At a Poetry Reading

Grieving

Two women poets
read words about their mothers,
Daughters of the dead.

Dorianne*

"If I had a choice,
I would only write poems
about rock and roll."

* Comment while reading a new poem about her love of James Taylor.

Really?

"It's all positive,"
he said, then waited three weeks
to share the "good news."

Time?

What time is it now?
Must be "buddha standard time,"*
This present moment.

*  Reading buddha standard time by Lama Surya Das

New Arrival

Tower of foxglove

rises next to the old fence,

Wasn't here last year.

Early Start

Birds singing their songs
As morning light gets brighter,
Woke at 4:15.

Shameless

Men behave badly,
Using power to get sex.
Do they have no shame?

In My Dream (2) ...

Lost my car again,
It's parked somewhere on the streets.
Never did find it.

Noise

Tinnitus gets old,
Always ringing in my ears,
No silence ... ever!

Buzz Cut

Pruning the big hedge,
Giving it a short "haircut."
Hate the way it looks.

Summer ... Finally?

It's summer solstice,
The longest day of the year.
More daylight, less sleep.

Sweat Work

Cutting down tree limbs
that hang over the sidewalk,
Long overdue job!

"She Walks in Beauty" *

Went to bed early
to read poems together,
Rekindling our love.

*  "She Walks in Beauty" by Caroline Kennedy

Too Early!

Woke at 4:40,
a.m. that is, not p.m.
Time for a long nap!

Annoyed at Joe's

Shopping Trader Joe's,
Looking for stuff on my list.
Hate that they move things!

Dreamland II

Dreams of terrorists
Using Harleys as their bombs,
Poor choice of weapon!

What will happen next?
Motorcycle explosions.
Harley riders' weep!

Playing Taxi

Cruising the highway
on the way to the airport,
Fast-moving traffic.

Waking Up

Woke at 4 a.m.
And couldn't get back to sleep.
Listened to the birds.

Housework

Cleaning the kitchen,
The cabinets refinished
but the dust remains.

Headed South

Southbound on the train
on the way home to Eugene,
Left late; arrived late.

Northbound Train

Sitting on the train
slowly rolling down the tracks
Headed for Portland.

So many ringtones
are interrupting my sleep
(Annoyed on the train).

Sun breaks through the clouds
Brightening this gloomy day,
The train whistle blows.

Feeling so sleepy,
Hard to keep my eyes open,
Train rocks me to sleep.

What is this I hear?
It sounds like Spanish hip-hop
From headphones too loud.

Long Bus

Riding the Em-X,
Just 10 people are on board.
Not a word spoken.

Headed for Breakfast

A cloudy morning

Greets me on my walk to

The Washburne Cafe.

"Gone Away" Party

Off to Hendricks Park

for a picnic with Jasmine,

Wishing her life's best!

                         Photo by Jasmine Rose Penter (in the center)

Back Yard Beauty

Another iris

brings beauty to the back yard,

Sweetening my day.

Just Ducky

A duck in the street
Busy pruning his feathers,
Never mind the cars.

Lantern

A bright pink rhodi

With blossoms big as a ball

Lights up the morning.

Blossoms

Gracing the back yard

A fuchsia azalea

Makes me want to smile.

In My Dream (2) ...

I was confronted
for touching a man's shoulder.
I resigned and left.

Homophobia?
Or did I touch an old wound?
Maybe it was both.

So what happened next?
Sharpened up my boundaries,
No more playful touch. 

A Hint?

Woke up to sunshine
filling the house with bright light.
First sign of summer?

In My Dream ...

I was the preacher,
My sermon lasted too long.
Everybody left!

My sermon that day?
Something about "listening,"
Paying attention.

What is the message?
In waking life as in dreams
"Practice what you preach!"

Fooled Again

Another hard rain
Pouring outside my window,
Left raincoat at home!