Pomes of Death

070823

DEATH SENTENCE

Die.


[ASIDE: First, I heard that "Go." is the shortest sentence in the English language, though I suppose "Be." or "Do." would also work. Then I heard an ad for a "Death Sentence" movie, and something just clicked.]


070822

ANOTHER

It wasn't thin
or fat,
or too much this
or that.

It was a cat.
And now it's flat.

070814

Happy Birthday,
MARIE!!

Roses are red in summer.
Violets are blue in spring.
The world is full of flowers.
None match the joy you bring.

Weekend Pomes

070812

SADDLE UP, DARLIN’

Each August twelfth, we mistakenly
celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Somehow, over the years, we got confused:
the twelfth actually commemorates
the date we got our license.
We enlisted Sherman, our auto mechanic,
to help fulfill the remaining legalities.

“Just the basics,” we told him.
“We want a streamlined ceremony.
Here are our vows. No elaboration, please.
No sermon, Sherman!”

Did we really expect restraint;
from a mechanic who pined to be a minister,
from a born-again Christian eager to
convert a pair of perceived pagans?

He was he, we were we;
the day evolved perfectly, sermon and all.

Friends celebrated with us
at our local hangout, the Runway Café.
Together with staff and breakfast patrons,
they offered Asti Spumante toasts to the
upcoming phase of our partnership.

“What I hope to offer you,” Ethan said later,
“is that when our life together ends,
you will look back on everything and say,
“It was a good ride.”


070811

SUCH A DAY!

Starbucks for a start.

Then scouting movies
and Home Depot bargains.

Terrell Café breakfast specials.

Ham’s Orchard fresh fruit.

Work with one friend
and a Napoli’s lunch.

Panda House dinner
with other friends,
followed by the movie
scouted earlier.

Sandwiched in-between,
a newly-bought camera
and a major job offer.


070810

HIGH ALERT

Whiskers a-quiver,
the cats (and I)
smell it coming—
magical weekend!

070810

REBIRTH PROCESS

His past-middle-age job transition
landed him in a country home beside a lake,
a good choice for a fisherman, except
he also landed in the heart-bypass boat.

Now he's climbing out of it.

It was a wet summer, and months elapsed
between his view of the causeway
bisecting an ultra-low lake level
and the current view where water
laps the edges of the asphalt.

Slap-slap-slap go the waves.

'Lone Pome

070808

OFFA KILTER

all I want
’s t' be alone—
‘way from ever
thang n' body

want m' life
t' be m' own —
n' ever day be
like it oughty


[ASIDE: Today I watched for white birds my whole commute to Dallas. I drove fully west, then U-turned over the interstate to take the short eastward return toward my office building. There, as I faced the dawn, a pair of egrets swooped out of the woods and passed low across the road. Two! All the variations seem right to me lately: alone, paired, and in community.]

One for the Birds

070808

BIRD CALL

White bird, sole bird—
each day one bird
punctuates my sky.

Inward, now stirred,
my own soul-bird
resonates their cry.

Soon, my soul, fly—
fly wide, fly high,
solitary bird.


[ASIDE: On my commute these last few days, a gull, another gull, a pigeon or dove, and today an egret appeared, gliding slowly alone, white, against blue sky. While thinking about this and wondering whether such sole flights were unusual, somehow I got the name Ziva into my head. At about the same moment, a semi truck went by. It bore the company name Z-Bird.]

Makin' an Shakin'

070807

POMEMAKING

What's the point
of pome-du-jour?
What does it ever
save or cure?

For myself,
there's this allure—
waking up, daily
fresh and pure.


070806

HOT HOT DATE

he's a-movin'
an' he's a-shakenin'

sez your world's
gonna be a-quakenin'

sez git ready
sez git set

sez you're in
for a lewd awakenin'


070804

POINTING THE WAY

Where we’re headed is up aways.
Keep straight ahead, and ignore the turnoffs—
this first one goes to the water plant;
that next one goes nowhere,
and takes no time getting there, either.


070803

MONDAY MOANING

Friday night, I just collapse.
Saturday, I mend.
Sunday, I catch up on chores
and (just as Sunday ends)
get revved up and ready
to launch a fun weekend.

Well, a Pome

070801

WELLNESS

Well, today,
I prepared emails
to a buncha national labs,
had a pb peach sandwich,
heard a spoofy russian
volga boatman birthday song,
made a wishlist
and got everything on it
plus,
drove home like a sub-
mariner in a Texas downpour,
kissed and fed my darlin',
curled up with a cat
tv'ed from the bed,
and just generally had,
well, a nice day.