Differences

Sitting at breakfast
As she writes her "to do" list,
Not my way to live.


So how do you live?
No lists, nothing to cross-off,
Let the day unfold.

Woke Me Up

Aggravated knee,
Strained from biking yesterday,
Throbbing pain right now.

Disappointing Day

 
A very dark mood --
Her regrets about last night
Colored the whole day.

Childhood Echoes (from Skinned Knee)

"So what's your problem?"
"Don't feel sorry for yourself!"
"Go back out and play."

Living Room Decor

Masks hanging on walls
Keep evil spirits away
And scare humans too!

First Thursday Art Walk

Beautiful women,
Five-inch heels and six-inch skirts,
Bare legs on parade.

Public Transportation

Riding the Max train,
Sweaty bodies all around,
Packed in like sardines.

Etiquette Lession # 1

"Whenever you yawn,
be sure to cover your mouth,"
she said, quoting Mom.

At Fernhill Park

Tonight in the park
Ty Curtis played dirty blues --
Set the crowd on fire!

Sitting on the Porch

Chickens peck the grass
Digging for bugs in hiding,
Then tip-toe away.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

A bamboo wind chine
plays its tune in the warm breeze
As I write haiku.

Portland B-B-Q 

Sitting at Cannon's
listening to Reggie play
The New Orlean's Blues.


 

Reading Patricia Hampl*

A people-pleaser
Glad to be disapproved of --
"I don't give a damn!"

*The Florist's Daughter

At the Artichoke Cafe

Singer songwriters
Make music that delights us,
Joyful Friday night.

Time To Go

Get ready to leave,
Put suitcases in the car,
Two-week vacation!

Joys & Concerns

Sitting with my friend,
Eating lunch and catching up
on news of our lives.

"The Heartwood Hotel"

Tuesday evening
With the radio turned on,
Tunes and poetry.

Emergency

Sirens in the night,
The fire truck rolls loudly by,
Waking up the 'hood.

"My Way or the Highway"

Angry President,
"No Tax" Speaker of the House,
Still no compromise.

Sunday Morning

Drinking my coffee,
Reading the Sunday paper
On the sunny deck.

Saturday Morning

Headed for the Y,
Going to workout early,
Then time to relax.

Sitting At Washburne Cafe

"What are you doing?"
He asked, then answered himself,
"Reading the paper."

SenatorSpeak

Question of the year:
Is "at the end of the day"
All they know to say?

Staff Meeting

After the drama
the "news" landed with a thud,
Not to be trusted.

5 a.m.

As it rolls through town
a train blasts its horn five times.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake .....

Not Another Dream!

Awake in the dark,
Listening to the rain*fall.
Am I in a dream?

*  As of today, more rain has fallen than our average for the month of July.

More July Rain

It's raining again
in the middle of the night,
Yes, it is July!

The Witnesses

Knock at the front door,
Two ladies with their bibles
Proclaim God's kingdom.

First Light

Waking up at dawn,
I hear the songs of morning --
Chickadees' chirping.

Not In Washington, D.C.

Sitting on the porch,
Old men solve the world's problems,
Then go for a walk.

Wet Surprise

A light rain falling
on this 12th day in July,
A rare occurrence*.

* Seven times since 1931.

Take A Break

It is 4 o'clock,
Time for afternoon coffee.
"Sleep" the computer!

Outahere

Driving to Jack Creek,
Headed over the mountains
To the desert side.

Yelp!

Writing a review
of my favorite cafe,
So glad they are here!

After Sleeping Late

Walking to Washburne*
Ready for morning coffee
And some steel cut oats.

In My Dream (3) ...

I'm getting ready,
heading out the door to drive,
Car missing again!

For How Long?

Feeling "nearly normal,"
No more waves of dizziness,
Whatever that means?

Wierdness

Feeling off-balance,
Dizziness with eyes flashing,
What's this all about?

Holiday?

The 4th of July,
Lots of noise, flash, and hoopla.
That's independence?

Art & The Vineyard*

A warm, sunny day,
Great for a stroll in the park
to enjoy the art.

* 4th of July Weekend

Summer Job

Scrubbing the back deck
Getting it ready for stain,
How long will it last?

Manipulator

No reason to change,
Her guilt-trips still work so well.
Six years and counting.

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!

Snooze

Sitting in my chair,
Eyes beginning to close and ...
An afternoon nap.

Lost

Memorial Day:
Remembering dead soldiers,
Killed to keep the peace.

"Start Your Engines"

Indy 500:
Thirty-three cars turning left,
One hundred years old.

Nap Wake-Up

Hailstones pound the roof,
Quarter inch white balls hit ground,
Wonder what comes next?

Shining Bright (How Long?)

Late blooming rhodi

Finally getting sunshine,

More rain on its way.

Diagnosis?

Went to the doctor
for answers about my cough.
Lungs clear.  Just takes time.

"O"

For twenty-five years
She opened her heart to us.
Today, her last show.


She shared life lessons.
All that she learned with us.
"What I know for sure."


It came to an end
Just as everything ends.
Be grateful for life!

Still Tired

The cough continues,
Feels like it will never end.
Time for a long nap!

Tired of It!

Not much sleep last night,
Woke up coughing many times,
When will this thing end?

Awaken to Beauty

Beside the sidewalk

Bleeding hearts and irises

Grace my morning walk.

On A Neighborhood Walk

Purple irises
with their long flowing white beards
Blowing in the wind.

Cough, Cough

The cough has returned,
This time harder and deeper,
My vocal cords hurt!

Today At The Office

Change is forthcoming,
Not sure when it will happen,
Trust is the lesson!

Surprising News

In the staff meeting
She said it was time to leave,
Betrayed too often.

In Living Pink

Dogwood in full bloom,
Pink flower petals spread wings,
Flying to the sun.

Flying Home

Sitting in the plane
Listening to babies cry,
Joys of air travel?

Morning After

Sitting by the pool
Soaking up the bright sunshine,
Arizona heat!

5/14 @ 5:14 pm

May your wedding day
Bring you happiness and joy
Each day of your lives.

Last Chance

Flying to Phoenix
For Brother Bob's fifth wedding, 
Will it be his last?

Not Ready

Traveling again,
Gone for another weekend,
Longing to stay home.

Forgotten

Where is that poem?
Did I write it or did I not?
That is the question.

Life Goes On

Back at work today,
Returning calls, catching up.
Hard to concentrate.

Yesterday's News

Newspaper headline:
"Always listen to your mom."
Will I hear her now?

A Day Without Her

On this Mother's Day,
The day of my mother's birth,
No mother to call.

Wondering

As my brother drives,
We talk about what comes next.
Life without mother.

Celebrating Mother

A beautiful day,
We bury Mom with her kin,
Now she rests in peace.

At the Funeral Home

My brother and I
Look at Mom in the casket,
Together, we weep.

Remembering

Brother and sister
tell stories of our mother,
Remember her life.

Almost Home

Out the plane window,
"The Land of 10,000 Lakes" --
Minnesota home.

The Day After

Packing to go home
for my mother's funeral,
Feeling waves of grief.

May Day

The first day of May,
The last day of mother's life,
She died this morning.