Saturday, April 5, 2014

Gently Rocking Train

Just nothin' like a 
Glass of wine on a 
Gently rocking 
Train

Pacific surf liner -
In the dark 

And you by my side -

Muted conversation
Shuffling cards -

Solitaire 
- on the phone -

-Can't see the scary tunnel 
When it's dark outside -
Will probably hear it 
And wish 
For another glass -
Of wine 

But must maintain 
In public -

Can't be too comfortable 

Just -

On the edge of relaxing -
Thanking all the gods ---
We are not 
Driving !!!

Train and Subway to LA

Train and subway to la. 
To see a play. 
There's a time for everything
I always swore I would never go 
Beneath the streets to ride 
In the dark 
In earthquake country 
I kept my eyes closed 
Almost 
The whole way. 

Relieved there was no 
8.0
On the Richter scale . . .

A Play about Mormons
In darkest Africa 
They come through my neighborhood-
Sometimes 

But what about women ?
What about divine mother 
Don't they know her 
In her brilliant light 
What of their hearts 
And their bliss 
And the joy 
     Of the Holy Spirit 

What has that to do 
With golden plates? 
The gold would be the color 
Of the chakra that opens 
And showers us with
Droplets of 
Golden 
Shimmering 
Joy

Friday, April 4, 2014

Siri

Speaking to Siri 
Letting her right
SHe doesn't know right from right

Write
I could say, letting her type
But then how would the creative process
Be affected by machine



Thursday, April 3, 2014

Blood From A Turnip

How to get more blood 
Out of this turnip?
Only so much income 
Inflation . . . Inflating 

I'm old enough to remember 
25 cents a gallon 
Gasoline!!
Difference was 
That quarter was made 
Of silver . . .

Scarey when you think 
     About it 
Now it's all bits 
     And bites
In an electronic 
     Brain somewhere 
Science fiction---
     Back when I 
Was reading 
     Science fiction -

And what happens when 
The sun spot comes 
And wipes away all
Traces of numbers from 
The giant inter-web-net
     Brain ?
What if it gets
     A headache ? 
Is there an excedrin 
     Large enough 
An asprin for that ? 

"Take two 
And call me in the 
Morning"
Doctors used to say 

It's inevitable that someday
Something will disrupt 
It's concentration 
Computers. . .
I don't really trust such 
Complicated things 

And what about when 
They begin
To talk to 
Each other 

Where will we be 
Then? 

If only I could add 
A few more zeros 
To the account
Zeros being worth nothing 
But turning 1000
Into 10000
Into 100,000

One could dream of 
Having a checking account 
Like that. 


Monday, March 31, 2014

Disappearing Act

Today at the temple 
The air was clear 
The clouds were high 
Above the Santa Barbara 
Mountains

The breeze was cool 
My mind ran hot 

Just like the old cars 
With their radiators steaming 
On the California mountain roads

Should I or should I not ? 
What will he think 
     And should I care ? 
Can I give up
     Must I not 
Which is 
     What 
Where and 
     How 
and why is it 
Always all 
My fault ?

I will not sit. 
I will merely bow. 
Myself and myself 
     Converse 

But then
I get 
Settled in
And ask for help 
From above 

As if by magic
I am transported to where 
My mind can get 
     Some air . . .
The poor overworked thing 
Allowed to rest 
To expand into 
     Whence it came 
The feeling of 
Relief 
To again visit this 
Realm 

The feeling of 
Joy
Indescribable 

I give thanks 
I have found 
     This place 
This place inside 
Where I can go 
To disappear. . .

Do we have a choice?

What's it doing raining here?
- in the middle of a drought year -

They build and build
Another five hundred
Unit building 
More condos in the river bed
And then they cry and complain
Where will the water come from 
For these units
-As the rain water rushes to the 
Sea-

Who are they?
Do they invest
From someplace 
Else?

My great grandfather 
Farmed oranges in 
Orange County 
Now oranges come from
Elsewhere 
Shipped to the millions of people
Who live
There 
Now

What do we do 
With the land 
With the place 
Where we live 
Do we turn it into asphalt 
And concrete?
Do we grow nutritious food 
Nearby 
And stroll in 
Gardens and 
In forests 

I suppose we 
Have a choice 


Saturday, March 29, 2014

Cut the cord/Cut the cable

I've done it 
-Finally done it 
Tired of huge bills 
And nothing on-
But oh I will miss 
Duck dynasty-

Pulled the plug-
Cut the cable-
 in a rush of 
     Budget constraint-

All the news 
I won't know-
All the tragedy I will hear about
Only in passing 
Only second or third hand-

What will I need to know 
That I won't know 
And how will this affect me?

The earth shook last evening-
It was a long gentle shaking-here-
A gentle movement 
     Of the earth
One waits 
One does not know 
Will it stop 
Or will it grow 
Will this be the big one 
Which causes us to 
     Slip into the sea?

I won't know
Until I'm actually swimming 
That it is so 
There will be no commentator
To tell me 
What I should 
Know

The used videos at the thrift store
Cost 
Two dollars apiece
I watch them avidly
A movie with no commercial 
     Interruptions 
How nice 
How novel 
     Who knew?

"What if they gave a war 
     And nobody came " 
What if tv viewers 
     Did the same-
All those advertising dollars
     Flapping in the breeze with 
     No one to tease 

It's quieter here
     Now 
More time to 
     Think 
To contemplate

Maybe I will 
     Get things done 
Which I have left 
      Undone 

It is raining ??
I will step outside and 
See.