Discussion

The Garden 

Is a crazy place 

Here on the hill

Overlooking 

The ocean 

There is no money for 

A fence 

Or lights -

Don't 

Go there 

At night 

The military guy 

Sleeps in the tool shed

     And has to get up 

     At night 

To scare away 

The tweekers

Those are the folks 

Who wander around 

Downtown 

After dark 

Looking for things 

     To steal 

To support the drug

     Habit

Now in spring

- or winter actually- 

Well, We've had two 

Rain storms -

The native plants have 

Erupted 

In vibrant green 

But 

The mallow lot, 

If you don't pull it out now 

While its small 

It's not coming out 

At all 

Her dog is small -

The cat and it 

Play and chase 

Through the bright 

     Green 

One thing I love 

About this place 

Is -

it makes no sense 

At all !

Million dollar lots 

Downtown! 

The owner, being wealthy,

Bought them 

(Back in the day) 

So her house on the hill

Could have its view 

     Of the ocean 

Word is 

She doesn't intend 

To sell 

Anytime soon 

So I wonder 

If I should plant kale 

Or cabbage 

For the gophers 

We take old chairs 

To sit and look at the ocean 

No one wants to trap or kill 

The varmints 

The cat can only eat 

So many 

What to do 

What to do 

On a gorgeous afternoon

In January 

We discuss . . .

A Van

The garden 

Has

A million dollar view -

     And gophers

She advised getting 

A snake !

     Good idea -

Says I -

A gopher snake. 

But where would one 

Purchase one ? 

She lives in her van 

Hassled by the cops -

They took her liscense -

So now she can't drive -

But 

She still lives 

     In her van 

Waiting for 

Section 8

Which is what they call

Government assistance -

     With housing 

It will be federal, 

     She says, 

So she can move 

     Anywhere 

And she doesn't feel guilty,

     She says 

For taking taxpayer money 

     She's had eight children -

One's a doctor 

But 

She doesn't want to rely 

On them 

It reminds me 

I must begin 

The yearly test 

In mathematics 

Which they call 

Taxes - here

She's bought 

     A little dog -

On social security

     With no rent to pay

She has money

More than you 

Or I 

I worked so hard

For so long

For this old house 

     Only to watch it crumble 

Slowly -

Unable to afford 

To fix it 

Sometimes I wish 

I had a van 

To sleep in 

Let There Be Light

Someone slashed tires 

At the dance 

Was this you again ? 

I'm hiring a friend 

To sit in my truck 

To watch the 

Parking lot 

Twenty tires slashed 

Would an old man like you 

Have the energy ?

It's a mystery

No one can know 

No one sees

We are all left wondering 

Just 

How crazy have you 

Become 

People don't believe -

You can be so 

Sweet 

And fun 

I find myself hoping 

That it is not 

You - but

I keep the security cameras on 

The spotlight in the dark corner 

     Of the yard 

Blinding 

     The passerby

pray for me

can't sleep
wondering
was it you
again
?
slashing tires -
damaging -
terrorizing
again

what to do
now that you
may have struck
again

dare i go
where i want to
go

will you be there
waiting
to damage
something
like my
sanity -
my
sense of
safety
and -
right to
exist

others don't believe
oh no
not him

oh yes!
and
others besides
me . . .
have seen
this side
of him

the court
has decided you
are guilty -
you
don't seem to
listen

i still am left looking
at security camera pictures
and asking friends
to pray
for me

Waiting

Waiting 

Waiting 

In a waiting room 

     Waiting 

Two televisions on 

With commercials 

And 

Endless news 

Nice decor 

Waiting still 

     Waiting 

Earplugs in. 

To 

Help a bit 

(Can still hear) 

Commercials -

And endless 

News. 

About who shot 

Who -

Why must we fight 

So ? 

Why must I volunteer 

To help a friend ?

Endless drive 

     In heavy LA traffic 

And waiting 

Did I mention 

     Waiting 

Why am I 

always the

      "nice guy"

Do I need to learn 

To cease 

Being taken 

     Advantage of ?

And then - I - drive 

     Home 

Through endless, aggressive 

     LA traffic 

I should be thankful,

I know 

That this body 

Is not the one 

On the table 

Such is the fate -

Such is the way of -

Relationships between 

     Old people 

You drive me to mine 

I'll drive you to yours 

But mine was in town 

Yours is to heck and back 

Doctors appointments 

And procedures 

     Unmentionable 

Still 

Waiting

Perspective

There is 

     Sitting 

In the garden

There is 

     Listening -

- Time of 

     Year -

Sounds of birds -

     Sound of distant 

          Road -

It's a new year 

     Tonight !!

This year 

       I don't feel 

          So

     Depressed

          About

          It - ? - 

Partly,

          It's you -

     The Mad

          Professor,

     The Mad

          Scientist,

 - my dear -

Partly it's been

     Counseling -

And then 

     There was

          That

Last 

     Samadhi

Offering a new 

     Perspective -

On

     Ego

          Mind . . .

Organizing Heaven

New phone 

New buttons 

Remember old 

     Password

( yeah, right) 

Look up old password

Download new app. 

Whatever happened to 

     Paper and 

          Pencils 

With no buttons 

And no 

Passwords 

The world is getting 

Together 

As we all look at little screens 

And talk to each other 

Instantaneously 

Across oceans

     With the speed of 

     Light 

Maybe we can share 

     The light 

Those of us who believe 

That it is better to talk 

Than 

     To fight 

No one in my mother's 

     Generation 

Would have 

Believed 

     It true

She used to talk about how 

Airplanes and cars and telephones

And tv 

Had been invented in her lifetime

We may all count our blessings 

That she was never quite able 

To tell the world 

What to do. 

Because -

I am sure she 

Would have 

And even more surprising -

The fact that she felt 

She had a right to -

And knew 

Better than 

All the rest of us 

May she rest in peace 

For I know she has a big 

     Job to do 

-organizing heaven !