Shattered eye glasses
Nothing makes sense anymore
Ice thawing
Below my feet
Trying to keep alive heartbeat
You offer me a weathered map
We both know
It is a trap
Speak louder
I’m having trouble hearing
You say I should follow society’s rules
What for?
All I find is locked doors
Step inside my boots
They are wet cold will feel loose
Now beg for some coins
Chiseled out abscessed tooth
Tossed into rusty can
Lifetime of lost dreams
You now have the fame
Nothing will slow down your train
Why so unhappy?
May I offer you this extra-large heavy duty trash bag?
You toss away friends like old rags
No thank you needed
Everyone knows you are conceited
Snip Snip
Snip Snip Snip
The barber
His shop
Located on a luxury avenue
Some wealthy patrons
Would discuss a stock or two
No ordinary conversation mind you
Just juicy
Trading knowledge
He was privy too
Blue Chips
Small Caps
Bull Markets
Bear Markets
Decades gone by
Never married
Diligently
Investing every extra cent
Watching his portfolio
Climb up to the sky
One day
The barber died
Accumulating a sizable estate
No family
No close friends
No one knew
No one to give the money too
Snip Snip
Snip Snip Snip
Faceless nameless ghosts
Frantically stock shelves all night
Kowtow to machine
Craps was the game he played
Once a month
Took a round trip flight
Lauderdale to Nassau
Carried his cash in an old bag
Stood most of the night
At the table
Sometimes won
Sometimes lost
His demeanor
Always stable
Just a way to unwind
The game
Cleared his mind
Of course I’m employed
Work one full time two part time
Middle Class has died
Sweet corn on the cob
Boiled
Topped with butter and salt
Ice cold lemonade
Sitting under ficus tree
Lazy day
In the shade
Morning drizzle
Listening to Shakuhachi
Pruning bonsai trees
Barefoot simple dress
The Brasileira plays guitar
On front porch swing
Watching dry waterfall
No running water just rocks
Bird rests his mind
Snowshoes beef jerky
Don’t need lower 48
Free will solitude
Starting motorbike
Morning ride along A1A
Sea air soothes me
Winter cold snap
Honeybell oranges soon ripe
Gastronomic delight
Note to readers: Poem refers to Florida winter gardening. Just a bit of cold gives citrus a kick of extra sweetness.
Tropical storm gone
Angry Atlantic Ocean
Snatching my surfboard
Bought old pickup truck
Hitch up house on wheels
Let’s see America
He was a flash in the pan
Never took a break
Mind turned to mush
Like a milkshake
Always full speed
Crunch
Crunch
Buzz saw
Cut down the trees
Now
Sits every day on his worn chair
Wondering
How did it all disappear?
Late night
Walking cobbled streets of Prague
Had one too many pilsners
Met a street performer
On the corner
Done for the night playing his violin
After an hour of shooting the breeze
I asked my new friend
Why is it that you are so at ease?
He replied:
“I play for spare change
I’m the only one who needs to be pleased
Some people call me lazy and completely crazy
But
Too much ambition would no longer be fun being a musician
I accept who I am
No need to try to be on top of the highest mountain”
Nippy morning
Fly fishing for rainbow trout
River moving slowly
Garden vegetables
Mixed with herbs in slow cooker
Love is in the home
Grabs everything she can
Does not need a permanent man
Prowls clubs along the beach
Fuck
Shower
Brush teeth
Walks out the door
While her lover sleeps
Next Weekend
Repeat
Heliconia
Queen of tropical garden
Hummingbird’s best friend
Some place
Central America
Woke up soaking wet
All through night
He sweat
Looking at mosquito net
Got up
Walked down to the sea
Rendezvous
With the señora
She asked
“Is everything ready?”
Symbiotic relationship
Based on greed
Both tangled together
In the weeds
He is her token gringo
Because he always succeeds
Complicated
Dangerous
Game
Living under an assumed name
Continues playing
Only himself to blame
Humble on my knees
Casually pulling weeds
My garden comforts me
Sitting peacefully
Back straight facing the blank wall
My blood pressure falls
Peaceful morning swim
In Atlantic Ocean
Will not wash away sins
Parlez-vous français?
She looks fantastique
Wearing her silk lingerie
Dusting eight track tapes
Resurrects memories of
Carefree high school dates
Copacabana Beach, Rio, Brazil
Drinking cachaça
Bonita morenas
Gringo no go casa
Clinging to palm tree
The Iguana looks at me
Like I’m trespassing
Tap Tap Tap the keys
Rum coke typewriter and me
Deep in fantasy
Eating nuts in trees
Squirrels could care less about
Human luxuries
Jumping out of bed
I rush out to my garden
To pick morning crops
Sprinkling tear-drops
Continuity is lost
Cold like winter frost
Chip away extras
Wanting more more only festers
Toys are our masters
Mail carrier
Hauls his delivery bag
Full of surprises
Always at same time
She sits and drinks her red wine
Blocking out her mind
