Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Ghost Call

Ghost Call

A persistent no-answer comes
To the question "are you there"
Or another "can you hear me"
When through the hedge leaves, whispers
Turn into calls, voices bounce off walls
A special cadence of speech collects
The hazy volume wavers
Almost patterns reach out
To a persistent no-answer
An almost functional, actually desperate
Fear of the not yet known
When confusion remains between
The source and who would answer

JM

Monday, October 15, 2007

Allow 4-6

Allow 4-6

I'm a late bloomer
If I bloom at all
Clear at the end of Fall
Maybe busting through snow crust
My flowers are unremarkable
Serving their intended purpose
Flexing which seed they are to promote
The puzzler is my soil
Moving with the weather sometimes
While almost opposite others
I bloom which is enough
Unless patience is too tough today
Then I have to wait

JM

Friday, October 05, 2007

Arrange Meant

Arrange Meant

Memories are fine and useful
A trap where you lose part of the day
Sinking too long into what went on
The years collected on dust around you
All the fine and useful experience
Hanging on a wall or in that car
The look of the kitchen after meals
Especially at leaving or redecorating
The urge is strong to speed along
Listening to the way things were
Making changes heavy to move around
Into more useful and fine memories

JM

Reading/Show

Reading/Show

A woman walked in with covered head
A long heavy black dress
She sat to the left in front of me
Where I could see the silhouette
Of her small chin pointing at the stage
I tried not to stare
In just enough light to put a glow
On her full lips, round cheeks
And her brown eyes twinkling
As each participant, even me,
Got up to bounce light beams
Off ourselves and into the open face
Of the woman with the covered head

JM