new snow will fall

                           I saw a few geese flying south

                           the days will turn colder soon

                           the warm days will be remembered

                           as the new flakes start to fall

                           but there are new beauties to behold

            ...

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my shadow

my shadow is annoying

follows me everywhere I go

that is if the sun is shining

late evening my shadow gets elongated

and makes me look thin

at noon, my shadow becomes portly

the only shadow that delights me

is when I see your shadow enter my room

and float across my bed until the sun goes down.

I hold it until morning

...

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coins in the fountain

when you tossed coins into the fountain

did you make a wish that might come true

or only a wish that you can wish for

they say the grass is greener

on the other side of the mountain

but they also say she will come

riding six white horses

when she comes

is either true

or are these only things others have wished for

th...

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a cloud of dust

I watched as you drove down the dirt road

in a cloud of dust

swallowing you until you vanished

you said you will return to me

will you

do you promise

tomorrow I will look down the dirt road

for a small speck on the horizon

that grows until the close perspective

allows your face to fill the entire frame of my mind

you h...

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the streets of Uvalde full of tears

tears over the loss of precious children

but also tears of the loss of  a nation’s innocence

did we lose it on waldon’s mountain

or the streets of mayberry

or around our own dinner tables

or in the womb of the chapel

can it be found again

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McKune’s Stanyan Street

I  saw you walking on Stanyan Street today

you seemed to be in a hurry

or concerned

or searching

were you trying to find a new acquaintance

or looking for the memory of Rod McKuen

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skinny dipping

I saw the two of you at the spring

skinny dipping

splashing and having fun

were you on your lunch break

or did you call in sick?

if he ever swims away

you know that I am here

with goggles and snorkel tube

to show you things you have never seen before

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last night's pleasures

The maiden walked through

the village's cobblestone streets

to the small white chapel

seeking forgiveness

for last night's pleasures.

\

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blue tears

her blue tears

falling on the pink morning

created a lavender sky

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I wonder

I saw you skipping through the meadow this morning

were you on your way to meet a secret lover

or taking a shortcut to the Village Market

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the lonely man at the window

the old man sits by the window

she left him here yesterday

said she would be back soon

he went to bed but could not sleep

has she stayed away on purpose?

next morning he arises again

to sit and wait even if it takes an eternity

he said he would wait

and that he did until his dying day

this morning at daybreak

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reflections

I saw you at the spring
this morning

you were looking at your
reflection and trying
to adjust your face

there is no need for that
the spring loves you
just the way you are

and waits each morning
for your return
just as I do

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early spring, early robins

the robins came by yesterday

for their early spring visit

to strip the red berries from our trees

they do the same each year

how do they have such memories

to return to the same place after winter

suppose they have a build-in GPS

or an Alexis or Ms. Google

who directs their travels and

instructs them where the best

places ...

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the long winter is almost past

the long winter is almost past

the sun has started to travel back north

trying to get through checkpoints

on its way from southern countries

the snow that was beautiful

when it fell weeks ago

is now slick ice, not pretty

and is dangerous

the full moon shone bright

the last few nights, giving

extra beauty to the ni...

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windmills

the old windmills

in Spain, slowly turning

large cloth blades

turning and grinding

ancient grains of the past

lined up in a row on a hillside

waiting for Don Quixote

to mistake them for giants

with his sidekick Sancho

he attacked them

only to get his lance

caught in the canvas blades

thought he had been tricked

by an evil...

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the poor boy that had no Christmas

a young boy lived in the country

looked forward to Christmas

a special time when a tree was cut

and strings of popcorn were hung

the family had little money

but the boy always received

at least a present or two

from Santa Clause when he

and his reindeers flew by on

Christmas Eve

the young boy’s best fr...

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the tattered old man on Christmas Eve

snow was falling hard

as the old man struggled

through the deep drifts

on the country road

light shone from a

a farmhouse window

the old man smiled seeing the glow

it was a candle

the widowed mother had placed there

nightly since last Christmas Eve

a year ago

a man was found

frozen along this s...

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waiting for the first snowflakes

leaves

red, yellow, and orange

have long since gone

grass has turned brown

frost has covered the land

afternoon sun is low

in the southern sky

geese have flown

in the blue heavens

south for winter food

squirrels gathered

nuts and stored

them in their nest high in the trees

next-door nei...

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things one can’t forget

I remember my first sight of you

sitting at a table in the library

bright blue eyes sparkling

with excitement and wonder

but that was many years ago

when I fell in love with you

at first sight

not yet knowing

your name, I knew I would know

it soon

and softly brush my

fingers over your lovely eyes

while I snuggl...

