light of hope

Gaza 

space carved out 

by the sea 

360 square kms of war zone

and rubble 

where Hamas 

hides with hostages 

and IDF kills indiscriminate 

and we wonder how peace can flutter down 

like Christmas on this place of the displaced 

can we shine our lights of hope 

on this brutal war 

on innocents 

or does our light only burn 

in our warm rooms so far away

winter 2023

it seems  like 

winter is catching on

snow piling up 

I don’t think this will melt now 

it’s here to stay 

through November and December 

right to March or April 

spring so far away 

but we can still sing solstice 

and Christmas 

and new year 

and heart day 

and the feast of St. Patrick 

voices tuned together 

for survival 

like kindling catching flame

 

Norah at one

spoon in hand she drums the wooden floor 

adding to the music she hears 

she likes to say hi and smile 

and tells long stories only she can divine 

stands up on the furniture and 

walks along testing her little body 

creeps along quite quickly one foot and one knee 

not exactly a crawl 

ginger blonde hair rests on eyelashes 

and she cuddles with you turning the pages of a book 

sits and eats her square of bread and pb 

says yum yum 

and this is her world 

    so content 

        so lucky 

            so full of heart emojis

Roger wall climbing

striped pants give him the flex 

he needs to climb this wall 

feet and hands gaining holds 

and legs pushing body up and up 

doesn’t stop until he’s 

touched the top 

yesterday he was Batman 

and tomorrow he will play 

Pokemon 

but right now

he is boy climbing 

undaunted

 

Norah's first folk festival (folk fest '23 #3)

see 

this is how it goes 

bounce on mom’s hip 

in time with music 

in warm summer 

on soft grass 

wearing blue hat 

and sun dress 

oblivious 

in a sea of people 

singing along 

with nothing else to do 

and sometimes you wear headphones 

to save tiny eardrums 

with a yellow folk fest tee 

see 

this is how it goes 

from one generation to the next

Vance Joy life surfer (folk fest '23 #2)

you like this 

upbeat smile 

ukulele vibe 

surfboard freedom 

singing love and adventure

in this tough tough world 

making it better one wave after another 

this likes you 

 

tilted

yellowed maple leaves

sigh down onto lawn marking 

fall’s onset in late August 

tilt of the planet doing it again 

as it has through the ages 

but here it is again 

Autumn’s death giving way to 

sweaters and shoes of September 

we are all tilted this way 

tied torn tattered 

by life 

detached 

and drifting on the wind

sunsitting

like a cat 

I sit in the sunbeam through the window 

warming my cold shoulder 

until a dark cloud passes over 

and I wonder if more rain is coming 

cuz what I really need is the giving sun 

in a blue sky softening my hard heart 

until these chord clusters connect 

with the deep strings of 

longing within 

and purring begins

Oma and Norah in flowerbed

grandmother amidst

flowers in the sun holding

child intent reaching

 

Fleet Foxes (folkfest '23 poem #1)

abstract videos like hospital wall art

play behind you on 

that large stage 

after the storm and 

you fling your butterfly harmonies 

out into the tarpy crowd 

song after song of vocal variation 

that rests on bruised souls 

like a multi-coloured monarch 

that has winged one thousand miles 

to be here resting so lightly 

a certain healing can occur 

and we can leave the hospital bed 

in our teeming minds 

 

