" Northern Ohio Winter "

the cabin is quiet
nestled in the first light
the cooler weather
has not penetrated the cabin logs
it is still warm and cozy inside
classical music is playing softly
old dog gypsy is asleep on her sofa
yes she has her red leather chair as well
the feral cats are quiet after eating
their first meal of the day
I am sitting with gypsy
drinking my vashon island espresso
northern ohio winters are very cold
snow piles up around everything
mom is putting sweaters and winter clothing
on my older sisters Nedy and Janny
lots of stuff for playing in the snow like
snowsuits boots gloves scarfs and mittens
the mittens have a cord attaching them together
that goes from one sleeve to the other
under our jackets so we won't lose them
when they get crusted with snow and ice
turning our hands pink with cold
finally she bundles me up so stuffed in clothing
I couldn't get up if I fell down
we are excited about playing in the snow
three little Hall kittens
Janny is wearing the loepard print snowsuit
with the leopard print hat to match
where in the world did mom find it
I thought it was the most beautiful thing
I had ever seen and couldn't wait until
it was my turn to wear it
I was little and had alot to learn
the beginning was when mom said
after she put me in a warm sweater
take hold of the cuff of your sweater
with your left hand and pull it into
the palm of your right hand
then hold it tightly with the four fingers
of your right hand so your sleeve
won't slide up when I pull your jacket on
now the other side
my eyes were big with wonder
perhaps the first thing I ever learned
I could do for myself
guided by the loving patients of a mother
I remember well
yes I still remember the day I got to wear
the leopard snowsuit and hat and I held my
cuffs with four fingers
and I still remember how much dad
liked to see out pink cheeked faces
cold from our time outside
in a cold northern ohio winter

" Important Question?"

Gypsy is my 12 year old English Pointer Hunting Dog.
We have been together all but the first two of those years.
Here is my question?
She gets me out of my writing chair multiple times a day
with urgency wanting to go outdoors as she is doing right now.
She wakes me during the night with the same urgency
once again telling me she must go outside.
She spends time outdoors just before we retire at dark.
Today there is a cool rain falling.
It is late afternoon.
She has been out once today at 5:30 am.
Why is it that today she can put her trips outdoors
on hold for most of the day?
Is she being obstinate?
Does falling rain shut down her plumbing?
Seems like it should do the opposite.
If you have to go you have to go rain or shine.
As I dry her wet hair and wipe the mud from her feet
I wonder.
If you have an answer for me
email it and happy I will be.

"Desmonds Flu "

poor Desmond Dew
it is true
in 2009
got the swine flu
knew not what to do
had no clue
turned very blue
not a good hue
poor Desmond Dew
found in a pew
some say
got his due

" Fame "

fame
a dangerous game
so many so high
fall so far
wealth and power
corrupt
are intoxicating
clouding reality
the devil waits
and watches
your decline
his temptations
fall into place
answering his call
unable to tell
the exclusive
fashionable
way to hell

" Keep Your Faith "

even on gray cloudy days
the morning glories
know which way to look
towards the sunrise
they have faith that
the sun is still shining
behind the storm clouds
their path is determined
by the faith programmed into
their seeds
make it easy on yourself
relax take a deep breath
step into the faith
that is already programmed
into you
do not be afraid when
the dark clouds obscure
your view
keep your faith
as your faith keeps you

" Simply Jesus "

Christianity
has nothing to do
with filling churches
Jesus was not in business
He did not have bands
cushioned pews
microphones air conditioning
or a curtain that went up
what we need
is lost in the rush
of competition
to have the biggest cross
best parking and entertainment
we follow the famous who attach
to the routine of worship
we think suits our needs
but our path seems slippery
and are days are edged
with the consequences of doubt
showboating will always
impress a material world
but with all this Jesus
and His simple ways
are lost as our souls orbit
circling never landing
trying to hold on to His words
losing Him in the worlds words
unable to break its hold
wondering knowing
something is missing
simply Jesus

" Skylar "

someone special has gone away
to start his new life
in his own special way
he is out on a beach
running each way
looking for puppys
who want to play
he knew our routine well
and if he didn't get to go
would run under the bed
so we would know
hobnobbed with high society
but always with propriety
a special friend
a loyal companion
there is no way to measure
the joy of a treasure

" Poems Who Want to Be "

in my mind right now today
there is a poem on its way
arriving in words of rhyming long lines
black and white and all different kinds
moving to me from the far green hill
early this morning when it was still still
coming and going like the blue sky breeze
slippery and shifty it began to tease
losing its grip on my mind with ease
doing nothing whatever to seize and please
evading me surely and quite purely
just plain squirmy brown squirrely
should I throw in the towel
in frustration howl
join the dead poets society
with no victory to see
my secret is still longevity
for poems who want to be

"Dad"

my dad was a hammer
a link in a big metal chain
like the kind you use to tow a car
when he was ten years old
he was putting metal roofs
on buildings in small ohio towns
he didn't finish high school
but was smart and successful anyway
because he knew how to work
was honest and had common sense
a priceless legacy
he was a chrysler car dealer
in a small ohio farming community
for 40 years when you could still
make a car deal and seal it with a handshake
he never complained about anything
he snored in church and it was my job
sitting next to him to punch him
he never mentioned retiring
he worked his last day
went home and laid down in his hammock
in his big backyard surrounded by cornfields
and died
mom found him

Lifeboat

we need to approach everyday
like we are in a lifeboat
with no land in sight
we are paddling in a direction
we think will get us to a shore
we know nothing about
we aren't sure where we are
some of the waves bounce us around
and change the way we are going
we try to stay on course
some crash against the side
of our boat and get us wet
then there is the big wave
that nearly sinks us
we bail to keep afloat
a whirlpool may keep
us stalled too long in one direction
we need to find the speed
of our current and allow
each day to evolve
at its own pace as we learn
dissolving into our short comings
overcoming the odds
if we push too hard or try too hard
we go against the current
we waste our time and energy
focus on your hopes and dreams
don't let the waves
slow you down or stop you
let them guide your lifeboat
to your shore

" Bats in our Belfry "

its no surprise
we have bats in our belfry
since the drought has given way
to monsoon like rains
that are now shaping our days
as flooding has begun
and cars are disappearing
on water covered roads
its raining our usual meal
of feast after famine
moving unsuspecting critters
to alter their routines so
for the first time ever
gypsys porch was swarming with bats
before the first morning light
had caught hold of the day
she watched them as they
flash by her again and again
when I went to join her
something swooshed by my head
at aleast 500 miles an hour
now there were bats everywhere
circling just under the porch roof
probably eating the mosquitoes
we had complained about
as they eliminated our complaint
later as we watched the gray clouds
and listened to the thunder roll
we did not hear or see
one tiny black mosquito

Come About

there are things
I know of but not about
things that I have
never had to deal with
things I might write about
like being hungry
not knowing where the next
meal is coming from
being diagnosed with aids cancer
or another terrible disease
having a heart attack
losing a child sister or brother
being a soldier or prisoner of war
losing everything in a hurricane
tornado or fire
being a slave
being poor
being addicted
being unable to read and write
being homeless living in a car
living without freedom
there are other formless things
like being free
and thinking free
dreaming and hoping
maybe just positive thinking
that don't come automatically
with freedom
formless things like love faith
forgiveness and compassion are
things we all know of but
to often not about
come about

"Poor Desmond Dew"

Desmond Dew
a man it's true
couldn't do
had no clue
found nothing new
wanting his due
out of the blue
married a shrew
found lifeless true
when he was slew
remembered by few
who sat in a pew
truely rue
buried under dew
got his due
nothing to do
for Desmond Dew