Sunday, April 24, 2016

Altars

At the retreat -
These are the difficult 
Days -
All those who have 
Confidence and 
Aplomb
Express themselves with 
Eloquence
Concerning their 
Hatha Yoga and 
New age 
Living arrangements 

They come from here and there 
And are on their way to somewhere 
Exotic
On standby 
- they have found something 
On the Internet 
Which is 
A great 
Deal 

One comes from San Francisco 
And lives on the hill 
One lives out in the desert
But does it
Very well 

How can I compare 
My weedy garden 
And patchy paint 
( I know, 
Not good
To compare) 
But to me 
This is 
The place exotic 
The place I can barely 
Afford 
And hardly get to 
Anymore 

To each 
His own 
And mine is this 

I have within 
A little space 
I have prepared 
A little altar 
In the heart 
And I am not so much concerned 
Anymore 

With 

New age 
Poses




Friday, April 22, 2016

Enthusiasm

It's raining here 
The river rages 
And water 
Falls from the 
Sky  !

The trees are
Green 
And happy 

And I 
Have driven 
Far to the 
North 

Up above Sacramento 
-They say they still have 
Drought 
But it doesn't seem to be 
So 

The hills are green 
With grass -
And wildflowers 
Grow 

I have come so far 
To retreat again
From the world of 
Complication and 
Confusion 

It's expensive but 
They feed me 
And leave me alone -
To walk among 
Trees 
And to meditate 
As long 
As I want 

The enthusiastic person 
In charge of us 
Wants to make a plan !
To take us here
And show us 
There -

We both politely say 
Thank you no -
Not today 

For we have come so far 
To leave the planning people 
Behind for a day 
Or few 

Enthusiasm is what we 
Have come 
To escape 

So please, please
Find another outlet 
For your unbridled,
Positive, energetic,
Enthusiasm


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Novocaine

Oh I want to be 
Dead !

Waiting for the drilling 
To begin 

Dead bodies 
Don't feel a thing 

So I'm told 

Beginning to be 
Numb 

Listening to the 
Oldies 
reminding me 
Of the clouds of smoke 
And
 Playing the guitar
And singing 
In the coffee house

Now the Valium and the 
Novocaine
Are kicking in 

Joni Mitchell singing 
And I heard she 
Had a stroke 

What's it all about 
I wonder 


Royalty

Oh dear - 
   -The dentist-
I am royalty now 
With a golden crown ! 

Not on my head but 
In my mouth 
Everything, they say, 
Is a lesson 

I hate it when they 
     Say that 
For - Today l learn 
About drilling !! 

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Wall

Tell me. 
Tell me 
     The good news 
This motley crew

And I am one -

Isn't it interesting how 
We all have our stories 
To tell 

Back in the day 
I went through 
Check-Point-Charlie 
And rode on the little train 

"Bridge of Spies" 
(Movie)

1978 interesting - 
They let us through 
We had lunch 
     Unremarkable 
In some old building 
With slow service 
I recall 
What must they have thought 
     Of us 
Kids 
From the states 
On a budget 
Tour 

They wouldn't let the 
Tour through 
As one -
Just individuals 
And 
The Wall was still up !

I remember changing money 
For the day 
And being told not to take any 
Away 
( I may still have some ) 

Back on the other side -
They took us to the place 
Where there were stairs 
And people could look 
At loved ones 
But never touch
We climbed up 
Some wooden stairs 
We waved at the guards 
Who were looking at us 
Through big 
Binoculars
From their watch towers 
Across 
The space 
Filled with 
Barbed wire 
And metal cross pieces

They had big 
Guns 

And

I seem to remember 
     German Shepards 
On leashes

A wide expanse of 
Sand 
And then 
The Wall 

And I grew up with 
The threat
Of the planes 
Of the bombs 

Of the nuclear weapons 
That would rain from the sky 
At any moment 

And now, they say, 
The threat is worse !
And "they" have 
Clothes police. 
(What would they say 
About my thrift store 
Stuff?) 
I would undoubtedly be 
Beaten for myriad fashion
Faux pas !

But I am older now 
And if the nukes fall from the sky 
I only want to be at 
Ground zero -
For I have seen your false 
Promises -
And I know how lovely life 
Could be 
If -
If only -
We'd stop 
Being stupid 

And mean. 



Thursday, April 7, 2016

Destiny!

Feeling better -
And realizing that I 
Must be in charge 
Of my own destiny !!

Yeah right -

So the "positive people" say 
But 
What 
Has that got to do 
With a $1200$ 
Gold crown 
On an old tooth in 
This 
     Old body 

I can be thankful 
It is no worse 
     A friend was talking about his 
     Bone grafts and implants 
     $$$$

Hang together -
Old body -
For awhile 
Yet anyway 

Just because I 
Haven't had 
My coffee yet 
Is no reason 
To 
     Self destruct. 




Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Sarcasm

Some days,
One feels ones age -
102 
If it's a day 

And what a relief it will be 
To cease 
To exist 
No more bills to pay 
No more wondering 
If 
I 've said the 
     Right thing 

What did they mean by that 
And what 
Were they 
     Trying 
     To say 

Sometimes the Tango 
     Tangles us up 
     And sometimes it 
Flows 

This morning I was 
Wonderful 
And hopeful 
And then 
     A friend 
Who seems to have a knack for that 
Came 
And took it away 

Not my fault 
But I blame myself 
For every little thing 

I feel so betrayed 
And abandoned 

Left here 

To live 
Or die 
And to try 
And figure out 
Why 

The Gods 
have a sense of humor 

Even if it is 
Sarcastic 
And dark