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Friday, June 29, 2012

Like Riding Comets

Napa Fountain
—Katy Brown, Davis


UNEXPECTED PLEASURE—
GARLAND YASMENT
—Michael Cluff, Corona

Early summer "Spring Cleaning"
this year led to discovery:
an old blue polyester blazer
and blue/white checkered dress pants
from around the time
of Nixon's resignation
were packed away
with disintegrated mothballs
into the attic
overlooking
the now nearly stagnant pond.

A reminder of days
when making a religion class
at the mousy inland college
on time and relatively often
so as not to be dropped
was the worst worry
I had to face
or if the spray-on
shampoo
would comb out
all the dirt
collected
during a Thursday afternoon
track meet.

Now avoiding the auditor
and bill collector
makes me wish
the pond ran deeper
and ever so much faster
over the intermediate rapids
between here and Brown Bay Inlet.

_________________ 

IN THIS STAGE OF LIFE
(Frank)
—Paul Lojeski, Port Jefferson, NY

The great stones move far below
in red fire, as time shoves it 
all forward. 

Now, no more wine or wild nights
of disregard, the bones frail
and light like broken twigs.

I list those already gone
in a drama of loss and reflection,
this self-serving grief a shield

from my own break with the world.
How to approach the final moment?
Will poetry and love be there?

Putah Creek Cafe Wall
—Photo by Katy Brown


SIGUR ROS
—Paul Lojeski

Staring out
the window
at white mist
and mountains,
he begins to play
the songs
in his head. 
Others join in:
their sounds
walk the wind,
sail streams,
fly the night sky.
One thinks of space
and possibilities
like riding comets,
feeling the rush
of sunlight.
And eyes close
as dreams' dark
doors open.
Walls of music
everywhere,
walking on
in sleep's endless
rhythm.
Time just ahead.

____________________

THE LIMITS OF REASON
—Paul Lojeski

A giant boulder
sat in the middle
of the road. 
Crowds gathered
and pleaded with it
to please move.
Later, as evening
cooled passions,
various eloquent
speakers stepped
forward to make
sensible arguments.
You’re impeding
human progress,
the Mayor said. 
Applause and cheers
followed.  A mother
cried, Our children
can't see around
you to the future.
Here! Here! the mob
shouted, and a thin
farmer grumbled,
Your shadow's
killing my crops'
sunshine!  Some
pulled their hair
and others threw
themselves
to the ground
but nothing changed
as days slipped
into weeks and the weeks
into months.
Still, the great rock
refused to budge.
That’s when they
brought out the dynamite.

___________________

MORNING CHORE  
—Paul Lojeski

Down winding roads 
in spring rain, trees 

heavy with green. 
In the supermarket

prices are high,
higher than yesterday

with no explanations 
issued forth from leaders 

too busy with the business
of invisibility.  Though

I shake it off in front
of shelves of cookies!

How can an empire crumble
amidst such splendor?

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

THIS AFTERNOON
—Paul Lojeski

I sat on the couch next
to a table.  The lamp

on the table lit the way
across poems of ancient

times.  Vast distances
were everywhere.

__________________
 
—Medusa


Napa Doors
—Photo by Katy Brown