Which Switch?
Which switch turns it on?
Singing songs I don’t know
Coyotes howled all night, last night
Framed photos stare at me
Singing songs I don’t know
Clouds move quietly east
Framed photos stare at me
Ancient Sanskrit lines appear
Clouds move quietly east
Streets scuffed with rubble
Ancient Sanskrit lines appear
Everything is humming
Streets scuffed with rubble
Coyotes howled all night, last night
Everything is humming
Which switch turns it on?
No Fault, Just Fate
No fault, just fate, as we wait
Hearts break in our silent state
No words were left unsaid
Now we peer beyond this earthly realm
Hearts break in our silent state
His body dissolves a day at a time
Now we peer beyond this earthly realm
I listen to bullfrogs on the pond
His body dissolves a day at a time
Broken dreams and hope crushing
I listen to bullfrogs on the pond
His smile weak and the future bleak
Broken dreams and hope crushing
Don’t look forward, stay in the moment
His smile weak and the future bleak
But now is real, so be strong as steel
Don’t look forward, stay in the moment
No words were left unsaid
And now is real, so be strong as steel
No fault, just fate, as we wait
A Day in Art by Lynn Lucas
I spent the day in art
Surrounded by masters
From ancient figures to modern day
A trip around the world.
Surrounded by masters
Skipping through space and time
A trip around the world
A special exhibit on Mothers
Skipping through space and time
Mothers holding their babies
A special exhibit on Mothers
A mother under house arrest
Mothers who hold their babies
I spent an hour with impressionists
A mother under house arrest
I swooned in the Renaissance
I spent an hour with impressionists
Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse, Renoir
I swooned in the Renaissance
Genuflecting with the angels
Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse, Renoir
I live and breathe the Renaissance
Genuflecting with the Angels
I dream of Leonardo
I live and breathe the Renaissance
I loved and played in Milan and Florence
I dream of Leonardo
All good things come to an end
I loved and Played in Milan and Florence
From ancient figures to modern day
All good things come to an end
I spent the day in art.
Joan Logghe wrote this yesterday in a high school class I was teaching. She came to intro me and stayed to write. Enjoy!
First World Worst Case Scenarios
Back on antidepressants in the first world
I sing “Placido Domingo” in my sleep
Last night I dreamed an apocalyptic triptych
All my dreams somehow sing opera
I sing “Placido Domingo” in my sleep
I advise chopping jalapenos
In all my dreams somebody is singing opera
Various cases of worst case scenarios
I am still chopping jalapenos
This is not a Jewish thing to do
rather various verses of worst case scenarios
I remain optimistic with high cholesterol
That is not a Jewish thing to do.
I drink a green drink, eat egg salad
I remain optimistic despite high cholesterol
Growing old is not a drag yet
I drink a green drink, eat eggs scrambled
It couldn’t get any sweeter that you
Getting old is not a drag yet
even though the Rolling Stones think so
It couldn’t get any sweeter than this
Last night I dreamed an apocalyptic triptych
Especially the Rolling Stones look weathered
Back on antidepressants in the first world
Wonder
Bring me wonder
with inimitable glow
of essence found
in a relentlessly shaking universe
With inimitable glow
wonder extent, full of facts
in a relentlessly shaking universe
to explain the beach and sunset colors
Wonder extent, full of facts
reckon theologies before and after
to explain the beach and sunset colors
lessening climatic inference to a splendorous zenith
Reckon theologies before and after
resolute wonder, full of birds
lessening climatic inference to a splendorous zenith
with camouflage that changes colors in the jungle
Resolute wonder, full of birds
of perfection found
with camouflage that changes colors in the jungle
in remorseless recombining alchemy
Perfection found
in aging skin that changes my form
in remorseless recombining alchemy
belittling redundant transitions for human immortality
Aging skin that changes my form
dogmatic wonder reveals
belittling redundant transitions for human immortality
seeking respite
Dogmatic wonder reveals
continual pulsing neurons
seeking respite
to deny infinite possibility’s continual stagnating angst
Continual pulsing neurons
fortifying wonder
to deny infinite possibility’s continual stagnating angst
for decisive sparks
Fortifying wonder
desquamate intents created from singular ideation
for decisive sparks
not arriving too early or too late
Desquamate intents created from singular ideation
for pneumatic wonder
not arriving too early or too late
with no precise mate not to hate
For pneumatic wonder
explain to the ancestors time’s reposing colorless breath
with no precise mate not to hate
that nags which, when, why, how
Explain to the ancestors time’s reposing colorless breath
show me wonder
that nags which, when, why, how
disparities won and lost
Show me wonder
reducing exclusion from glorious completion
disparities won and lost
in relentlessly dilating chaos
Reducing exclusion from glorious completion
bringing exuberant wonder
in relentlessly dilating chaos
dancing, full of tricks
Bringing exuberant wonder
of essence found
dancing, full of tricks
bring me wonder
