irritated

 irritated because of pain they cannot shed

and may not speak of

especially to young people,

elders have often earned the right,

if not to be honored, then at least

to be tolerated with compassion

some, even, with a hint of respect

but we would need to slow down

to listen and learn to know

being there

he reached out, came to my door

his children’s book in hand

quietly there to give and to listen

he networks so well simply by

being where you are with questions

that assume your intelligence

and insight—

            who can resist responding?

yet another

yet another and all i can do is laugh

these months of preparing for the sale

of the home my beloved built

for me with view of Cascade mountains

in the foothills of the coastal range

surrounded by trees, so forest animals

would come to graze on my lawn

or sneak-attack on voles and tiny critters

or neighbor pets—i kept finches unquietly in a cage near the window

where they could look outside

each project over the months put off by  “We can’t do that until…” and

scheduled seldom less than a week

or two in the future, or promised

and then delayed for good reason

i had no quarrel against since, over

the decades i was one who had accumulated mountains of treasure

and stuff over the decades and delayed repairs that finally needed to be done

weeks became months

until this past month when we

could all see the end approaching

until this week one final clearing

to be done on Monday and technicians

to be let in for maintenance on Thursday

ah, the anticipation of joy only a misstep

on Monday needing a contractor’s repairs and, for me, two extra dashes

to my house to let him work

yet another, and all i can do is laugh

that’s the way it is

“Remember,” a church lady

proclaimed, “for every child, there is

a mother who loves him.”

I bowed my head, wishing

with everything within me

that what she believed were true

Children need to learn to love

and many, being given so little themselves or, neglected or abused,

learn, rather, to regard others as they

have been considered and behave

as they have seen modeled for them

A child must learn to love

If his caretakers cannot or do not cherish

can we who see, afford not to give

whatever we can?

boxes in the attic

 boxes in the attic

i haven’t seen in fifteen years

so many, according to my daughter’s

cellphone pictures that she and i

cannot remove them but will need

ernie’s junk wagon again

ah, so long in my house leaving

niches and corners and a whole floor

untouched and forgotten

country living

missed communication

they let me speak, but

there were no words

that would not have hurt

so, my daughter gently explained

with her tact and willingness

to bear the consequences

of the misunderstanding

and miscommunication

of what each side had assumed

was the definition of the process

we’d agreed upon

Bells of the Cascades 35th Anniversary

so many former BOC players in the audience

joined the current performers

thrilled to remember the skill and bonding

of having become the instrument as each plays

individual notes of the overall handbell instrument

Matthew Compton’s “Lumen Fidei” celebrating

the experience of the power of music to take a person

beyond self into being a part of so much greater

never quite timely

so few projects in this real estate sale endeavor

have come to completion in a timely manner

today’s garage door seal is no exception

and i should have expected that to be the case

despite its grainy appearance, it is not wood

and steel needs a different bar to be attached

despite his van loaded with tools, gadgets

and parts, the technician did not have what was needed

but he did measure so the next appointment i make

should bring a seal to the concrete and limit

the access of voles to the interior of the house

sigh

needing advertisement

sun-lit turquoise, yellow and orange

glass  bulb filled with nectar

but without any red to announce

is put among the potted flowers

for their pleasure

a little imagination does wonders

those of us who see people

animals and whole settings

portrayed by slowly moving clouds

are delighted by the “kissing camels”

especially as highlighted by rays

of a jovial Colorado sun

in the Garden of the Gods

of course, they are camels – we can see

their humps and elongated heads

stretched forward to show their affection

one for another

of course, cloud or rock camels would be

affectionate – our world is joyous

with unexpected moments of fun

wonder and awe

bonds of laughter

laughter is the bond that melds

our family’s souls because we love

have learned we have courage

and can rely on our judgement

and each other

Pacific reflects blue, grey-green

ocean this day reflects blue sky

as when it earned its name, Pacific

how often, though, it belies

any reference to gentleness

when grey-green waves heave

and thunder against

the rocky shore of my Oregon

that i am warned

not to turn my back in disrespect

of the power of its willful moods

more in tune with Nature

than i can comprehend

no fruit from my labor

frustration with my computer

when changing my address

on the purchase form triggered

fraud alert at the credit card company

all that time filling out the form

only to have payment declined

arghhhh

but the lady at the fruit company

was finally able to navigate the gift

with a different credit card

big, but not so beautiful

big, beautiful bill

containing this time the secret

prohibition on the courts

to cite for contempt

which is their primary weapon

of enforcement

ah, what we hide in the heap

of overwhelmingly large

in hopes no one will find it

to weed it out

organization

(a dream and someday hope)

organized is not a word i know

a great deal about except as

a hope for the future

yet, slowly, so slowly, i begin

to see small areas of counter-top

and book shelf that remind me

that those surfaces were there

before i piled them high

with files and books and promises

to myself to soon get organized

moving on

closed down now with rain

after three days of threat

and low clouds that allowed

the air show to go on

the skill displayed, the crowds

thrilled and awed and gung-ho

so our elite jet pilots can move

on to the next town to overwhelm

with their unique public relations

jets mesmerize

a jet fighter flies low over the airfield

upside down

another passes over the air show crowd

low and far too slow

barely maintaining enough speed

to keep aerodynamic

another makes a pass, then,

with G forces impaling the pilot

against his seat, climbs vertical

into low-lying clouds

then two invert and pass

each other in opposite directions

then three in close formation trail

red or white smoke, then four, then five

and finally, six leave red, white, blue

amid roaring sound

incredible displays of courage and skill

to thrill the public and encourage

the public to support our military

gentle lady alone

gentle lady sat alone for days

before she would wave back

yesterday i stopped to talk

with her and watched her smile

this morning i took a table for six

and bade her come and sit with us

her smile grew wider as she met

and interacted

air(minus planes) show

low clouds thick as raw wool

blanket the community enticed

by advertising to gather at the airport

for the annual air show with jet

formations and aerobatics,

antique by-wings, wing walkers,

military planes and fireworks

and tomorrow forecasts rain

ah, me, could this be the year

there will be an air show

without airplanes?