“The Liberation of Palestine Avenue”

The Gooch house has no birds.

Lady of the corner tear smiles

When flattered with a hot iron or

Serenaded with pennies sink plinking.

(She once had potential,

She once drew horses,

She once was Queen HC,

She once breathed freewill)

Dreams afford snatches of sanity,

The dawn brings renewed sadness-

Hus bland’s welcome to the light

“You’re no love, just a placeholder wife.”

To sleep in silent lucidity, to find peace;

These goals Mahalia met for her muse.
Grey night shades gave sway to last tragic day,
The Gooch house has no birds.

“Hundred Dollar Bill”

‘Write my name down on a Franklin,

Then throw a smile my way after after,
-Race me over in the hof lane
Then try your best to ex plain
Why the reason for the season is you.’

“Can you drive a tractor?

Can you drive a ‘Cedes?
Can you drive a man straight,
To the depths of Hades?
Will the water float truth
Or drown it like Ophelia?
Trust the name you write now,
‘Cos soon you gonna hug ground.”

 

(Feel the dirt around you,

Tuggin’ breath out of you,
Pine tree be a cryin’,
South wind be a sighin’,
Lay you now a  dyin’.)

“Nightbirds Redux”

In the wee hours

We sing our dreamsong.
Still air dances with
Sweet secret movement.

There is no spoon,

Nor is there echo any
Ever from puresong,
Trailing verbs & reverb.

Silent hay rolls

Hide shadows within
Dark music mosaics-
Reality abstracted view.

Turns taken in sync,

Bereft of timekeepers,
Ruleseekers and rakes.
Smooth as light reflected.

In the fleeting eclipse end,

Where most sleep awakens
Our songs fly away with us
To the other side of the world…

“Easter Grass on Route 66”

Jimmy Dean sausage is tasty.

Guess he knew what he was doing.

Never will miss Tellico or Ballplay,

Something dark lives in the bogs there.

Lighting a candle for Ted, remembering

Basketball games and scottyburgers.

The rivers here are dry, hardened arteries.

Where are the mobile home parks out west?

My cat detests liver, he leaves them for me.

Eating as road crosses whisper “He Lives!”

“Grass” A Bantu Combination by Tim & Brandon, or possibly Kelvin

We’re lying in the grass.

We’re still lying in the grass-

The breeze raises us toward the sun,

And drops across our faces,

Our noses and our cheeks.

The more we leave our bodies-

The less we miss our feet,

And I’m alone in the grass.

“Schoolhouse Hill”

Spread the memory blanket out

For a good old days picnic…

No, there was no internet,

Smartphones or silly string, but-

We walked to our own school.

Lunch served on china plates!

Maude and Ruby cooking supreme.

Absolutely the finest kind Hawkeye-

By standards 90210 to Ivy League.

Mmmmmm cornbread and taters.

First grade with Miss Francis,

Learning to cut the tails off little t’s,

Reading “Dick and Jane,” mandatory

Afterlunch nap-spent by me staring at

Sandy Turpin or watching bubbles.

Second grade with Miss Betty,

Spelling Nazi and not shy with a paddle.

Pretty good teacher, just high-strung &

Mistaked having Donnie walk home after

He broke his arm on the chalk holder.

Third grade with Mr. McIntire,

“Friendly Village,” leaf & bug collecting,

Great walking field trips around the

Schoolhouse neighborhood with Red,

A real science teacher and interesting man.

Mr. Rodgers our principle, the speech teacher

Who visited now & then, and the rest all fade.

Larry & Cathy from the Mill Dam, the singing

Mason sisters, Gene & Essie Lands out from

Shoal Creek, Lloyd Hardy-where are you now?

Was the Hardy girl named Loretta? She was

Pretty with her front teeth out and that

Mischievous grin framed by her curly locks.

Where did the whirlpool of time swirl all of

My childhood friends at Mount Vernon school?

I miss ‘em.