Raindrop Reflection

drops cling to brown branches
perfect
-------clear
-------------orbs
reflect green and brown
universe of spring

as buds begin to unfurl
flowers emerge from black ground
robins perch before next worm
warm moist air touches cheek
and thunder rumbles
---------------in the distance

heart opens to possibilities of life

Fleeting Hope

dreaded rain wettens
laundry hanging in my mind
take down; wait for sun

Brubeck

he’s wearing shiny patent leather black shoes
as he stands on your carpet in your living room
he sways back and forth
hands behind his back
making things clear
he wants to
explain the newness of everything
-----------our lives are always cutting new furrows in the topsoil
-----------digging up new grooves and truths
-----------asking new questions
-----------seeking new answers
his feet haven’t moved but you are taken in
by the exuberant beauty of his presence

You’ve heard this all before
but not in thi sway

Gerald in May 2011

tufts of blonde hair
unruly

stubble grain-coloured beard
covers insistant chin

backpack straps cover parts of
old Beatles T-shirt

says goodbye in airport line
with awkward hug

steps forward through
metal detector

almost twenty-one and
full of mettle

striding forward
taking off

Duke

you get into his sky blue convertible
----------------and you go for a drive

he drives along dusty prairie roads and you can
see forever
the cool May wind
------------ruffles your hair
then he slows down
and you stop by the river listening to his crazy stories
as it flows by
its banks swollen by
spring run-off
but the wind hasn’t stopped
it keeps gusting its harmony of sun and dust and
sometimes
---------exotic
----------------daydreams enter your mind as
you survey the scene
so you’re not really in the car at all
you’re in some kaleidoscopic adventure
as he keeps telling you his whirlwind life
until he starts the car again
---------------and fishtails back home

your heartbeat speeding up with the swing

Red Shirt

I wear red shirts

red shirts are soft
red shirts last
red shirts are bright
red shirts laugh
red shirts are warm
red shirts glow
red shirts are glass half full
red shirts say yes
red shirts fit in
red shirts stand out
red shirts are easy to hug
red shirts say hi

like a robin in spring

welcome

Unstoppable Spring

blue may sky shimmers
on sparkling white snow flannel
green blades poking out

May Morning

cool vibes
gary burton flakes
fiercely covering green lawn
with
blinding white winter

may day jazzstorm
-----sidestepping spring
----------sidestepping time
---------------sidestepping life
------achieving
--------stasis

stop

and live this

beautiful icy
mallet on steel
moment

Bird

he wants you to walk with him through the streets

it’s dark and maze-like and he leads you through winding
lanes and alleys with sure quick step
it’s hard to keep up
but you follow
and you experience the new
as he points out highs and lows of life in the street
his dazzling story so urgent
------and painful
------------and told with such
------------originality and
------------playfulness
by the end you don’t know where you are
even though he’s led you back
where you started