Planet X

So it's begun 

The end of the world 

     For some 

Except that 

Yesterday was 

     The day 

Sept. 23. 2015!

A meteor or comet 

     Or Planet X 

Or

Something 

Without TV -

     Utube is just -

Weird

I must remember 

What it was like 

To read a book -

     All that work -

Of 

Turning pages 

     And such 

And 

Try to find something 

Good -

Interesting and 

Not too gross or 

Sad or scary

And well written 

Where is this author?

And why don't I read 

All the books around 

Here 

Now is the time 

To read these things 

I have been saving 

For 

Just such 

A time 

But there is a tango 

Dance 

Tonight 

And 

The world hasn't ended so 

I Might

Go

Prayer for today.

Help me. Help me. 

Please 

Save. 

From those dopey people 

Who want to 

Control me. 

Prayer for today. 

Bad Weather For Ducks

We all woke up

     Today hearing a sound 

Miraculous

And

Wonderful 

Rain

Actual rain

Water !

Falling from 

     The sky !

How it got up there-

     In order 

     To fall-

I'm not so 

     Clear on-

Condensation 

     "They" say 

. . . Ok

But the problem is 

     It quit

After I went out to see it 

And everything

Just a little bit -

Just a tease -

As our lawns are dying and 

Our reservoirs are drying 

We need it to rain solid 

For a week 

Like it 

Used to do 

I can remember when

Lakewood would 

Flood

- Most likely that is why "they"

Called it 

That

Adobe soil

Would create seasonal lakes -

That the ducks 

Would 

Sit 

Upon

There was enough open land 

Then -

Not so 

Anymore 

Where ?

Are the ducks 

Going to 

Sit -

To repose -

On their way north 

Or -

South 

Or - wherever 

They go

Where is There?

Waiting. Simply 

Waiting 

Old. Old. Country music 

Playing -

Waiting 

To board the giant metal thing 

Which will hurl me 

Into the air 

Press me back into 

My seat 

And force a silent 

Prayer

From

     The best 

Of us. 

There are no atheists 

In foxholes

Or during 

Takeoff 

     I'll bet

If I don't die 

Of boredom first

 -Death by 

      Waiting -

They -

The engineers 

And ticket takers 

Say 

These things are 

Safe 

More so than 

The cars

And the trucks 

Driven by 

     the half-drunk 

          Rest of us!

Rushing here and 

THERE -

There we are -

-are we there yet ?

They say 

We are -

Or should be -

I feel vaguely guilty -

For never knowing 

What that was 

Or who they are 

Or 

Where is there? 

Drama

Family gathering 

It's a good 

     Thing 

Repeat after me 

"It's a good thing" 

Thousands of dollars to 

     Get here 

To sit with people 

I don't know 

But 

They are good people. 

They will tell you so. 

How can I explain 

The fractured family 

And I -

Was on the other side 

Of the great 

Divide 

Left alone 

To survive 

As best one can 

There are so many stories 

I've never heard 

But that's ok 

I was busy -

Surviving 

Type A types 

Don't get it 

They can't let it 

Be -

What it is 

They must take life 

And wrestle it 

To the ground 

They have hearts 

      Which have 

Not been 

Broken 

Not stomped

And stood upon 

And laughed at 

And left 

And threatened

With 

Death 

Not to be too 

Overly dramatic but. -

Pretzels

I resolve 

From now on 

To get over myself 

     And -

Love everyone 

Whether

     They deserve it 

Or not ! 

I write this while suspended 

Unnaturally in 

     The ether . . .

I am on a plane ! 

Me !!

One who has the terror 

Of the air !! 

     Big time 

The glass of wine 

Helps 

     Somewhat 

As does 

The solitaire'

     On the phone 

I finally have an excuse 

To play as much as I want 

To keep me 

From contemplating 

The fall 

     From this height 

I remind myself 

     That air - 

Is an actual 

     "Thing" 

And that "wings"

     Are designed to know 

     All about this 

And there's this nice 

     Idaho couple beside me 

All potatoes and 

     And politeness 

Thank God !

And I just happened

To get a forward seat 

With a little more leg 

     Room 

( note to self, 

Ask for this - 

In future )

Speak about the 

Terrible disease . . .

Fear of flying !

     

The little towns 

So small below -

-As we are squeezed

      In here like 

Sardines 

      In a can 

There is no table - no 

Tray 

We balance our cups 

Politely -

Daintily eating some 

Small servings of 

Peanuts 

And 

Pretzels 

They give us these

     I am certain 

To kindly distract us 

     From thinking about 

     How far up in the air 

We are !

We can endure 

Much 

With 

Pretzels !!!

LADIES !!!

My ,

How times have changed 

The wedding reception today 

Is for 

Two ladies 

Together 

What can I say? 

When I was raised 

One didn't even know 

What that was

I'm still 

Shocked 

But I can hide it 

Well 

It's ok now 

     They say -

Now 

I wish "they" would 

Make up their minds

And print a manual 

So we would know 

What's coming -

What to get prepared for 

How to buy a card 

For the happy couple 

-The wedding, in Central Park 

Complete with 

     Carriage ride !

Goodness gracious 

I question the entire 

Premise

Of marriage -

Always have 

Tried it for awhile 

Couldn't get the hang of 

Having someone underfoot 

- always -

And 

Living with 

A guy - !

Guys are weird,

Different -

Always have been

Always will be 

- watching sports -

- beating their hairy chests -

Love them 

Do 

But need some 

SPACE

some time to process

Some time to 

BE

Oh well 

I go along 

LIFE will never! 

Listen to me -

Be quiet, 

Be calm, 

Be filled with bliss - 

And get along

Do not ! 

Have natural disasters 

Or sadness, sickness of 

     Any kind -

LIFE 

Doesn't listen to 

me