the List

sitting in the garden 
     of the Buddhist Temple- 

the sound of water 
     soothing 
the soft clanging of 
     wind chimes 
     in the wind 
The giant pine- 
     dancing branches 
     in the wind 

My Center 
     has been- 
In the wind 
     for days- 

Now KuanYin Statue 
     says- 

Stand on 
     the clouds- 
pour out blessings 
     from your vessel- 

Center 
     and have a 
          soft smile 

On your face 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

This is one of my 
     errands- 

Stopping here 

Put it on My List- 
     Bullet Point! 
     Underline! 

The days flow by- 

I haven't that
     much time 
           left

And I enjoy 
     the center of things 
          -undisturbed- 

A little peaceful garden 
     in a city-large- 
          and getting 
               larger 

-Reminds me 
     that centering, 
          stopping, 
               watching-

looking at a Buddha 
     carved in stone- 

Takes my heart 
     of stone 
And lets it melt- 

Lets it be one 
     with the wind 

I must remember 
     to do this again 

To put it on my 
     List 

On the top 
     of my List...  

New Tango Shoes!

there is a new 
Tango venue

and I have 
New Tango Shoes! 
$$$!!!

the Chinese restaurant 
didn't work- 
not enough 
won-tons 
were ordered by 
the people who 
     tangoed by 
the waiter always 
ran 
never stopped- 
he ran by 
fast! 
doing his work 
God-bless-him
but- 
how to order 
won-ton soup
from a moving target?
especially when
both targets 
are moving-- 
as we 
are 
dancing?

so now there's a 
     restaurant 
in old downtown 
which has 
     taken us in- 
downtown-where the 
     homeless are 
quite literally 
     screaming at each 
     other-

-as happened just 
last evening 
as we 
were leaving-  
God-bless-em...

The City 
has the Computer Meters 
out in front- 
just try 
and figure 
those out-

But-
really nice- 
the building is 
historical- 
100 years old,
I'm told,

-just across from the  
California Mission- 

the trouble is 
the boards 
in the floor 
are also 
100 years old 
-I'm told-

and where they 
have been replaced
with new  
there are gaps 
which will take a heel 
from a tango shoe
-and well- 
I can't tell you 
what it will do 
-but I know 
It won't be 
pretty...

therefore,
this new venue 
may not see 
my new 
Tango Shoes
-just yet- 

plus the fact, 
that the young boys act-
Sometimes like 
The Tango 
is a race 
to some finish line- 
So sometimes I need 
Tango Tennis Shoes

(there's a million dollar 
idea)

It would be really nice 
to be able to change shoes 
for every partner 
sometimes slow 
     and sensual
sometimes fast 
     and sensual 
sometimes complicated 
sometimes simple 
     but always 
           sensual... 

and then you 
walk in 
late- 
     coming from 
          Arthur Murray... 
That poor man 
Would be turning 
      in his grave 
      if he knew 
What I have been 
      teaching you...

There are no steps 
     in Tango... 
          Just Walk- 
          Just Move- 
and 
Hold me
:) 

Death By Phone...

I can't wait 

     to be dead- 

No more to be 

     responsible for... 

After spending days 

     calling and 

     cajoling ATT

(and knowing 

     that my 

     ride 

with them 

     is only

half-way through),

After being put 

     on hold 

and transferred 

     so many 

     times- 

And no one 

     understands 

     What I'm 

saying....

And after the 

     fifth person

in Whatever 

     Department- 

and the call 

     is dropped-

And after the Service 

     Appointment; 

(waiting for that for 

  three weeks) 

And waiting- 

     three days for 

the "mystery technician" 

     to appear-

And now we have 

no phone at all 

for six more days...

(and yet another appointment 

with "mystery technician")

and all the while 

They are charging 

me $! 

For no service. What-so-ever.

Worse than no service... 

Tormentation and Vexation!

-not to mention 

     listening to so much

     bad 

     "music" 

     while on hold-  

It will be 

     so good 

to have the 

     cremation 

     fire 

consume the 

     flesh from 

     the bones 

and then 

     the bones... 

and the 

     epitaph will 

read something 

     about being 

     -killed-

by ATT

rather like a tornado

rather like
     a tornado
given no wind
     to live within

So, like that

our mind
     in its own
          time-

Will be sometimes
      ready to pull
           the switch-
To Gas our  
      own people
"No!"

Sometimes
     that same mind
Reflects
     the moon
With tranquility

True wisdom
     would be
     to see

What sort of mind
     this is
What sort of being
     looks out
     from these eyes

And wants
     children
     to be safe

And lovers
     to be
     undisturbed

What sort of
     light
What sort of
     love
Animates
     this vessel
This lump
     of clay
     This flesh
          and blood

We have grabbed
     the stick
     the wrong
          way round
We have given all

     to magicians
     and thieves

Take some back
Keep some back
for ourselves
     and God

Steal some time
     to read...
          Rumi
     and the Tao
     and Jesus
          -the peaceful
          ones

The heart/mind
     needs our help
     to be kind

For that is
     its own
     nature

This dwells
     within us

And calls us
    
     Home 

worried, so worried...

worried
     so worried 
my spell checker 
     had died 

worried 
     so worried 
my computer 
     was fried 

(like so many 
     before it)

I checked and 
     checked again 
I looked in books!
     found thesaurus
          like a dinosaurus-
     found the old dictionary 
     well used from 
          graduate school 
          40 odd years ago 
               (and believe me, 
               they have been "odd" years!)

Couldn't find this word 
couldn't puzzle out 
     the spelling 

and then, 
somehow I understood
the light began 
      to dawn 
I couldn't believe it 
      really 
for I 
      just "me" 
yours truly 
had spelled 
     this amazing word 
      
correctly!

Svengali... 

God's Great Gift

-and you profess 
such great love 
for me 

-and you haven't read 
one word I've written 

-and you are so surprised 
when something else 
happens which 
-you hadn't planned 

-and I love you 
     but 

how can a man 
ever believe what 
he himself 
says? 

how can you guys
be so 
one sided 
so opinionated 
so sure of yourselves? 

don't you know 
you are sitting upon 
a spinning planet 
balanced on a floating earth 
crust 
which is floating upon 
molten 
magma?!! 

-and then you have the 
audacity 
to date 
women? 

oh you feel so secure- 
so sure of yourselves...

this is God's great gift 
this-

Sheets

-and I come 
     to you
with damp sheets 
     -lots-

Not very Romantic 
     But- 
My dryer has been 
     Broken for years! 
and it's overcast 
     here...

Yes, I have a clothesline 
     But- 
Things just 
     get damper- 
What can I say 
     about the 
Overflowing 
     Hamper? 

Does this Great Love 
     extend 
into domesticity?

-all the passion 
     -all the 
          electricity-

Will you man up 
     and load up 
          the dryer- 
Will our Great Love 
     be lit on fire- 

Like the gas flame 
     from within 
          your 
Shiny, new, high class 
     appliance?