Roger and Bambi

dog and boy exist in syzygy 

aligned in spirits that gravity

like moon and earth 

in constant tug and push 

wax and wane 

tides of love come in go out 

so clasp your leash to this collar 

and go gadding through ditches of thin spring ice together 

undistracted by squirrels’ silly chirps tree to tree 

chilling rubber boots and stinking fur 

with brisk bracing water 

for this is no quiz or test 

no right or wrong 

no A or F 

just growing blonde boy and eager shepherd dog 

in the dark abyss 

where 

if you close your eyes 

the phosphenes can set you on your way to see 

the promise that exudes 

from two lives leaning together 

life teaches life

blue eyes shining 

smile at cousin jumping blond curls bouncing 

and giggles escape seven month mouth 

with two sharp teeth growing 

she sucks on pickles or watermelon 

always holding with right hand 

left is used for balance while she bounces on lap 

and tests her voice for all the different noises it can make 

for life teaches life and we can only watch 

sometimes how the sparks behind those eyes

line up and map the future

leaves

each leaf chlorophils this backyard 

with summer greenness 

and I sit happy to be here 

midst all the burgeoning life of 

flowers 

    grass

        birds 

            weeds 

                garden 

                    ants 

robin beak digs into lawn searching 

plump worm and I get to watch this opera

this do I not take lightly 

when so easily it may be done

as simple as a song fading out 

or a worm plucked out 

of the ground and eaten 

I doze and wake to witness wind shaking leaves

clinging

what is this pensiveness 

low strings agitated almost dissonant 

almost unrhythmic 

a serious chanting of sorrow 

in this heated June filled with thunder 

what is this prevailing pall 

over all we do 

soft choral voices breaking through in 

broken harmonies 

so hard to cling 

to bright clean hope

pride

I marched in a Pride Parade 

on a hot day in June

avenue furrowed with cheering 

we walked one step at a time 

towards the meeting place at the Forks 

yes we take one step at a time 

towards acceptance and love 

there was thunder but the rain did not come 

on this humid afternoon 

as we sat on a blanket and played 

with a rainbow baby 

long winter

late March shivers north wind 

and piles of snow linger

in this ungraceful  sun 

and ice shatters under foot 

we ask when will this novel end 

and let spring unlock the door 

yes we built a quincy in December 

and still it stands unblemished 

a rabbit hole to permanent winter 

yet we know summer will come 

with C02 warmed heat 

all a part of this new world order

Norah's laugh

where does it start 

this bubbling up from the belly 

unrestrained joy of lilting laughter 

learned or innate

     irresistible 

we must join in and 

let go of world 

hands open to catch 

happy catches in the voice 

to hold the ball lofted 

that says 

    pass me on 

hands cupped together 

to make a landing for 

the delicate bubble of the future

what he showed us

blonde hair like pure energy

front teeth growing in 

he shows us the shells he brought 

from Cuba 

pink and white and tan 

had to choose which ones 

to take home 

so these were the treasures 

the jazz of the sea 

exoskeletons of mollusks 

washed up on the beach

keeps them in a special bag 

mementos of the warm holiday 

the shells of memory

Norah's questions

deep blues bore into heart 

almost sitting 

on the couch 

leggings tight around thighs 

foxes and bears on shirt 

eyes ask questions 

what are you to me 

will you read me a book 

what is this world we are in 

and answers don’t come easily 

so we just stare and 

marvel this life 

    this mystery 

        this burst in our being 

            this gift

we buy a llama

we walk in warmth down 

Mexican street uneven 

concrete and cobblestone 

southern February sun 

so unfamiliar 

dust from construction 

settles 

and we take it all in 

this sunny mix of tourism and work 

and this woman 

selling colourful stuffed llamas 

on the sidewalk 

little shy girl beside/behind

we stop to look 

a toy for grand daughter

pay pesos and 

wish her well 

in this sun warm street

goodbye Henry

on the day 

we put him in the crate and 

drove to the pet vet meowing

in the room

three fake candles on the table

and a small blanket 

while we waited I scratched his neck 

hand lost in the soft fur 

on the blanket he went to sleep 

another needle made his heart stop

my hand still lost

I said goodbye 

and left the room 

sadness surrounding like 

meows

 

Norah at a quarter of a year

there’s a cluster of ribbons 

and a stuffed turtle with two rings 

yellow and green 

hanging just above her 

she wants them 

but hands don’t cooperate 

flailing 

and then she grabs the ribbons and won’t let go 

but the rings still hang 

penduluming 

left hand bats at them 

so hard to grasp 

fingers must unclench 

until finally two fingers wrap around the plastic 

goal achieved infant persistence

paying off 

boding well for ribbon-filled tomorrow 

 

don't worry Norah

don’t worry 

baby you’ve got that creased little brow looking 

so unsure your 

momma has you enveloped in 

love your daddy has you arms 

of protection your family has you a circle 

of smiles 

life will 

happen and it might be rough but 

you will be 

strong 

    and sure 

        and wise 

            and good 

                and true 

so don’t worry baby we’ve got 

you

new year's eve

look out 

at the silver white brush stroke 

around each branch 

and at the snow laden spruce boughs 

weighed down by winter 

listen to that recording of Bach 

and hear the hope

on this last day of the year 

brush stroked and laden with silver 

and the prayers of a 

world aching 

and hungry for peace