counseling, for God's sake!

so now we've come 
     to this... 
counseling! 
     for God's sake

by some young 
Whipper-Snapper 
Who's never done 
     much of 
     anything

and isn't even 
out of 
school 

but it's free 

but she 
has not seen- 
does not 
know- 

how life can 
kick ones butt 
sometimes 
and drag one 
down the road... 
(have been listening to 
too much country music, 
of late)

all of these psychological 
ramifications 
mental justifications 
got me through 

I am alive 
still 

sometimes wondering 
how I survived 

how I keep on 
running 

around the 
wheel 

around the
dharma 
of us all 

so now 
we find out 
how it all works 
how all the childhood stuff 
gets amplified into 
blocks 
and such 

so I guess 
I could thank my abuser 
for abusing 
(but not too much) 
for he has caused me 
to inquire 
what the F---!  

Ear Plugs - for this place

Ear plugs 
for this place...

I thought it 
was a good idea 

coming here 

no internet at home 
thanks to you 
"giant conglomerate telecommunications 
     company" 

but really-
bringing children 
to such 
a place... 

and the lonely 
ones 
who meet here 
and yak and yak... 

and the music playing 
whether we want it or not- 
and the blenders blending

and the music 
     that they're playing 
is the old swing music 
which I just love- 
and which 
I used to dance 
with you- 
and can never do 
again 

threatening 
to "beat me up"
and you almost 
80...

Life is weird 
Probably the weirdest thing 
We'll ever live 
     through...

and so now I have promised 
never, ever, to dance another 
dance 
with you 

no one knows what a sacrifice 
     this is 
Like giving up a bit of heaven 
-so hard to find 
      upon this earth-

What were you thinking?
A little bit of jealousy 
Has you 
     coming all 
unglued?

Now we both
have to suffer 
Just because 
I broke up 
with you...

OK, I admit, 
"unclear on the concept"
might describe me 
to a tea 

sometimes I feel like 
I just crash around- 
while I tell myself 
I'm doing my 
very best- 
but really 
I don't care- 

for this world 
seems so 
unreal 
when held up to 
the inner realm 
this world seems 
far too rigid 
far too solid 
far less full 
     of love 
so much less 
     made of love 

Tango dancing 
I would keep 
most of the rest of it 
can just "take a leap"

The love I feel within 
Rumi writes about 
few people 
know about
I don't know why 

I've always wondered 
     why 
Why does it all not
Just Stop...
Until we figure this 
     out 
That there is pure love 
     within 
There for all, 
     There for free, 
Endless 
     blissful
Light 
     pouring down
becoming sound 
becoming us 
who we are 
deep 
within... 

The United States Government-Shut Down

The United States Government 
has 
Shut Down! 

Wouldn't it be 
wonderful 
if 
we could do the 
same... 

Any time the Tax Folks 
bug us 
Any time the Police 
want to 
stop us 
and give us a fine- 

we could just say 
Sorry- 

I'm Shut Down 
Today... 

I've decided 
to just 
go away 
and no amount 
of coaching or cajoling 
will make me 
     see it 
any other way-

I will resist all efforts 
at 
compromise- 
I will 
"stick to my guns"
I will 
"have my fun"

U can't arrest me 
today- 
I can play 
my music 
as loud as I want- 
because the 
United States Government 
     is 
Shut Down 
Today!

And the amazing thing 
     is... 
-Things are going on 
Just about normal 
Just about the way 
It's always 
been... 

So maybe- 
just maybe- 
we don't really need 
all those people 
anyway- 

That big house 
That White House 
-All those overpaid people 
Who sit around 
debating endlessly...

while those of us 
who are more close 
     to real- 
Do what we do 
Do what we've always 
     done

Just work- 
Just love- 
Just- 
Get On With It !!  

testing

testing, testing

writing on a tablet

     in a starbucks

not so easy to do

rather like

dating u

very technical-

a balancing act

very scientific

but

also tres terrific

-takes a lot of

concentration

from which one needs

the occasional

vacation

very difficult

if not impossible

to back space

so

be very careful  

 give up 

trying to be clever

-me-

because the machine

has already been programed

to do what it does

and it does some things so well

others

not so much

save

in memory

to fine tune and edit

as we have time

and oh
what a time
it was...

what the heck?

what were you thinking
     old man...
trying to start a fight
     at your age

ok
you grew up in
back woods
and were taught to
treat women
cruelly

no excuse
to be saying
what you're saying
and acting
like you are

Thank God and Goddesses
for these United States
(even though sometimes it does
the strangest stuff)
still
I have the right-
not to be owned
by you
not to be controlled
by you
and guess what
I- (little female that I am)
have every right to
search in the purse,
find the cell phone
amongst all that stuff
and call the boys in blue
-the Police- to you-
and they
will take you
away
and I
will press whatever charges
I can
because I
have a
Right to-
I don't have to
put up with
the likes
of you

and you know this too
so as I search
in my purse
you walk away
-but not before-

-there can be
no going back
from here-

so don't
turn on the charm
don't offer me your arm
-I won't take it-
it may break my heart but
never again
will I dance a dance
with you

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
:)