Haiku (9-20-07)

leafless -
the autumn trees
begin
their early morning t'ai chi
their shadows
moving slowly -
imperceptibly -
to the rhythm
of the sun

Strength

One at a time
I carry the words
from the mind's quarry
like roughly cut stones
laying them in place
slowly transforming
an amorphous thought
into a poem
into a shape
that can stand
on its own
like an arch,
a bridge,
or a ledge
something strong
something
that will remain
in place
that will bear
its own weight
long after
i am gone

Double or Nothing

Suppose Death
Came to you
And whispered
Under its breath -
Listen,
I have a proposition
to make -
Double or nothing.

Would you take the bet?
Or push it away
And say -
Come back again in
A decade or two
And I'll tell you then.

But as you get older
Your value declines -
And when death
Comes a second time
And you say -
I’m ready to bet.

Death just laughs
And says -
Sorry,
No more bets -
You’ve exceeded
Your credit -
I’m here to collect.

The Rain is Overly Generous

The rain
Is overly
generous

Giving us
More than
enough

Instead
Of just
enough

Not because
it is
extravagant

Simply
because

There is
no way
For it to
measure

too little,

or too
much

or just
enough

So it
falls

Until
There
is Nothing
Left

And love
Should be
Like the rain

Giving itself

To the point
Of depletion

Drenching
The body

Penetrating
the soul

Right down
To the bone

So when you
Are alone

In a place
Where
It never rains

You will
Still remember
How love felt

How it
might feel
again