Trump’s minions quickly

come in, pause, go out, leaving

chaos in their wake.

~

Some would say chaos

is just part of the milieu

in Trump’s “White House” asylum.

When the smoke obscures

the fireworks display, that’s

excessive exuberance.

~

 By now we should be

used to smoke that obscures. That’s

what our president is for.

Wandering among

the stars, she suddenly saw

that moon-jumping cow.

~

Realizing she

was that fabled dish, she thought,

“Where’s that spoon run off to now!”

Loudly, the masses,

proclaim their independence

eschewing diversity.

~

We know who they are

who proclaim independence

and eschew the truth.

As July simmers

we whimper, wishing for cool

days and cooler nights.

~

Until we get them!

Then we’ll all wail and whine for

halcyon summer splendor!

Negotiating

life’s little disappointments

is how we learn happiness.

~

We can till the ground

and tend the soil so that

happiness can bloom.

In good times and bad

family and friends have given

me much to be thankful for.

~

Family and friends,

yes, are two of life’s blessings;

…taken in moderation.

Time marches onward,

relentlessly toward post time

and I remain unprepared.

~

Nevertheless you

and I persist. We show up

and sometimes poetry comes.

When our leaders put

both reason and compassion 

aside, what is left?

~

Demagoguery,

knee-jerk ideology,

and “fairly unbalanced” news.

On returning home

I find, much to my chagrin,

reason’s still on holiday.

~

It’s been quite a trip

here at home since reason has

fled for parts unknown.

As the time draws near

for your return, what do you

hope to bring with you?

~

Broadened perspectives,

a deeper understanding,

and so many memories!

As we wing from one

adventure to another,

can we find time to reflect?

~

Time for reflection

will come soon enough; for now

just enjoy your adventures.

We really do care,

and we hope our leaders find

a way back to caring too.

~

And if they do not,

do we care sufficiently

to replace our leadership?

Change trains in Brussels:

an hour hardly seems time

for great poetry to sprout.

~

May small brussel sprouts

of poetry nourish you

 as you journey on.

When did outright lies

come to be preferred over

basic human rights?

~

Trump’s America:

Where the only human right

is to lie despite the cost.

In old Amsterdam

there’s a quality of light

that defies explanation

~

Appreciation

without explanation can

result in a deep delight.

Defending what is

indefensible won’t make

America great again.

~

Restoring greatness:

exercise for foolish men

who perceive some fall from grace.

Still Paris morning

punctuated by pigeon,

Parisians still slumber.

~

Taking time to eat,

taking time to rest? Foreign

ideas abound.

Whispers of wonder

accompany my driving.

Bet you’re not surprised.

~

Unlikely whispers

were what you heard while driving.

Could you use a hearing test?

Wandering the Louvre,

wondering where people are;

Ahh! Queued for Mona Lisa!

~

“Are you a daft prick?”,

he exclaimed in clear disdain,

“Man, It’s just a bloody wall!”

~

What is it about

pricks, disdain, and walls? Could they

be a package deal?

My phone reports storms

Four thousand miles away;

“Seek shelter at once!”

~

You’ll have lots of time

to reminisce over this

extraordinary near miss!

Though separated

by an ocean, we connect

by technology.

~

And mostly that works

despite glitches and delay;

there is no perfect system.

Unrestrained passions

thwarted by circumstances

yield uncontained strife.

~

There’s no vacation

from the drama of humans

no matter how far you go.

You’re up in the air,

flying over deep waters

as I sit grounded at home.

~

Even great poets

struggle with rhythm and rhyme

at thirty-nine thousand feet.

May your travels bring

a hearty restoration

of body and soul.

~

And May those who stay

keep the home fires burning;

the hearth, warm and welcoming.