Will and Kate

on ornate balcony buckingham
family gathers to greet great crowds
it could be 1311
or 1611
but it’s 2011
and millions more watch in HD

the couple kisses

one could be cynical
about money
or marriage
or media
or marketing
or celebrity culture
or love itself

but what’s the use

Miles

he stands in the doorway looking down
he’s come to say something important

he seems to be holding back
not giving all the information

then his eyes meet yours and you
see the emotions in his silent stare

withered weariness
wisened wariness
cool caring
uncanny joy

in this controlled account
he reveals all life lived

Prairie April

in manitoba

late april and early november
much in
common

skeletal brown trees
drabness surrounds with muted colours
gardens bare
chilly winds push random leaves

but then
woman steps out
picks up rake
little boy and girl in tow
---------jumping and throwing shoes
---------running around in sunshine celebration
and a lawn of green hope springs out of hibernation

Easter Lily

bursts out from green stem
bright white openness in six curved corners

a miracle of fragrant beauty
facing me head on

a challenge to breathe in the six miracles of
                     -  faith
-----------gratitude life
-----------love --hope
--------------healing

Lunch with Stephen Harper II

ice tinkled in the glasses
a cosy diner in Osborne Village

he asked how I was doing with the cancer and everything
I said I was thankful for the Canadian medical system

he said that he had been instrumental in supporting the system the last five years
I said that’s not really true, if you would have had a majority
you would have moved towards a two-tier system
he didn’t reply

He said I’M HERE FOR CANADA

were you here for Canada when you hired a convicted fraud artist to work as a top advisor?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you wasted all that money in Clement’s riding for the G20?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you refused to fire Bev Oda after she lied to Parliament?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you refused to give Parliament financial details of how much the crime bill would cost?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you refused to hand over Afghan detainee documents to Parliament when they were asked for?
He said no
were you here for Canada when you attacked Michael Ignatief in TV ads for months and then said you didn’t want an election?
he said no
are you here for Canada when you refuse to answer questions from the media?
he said no
are you here for Canada when you tell your candidates not to attend all-candidates meetings?
he said no
are you here for Canada when you take credit for the economic action plan when you were basically forced into putting it in place by the opposition parties?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you cut funding to organizations including the CBC because of petty political reasons?
he said no
were you here for Canada when you refused to honour Canada’s commitment to climate change agreements?
he said no BUT I’M HERE FOR CANADA NOW
I asked him to pass the Ketchup

Haydn

he’s great to chat with

sitting on a grey stone bench
in the park
he’s got his legs crossed
---------and his scarf
---------often gets tangled with
---------his animated hands
----------------as he repeats something
----------------for emphasis
under a totally blue sky
with warm sun
---------relaxing every muscle

a simple conversation about
nothing really
but so
important

Good Friday

maple tree still bare
branches maze bow curve offshoots
Christmas lights hang limp