with my thumbss
on my phone
beam me up scotty
what has the world come to

the old man band is playing loud down the way
screaming like there's no tomorrow
and they were young once
and they'll prove it to you now

turn up those ampS boyz and scream a little louder
never imagining that you have neighbors
or that peaceful contemplation
is the zen way
for this
god made earplugs, grasshopper,
They never had this trouble in ancient China-
--but I'm sure they had others--
probably worse-- . . . 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

hedges

hedges are good
for keeping out the prying eyes

hedges are bad
because they grow
taking over sidewalk
and walkways

hedges are fun
when the day is warm
      (but not too)
and I can attack
with an arsenal of weapons
clippers and rakes and
     artistic renderings
should I clip
     this one here?
or
     that one-
     there?

what fool ever planted these
I contemplate
as I tire-
as I slow down-
as I leave a giant pile of branches
     behind me

they will be seen to later-
it will take some time
  -drag them to the back
  -arrange them in the can
  -which is no longer a can
but a giant plastic thing

and now,  as the sun goes down,
I am tired, but with a sense of
accomplishment.
I am still able
I am still strong
The hedges I planted
   as little things
and nurtured and encouraged
Are now threatening to overtake me
as I grow older

We are now
at a point of balance
-my strength
and
-their spring-time vigor

but I know the clock keeps ticking
-going round and round
sun rising and setting

For God's sake
     I'm going to be 60!
What happens then
What happens when
The puny 80 year old lady
is found
face down
impaled upon her
pruning shears
call NCIS!
even though I am not a Marine
maybe they can investigate
this crime-
this crime - OF TIME !