Vicissitudes of Life by Yun-Hui Tsai
White snow melts into pure water
Irrigating all the withered trees
Blossoming lives have no border
The best practice is diligence
Irrigating all the withered trees
Monsoon rain sings song of the Earth
The best practice is diligence
We plant, weed, cultivate and breath
Monsoon rain sings song of the Earth
Nature paints the land like an artist
We plant, weed, cultivate and breath
Finally we bend and reap the harvest
Nature paints the land like an artist
Until frost brings the new melody
Finally we bend and reap the harvest
Hibernating in serenity
Until frost brings the new melody
The seasons go round and round
Hibernating in serenity
Waiting like a seed in the ground
The seasons go round and round
White snow melts into pure water
Waiting like a seed in the ground
Blossoming lives have no border
Mirror, Mirror by Sara Zink
The widowed King takes a bodacious wife
she’s called the fairest of them all
a beautiful Queen with a looking glass
she corrupts his soul and destroys his family
she’s called the fairest of them all
the talking mirror speaks the truth
she corrupts his soul and destroys his family
a tantalizing siren obsessed with her image
the talking mirror speaks the truth
yet, her beauty is surpassed by her stepdaughter
she corrupts his soul and destroys his family
the jealous vamp is a villainous puppet master
yet, her beauty is surpassed by her stepdaughter
this blood spattered bride seeks revenge
the jealous vamp is a villainous puppet master
left for dead is her chaste adversary
this blood spattered bride seeks revenge
sacks her rival and regains her rank
left for dead is her chaste adversary
the Queen mirrors “fairest of them all.”
Torah Portion
ark on the high seas
shaman down the well
mother of my mothers says
“give me children or I will die”
shaman down the well
digs and wolves might mate again
“give me children or I will die”
on a bloodstained cloak
digs and wolves might mate again
you didn’t know who you were
on a bloodstained cloak
or in what part of the story
you didn’t know who you were
between oasis and desert
or in what part of the story
a raven, or a dove
between oasis and desert
mother of my mothers says
“a raven, or a dove?”
ark on the high seas.
Scattered thoughts dot my mind
Random urges that push and pull
Twisting and turning, tangled threads
Jumbled knots that leave me stymied
Random urges that push and pull
Frustrated attempts to organize
Jumbled knots that leave me stymied
Picking away at my sanity
Frustrated attempts to organize
Thoughts that race to and fro
Picking away at my sanity
Sabotaging my happiness
Thoughts that race to and fro
Battering my soul with their constant chatter
Sabotaging my happiness
Pushing me to the edge of the abyss
Battering my soul with their constant chatter
I just want them to stop
Pushing me to the edge of the abyss
Clouding my judgement
I just want them to stop
Peace, please, anything but this constant noise
Clouding my judgement
Blessings tired to curses
Anything but this constant noise
I can’t believe I ever longer for this
Blessings tired to curses
Creativity’s bastard brother on speed
I can’t believe I ever longer for this
I longer for inspiration
Creativity’s bastard brother on speed
Any idea to get the juices flowing
I longer for inspiration
My mind turn to mud
Any idea to get the juices flowing
Pull me from this quagmire
My mind is mud
Sinking, spiraling thoughts
Pull me from this quagmire
And keep me from obsession
Sinking, spiraling thoughts
Drain the happiness from life
Keep me from obsession
Lest my head slips below the surface
Drain the happiness from my life
Clear away the fog
Lest my head slips below the surface
Plant my feet and fight back
Clear away the fog
Search for inspiration
Plant my feet and fight back
Against the sucking morass beneath
Search for inspiration
Anything to strike a spark
Against the sucking morass beneath
Free the wings to fly
Anything to strike a spark
Updrafts that fill my soul
Free the wings to fly
And soar among the clouds of creativity
Updrafts that fill my soul
Twisting, turning, tangles
Soar among the clouds of creativity
Random urges begin to push and pull.
One of the most read poems on the blog–Poetry Month #24
Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache
Orion overhead, nature’s cycles,
our sunrise breath hangs smoking
frozen silhouettes reflect in water
like Japanese painting strokes
our sunrise breath hangs smoking
shrill crane’s ancient honking
like Japanese painting strokes
karoo karoo greets a newborn day
crane’s ancient honking in minor key
night-frost crystals encrust
karoo karoo greets a newborn day
gangly stiff knees bend backwards
night-frost crystals encrust
like mine of a sometime morning
cold stiff knees bend backwards
legs slender as lakeside sedges
sometimes like mine of a morning
limbs barely support feather bustle
legs slender as lakeside sedges
red-capped cranes mate for life
limbs barely support feather bustle
daily quest for winter’s food
red-capped cranes mate for life
coyote lurks behind tamarisk
daily quest for winter’s food
undulating necklace pink at dawn
coyote lurks behind tamarisk
wingbeats whistle, necks extend
crane-necklace undulates, pink at dawn
silhouettes overhead reflect in water
wingbeats…
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Miriam's Well: Poetry, Land Art, and Beyond 