People make me sad:

like rabbits in the roadway,

paralyzed by decisions.

~

It’s hard to witness,

especially when we don’t know

how we can make a difference.

As thunder rumbles

loudly in the distance, trees

grow bright in the setting sun.

~

And the gentle breeze

slowly becomes a tempest

shredding all those, still green, leaves.

Diffuse brotherhoods,

bound by common commitments,

enlist strangers to our aid.

~

Standing on common

ground, we can seek and give help

to one another.

Knox meets butterfly.

Butterfly is not impressed,

leaves in a flutter.

~

He attempts pursuit

but, so sadly, lacking wings,

is, too soon, left far behind.

Parents understand

that, so ironic, smile

watching other’s kids act up

~

They heave a big sigh

of relief that they’re the ones

smiling and it’s not their kids.

Everything’s grist for

the poetry mill as my

ODE TO VOMIT shows.

~

Pyloric sphincters

are under-rated muscles

too often disregarded.

Gastronomic bliss

undermines every diet

given half a chance.

~

A passing pleasure

is sometimes needed, then we

return to healthy eating.

If we could find one

delight a day, it might keep

our despair at bay.

~

Joys exist, always.

Us taking, but a moment,

to regard and honor them.

All this fun and games,

leaving us so exhausted,

we need to come home and sleep!

~

Sometimes play can be

more exhausting than work, but

in a very different way.

May your vacation

be both vital and restful.

It’s been a hard year.

~

Restful and yet full

of excitement and surprise,

much like the preceding year.

Major frustrations

accompany vacations;

that’s just the way they begin.

~

Yet what we long for

is a vacation from all

those day to day frustrations.

Birds just sing their songs.

They don’t hesitate because

they find their songs unworthy.

~

Birds lack frontal lobes

with resulting cortices,

and, therefore, inhibitions.

Adulting is hard

and takes a lot of practice

before we can do it right.

~

At seventy eight

I’m still practicing and I

only sometimes get it right.

Life’s complications

can be an inspiration

but they also interfere.

~

Unexpected work

in a distant location

leaves little time for writing.

When you have to choose

between the head or the gut,

which way do you tend to lean?

~

At my best, I give

them equal weight, but when I’m

in a pinch I go with gut.

We’d feel better if

we held onto joy as long

as we hold onto grudges.

~

Some burdens are hard

to put down and leave behind,

therefore, we still carry them.

What’s she waiting for,

an engraved invitation?

It’s her contest after all…

~

Sometimes we wait for

acceptance, acknowledgement,

or a gentle nudge.

Scorching with a touch

of rain seems to be one of

Summer’s favorite games.

~

A refreshing tease

that instantly becomes steam

wilting every starched collar.

Though we disagree

about this country’s problems,

we both remain patriots.

~

Civility would

be restored if more of us

could do the same without blame.

It’s not easy to

make space for poetry when

life is so crowded.

~

A poet’s garret

may be the perfect retreat

from the great thundering herd.

That tiny tree frog’s

chirp punches above its weight;

kind of like Napoleon.

~

Small souls can sometimes

make big noise, for example,

our ex-president.

These pains of aging

encourage us to do now

all the things that, soon, we can’t.

~

A good example

of the constructive use of

pain to prevent deep regret..

It’s not always what

is said, but how it is said

that leads to smiles or frowns.

~

Yet, at other times,

the words alone elicit

ample reaction themselves.

When passing the time

becomes so all consuming

that we lose sight of our goal…

~

To keep from losing

our minds, we have to lose sight –

it’s a short term remedy.

Who’d have known shiny

blue-tailed skinks could provide such

great family entertainment?

~

Ethical concerns

not withstanding, one must

enjoy one’s toys completely.

A celebration

should not leave one feeling drained

and lacking all energy.

~

If they do, it must

be time to examine why

it had that effect on you.

Setting sun filters

through still green leaves, bidding them

a golden farewell.

~

These closing hours

Of a bright, glorious day

Are suffused with amber light.

If three score and ten

be our reasonable years,

are what remain reasonless?

~

Only someone who

has not reached three score and ten

would ask that question.

Catching sight of Knox

and me, that rabbit hightailed

it straight for the woods.

~

Both Bull-Terriers

and Septuagenarians

inspire flight in many.

As our end draws nigh,

shall we face it with regret

or embrace it joyously?

~

Each one will answer

this question in their own time

and in their own way.