Odd Arrangement
Sometimes, everything seems to be in
An odd arrangement;
Like a candle that smells of mint,
Or an elderly Muslim woman learning to parallel park.
Fish and Cheese
“Your sign! Your sign!
It’s all gone wrong!”
Out of his mind with rage
He went on.
Touch
Found a hard copy of an old story.
Felt shy about running my fingers over the brown disintegrating pages.
Venezuela
Ambling down the rambling bambling path
Forebrows caked in heady sweaty muck
Flies bashed to soil on arms of lead
We reached the border.
Crossing herself, she led us
through the seering spearing jungle mist
Across the vulgar splays of fallen tree-fingers.
Only when the sun stopped did she let us rest
Disappearing into the mist like a filligre ghost.
And that’s when we lost her.
Now we were safe. Now protected.
Now she could leave and become again
The white woman of the forest.
The dolphin. The dancer. The angel. The dream.
The story.
Jazz Conversation
There was a man and he would see
Two others when they came for tea.
To talk at tea the two men came.
The third of three would do the same.
They spoke of many varied things
Of travels, love and Krauts and Kings
Of life and death; of hates and fears;
Of power and plague; of towers and tears.
Most times the rage grew piping hot
As one thought one thing, two thought not.
Yet disagreeing, still they chose
To bow t’each other as they rose.
They’d put aside their diff – er - ence
To each pick up their instruments.
Could discord make this sound so soon?
Can men so quickly change their tune?
Is music then a higher truth
Than words and argument and proof?
Three men, a washboard, bass and brass
Tap, scat and pick to cover the scars.
Step-Uncle
No phone call;
A line of a text -
as if I might not care -
“Sarah’s brother died.”
