Waiting

Waiting. In a doctors office
is a different kind of waiting
will i be ok?
Will this be serious
will it either kill me
or bankrupt me
is it. Cancer
will there be an operation
Why are bodies so delicate
Why are they not like rocks. ?
Strong and granite-like
aging slowly
watching the mountains move around them
left by glaciers
wearing lichen

it's times like this that the phrase
God's will comes to mind

and where is that darn doctor
at least i've got clothes on
this time

Road Trip

Road Trip
this trip
     Giant Sequoias
     and beyond
I'm getting too old
     for this
Myself tells Myself

Sitting in a car
     for a long time
Hiking about
     hurts worse
     than it used to

But the sights
     are more
     delicious now
     somehow

John Muir
     and I
Commune
     with trees
     and sky
     and clouds

The clouds drift through
     the giants-
as tour buses
     come and go

Silence - magic -
     Jurassic-
        dinosaur-
           giant
              trees

and the crowds
     of foreigners
        speaking in tongues

and then a busload
     of modern children
     Who wouldn't
        recognize
           reverence
if it got up in "they" face
and flashed a gang sign

and I with my
peanut butter sandwich
find a stream
to sit by

remembering
why
     I came

The End of the World Today

The world is going to end 

@ 6:00 o'clock today 

Maybe i should run around 

and get things done 

Frantically-

Maybe I should pray

-Unceasingly 

But 

Surprisingly,

my reaction is more like, 

"Well that'll be a relief."

finally one can stop trying-

-stop trying to hold one's end up 

-hold one's head up 

-have good posture 

and eat your vegetables 

And 

it's going to end in fire 

-in earthquake and complete 

destruction! 

this 

is a huge relief for me- 

Because 

it won't matter 

if the kitchen floor 

is clean... 

The kitchen floor 

will be no more- 

its asbestos tiles 

consumed 

in the fires 

from which 

they came 

I'm going to relish the day-

my few remaining hours 

5 to be precise. 

I will party like there's no tomorrow 

or maybe take a nap 

definitely there's an excuse 

in there somewhere 

to have an ice cream 

after all 

It's the END OF THE WORLD !!!

today 

old man band

Tonight
as day turns into darkness

i try to type with my thumbss
on my phone
beam me up scotty
what has the world come to

the old man band is playing loud down the way
screaming like there's no tomorrow
and they were young once
and they'll prove it to you now

turn up those ampS boyz and scream a little louder
never imagining that you have neighbors
or that peaceful contemplation
is the zen way
for this
god made earplugs, grasshopper,
They never had this trouble in ancient China-
--but I'm sure they had others--
probably worse-- . . . 

hedges

hedges are good
for keeping out the prying eyes

hedges are bad
because they grow
taking over sidewalk
and walkways

hedges are fun
when the day is warm
      (but not too)
and I can attack
with an arsenal of weapons
clippers and rakes and
     artistic renderings
should I clip
     this one here?
or
     that one-
     there?

what fool ever planted these
I contemplate
as I tire-
as I slow down-
as I leave a giant pile of branches
     behind me

they will be seen to later-
it will take some time
  -drag them to the back
  -arrange them in the can
  -which is no longer a can
but a giant plastic thing

and now,  as the sun goes down,
I am tired, but with a sense of
accomplishment.
I am still able
I am still strong
The hedges I planted
   as little things
and nurtured and encouraged
Are now threatening to overtake me
as I grow older

We are now
at a point of balance
-my strength
and
-their spring-time vigor

but I know the clock keeps ticking
-going round and round
sun rising and setting

For God's sake
     I'm going to be 60!
What happens then
What happens when
The puny 80 year old lady
is found
face down
impaled upon her
pruning shears
call NCIS!
even though I am not a Marine
maybe they can investigate
this crime-
this crime - OF TIME !

unimaginable (tsunami)

unimaginable dark water 

covering zen friends

i am hurt by this 

this should not be 

i cannot believe 

   -in karma

   -or anything 

I want them to be 

   alright 

I want them to be 

   happy  again 

I don't want the dark water 

to carry 

anyone away

i know our time will come 

south california is only waiting

 

there is always something - somewhere - 

   happening

but still 

it hurts so much

sometimes

sometimes
it seems like we get lost
at least
I do
I forget what's important
and am too upset
over little things
upset
driven crazy
not knowing what to do

why

did this life
not come with an
instruction booklet
something that would
say
which button to push
and when
to push it
which
setting to set
and how to set it

but
then
it would probably have been
a bad translation
like those pieces of furniture
I have endeavored to put together
tab A going here
and B is lost somewhere
under the couch
and the cat is sitting on the directions
and the dog ran away with the spoon
it's been that kind of a day
it's been that kind of a life
and I am not apologizing
anymore-
past caring-
doing my best
going to be 60
yea gads!

let's go watch the news
that'll help