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Summer of ’42 déjà vu (almost)

he watched her walking to the beach

followed her with his binoculars

she bent over at the waist

to pick up pieces of colored sea glass

he did not want to disturb her

he had watched her from the cliff

on many occasions

daily she searched for sea glass

always putting it into a small bag

she carried

she alw...

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a walk at Robert Frost’ old farm

heavy snow was falling

as I walked the New Hampshire

woods of Robert Frost’ old farm

I had been here before

in the fall when

the leaves were splashes

of color hanging on the branches

now the leaves were gone

the snow was resting

where the leaves had been

in the distance I

caught a glimpse of movement

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eyelids and earlids

beauty from color

shapes

scenery

glimmer from a lake

all lost with eyelids closed

birds songs in the forest,

symphony of city car horns

beeping to a crescendo

cooing of a morning dove

breathing of a lover

all lost with ear lids shut

is one better

to lose than the other

one would have to ask Helen Kel...

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was the old woman a ghost too?

boys decided they

should report to the sheriff

that the old lady had died

they went to his office

and told him

how do you know she died

sheriff said

we rode our bikes by her house

and through her window saw

her dancing with a ghost

boys said

sheriff gave a quizzical look

said he would investigate

boys l...

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the old woman in the upstairs window

the old woman’s cottage

out in the woods

on a small dirt road

was a mystical place

for the boy and his friends

they were told by

other boys that a

ghost lived with her

they got a glimpse

of her once when she

went to the well

to draw a bucket

she wore a long black dress

and white hair down...

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woman in a starbuck’s window

woman sits in a starbuck’s window

looking, searching, waiting, watching

is it the thing that watchers

in an  Edward Hopper painting

wait, search, look, watch for

does she know

who she is looking for

who she is searching for

who she is waiting for

who she is watching for

I wonder if the subjects in

Hopper’s pa...

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the old woman  in the upstairs window

the old woman’s cottage

out in the woods

on a small dirt road

was a mystical place

for the boy and his friends

they were told by

other boys that a

ghost lived with her

they got a glimpse

of her once when she

went to the well

to draw a bucket

she wore a long black dress

and white hair down to her wai...

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the old men and the bamboo house

I happened upon two old men

walking down a dirt road

while I was photographing

in the mountains in Costa Rica

I asked if they lived nearby

yes, they said

I asked them if I might see

their home they said they

would be honored

as we neared I could see

it was very humble

built of Bamboo poles

that had been split do...

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black cloud a’comin

when I was a boy

I saw a cloud coming

towards our house

racing across the fields

black as my mama’s bible

would it become a twister

or simply bring rain and wind

I called mama and daddy

we rushed to the storm cellar

daddy brought his flashlight

mama brought her black bible

the storm did not become a

twister only rain an...

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The crazy old woman on Bloody Creek Road

the boys were told

that the old lady who lived

at the end of Bloody Creek Road

was either evil or insane.

some of the boys said that she

stole children and cooked them in her

oven for her supper

others said she ate snakes

while they were still alive

one day they decided to

find out for themselves

they ...

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a Hopper in the making

I photographed

three lonely men drinking coffee

in  a coffee shop

how did I know they were lonely

they were straight out of an

Edward Hopper painting

like the people in “Night Hawks”

the light coming in the windows

reminded me of several of his paintings

of women looking out to bright light

that flowed in but brought no relief

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Our log cabin

you always loved to hear the rain

on the tin roof of our log cabin

in the foothills of the Adirondacks

morning light would come

we would awake

listen to the rain

lying in each other's arms

listening to the loons on the lake

welcome the new morning

another log added to the old fireplace

we would welcome the morning

in our own special way

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the day he was born was

a windy day in march

mama told daddy to go

to town to get the doctor

the cottage had no telephone

no running water

fronny was a neighbor

who lived over the hill

she told daddy she

would stay with mama

daddy did not have a car

had to walk to Congo road

to hitch a ride to town

when the doctor and daddy

arrived at t...

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the old kitchen tin box

the old kitchen tin box

of matches

brings back fond memories

it hung on the wall

above mama’s stove

the matches were used

for many things

to light the stove to cook

the family meals

to ignite the oil lamps

at night to light the house

to break and splinter

to make a toothpick

to light the wood burni...

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poet's dilemma

staring at a white sheet of paper

can be frightening to a writer

or it can bring joy

that is if the words start to flow

okay, I am staring

where are the words

fingers long to write

come on words

materialize

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little four room house

little four room house

had an old tin roof

when it stormed

rain made wonderful sounds

for the boy

lying in bed listening

daddy said it sounded like

a cow peeing

daddy resented

the rain on

the tin roof because roof leaked

daddy and boy would have

to climb ladder to attic to

empty the coffee cans spaced

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four walls

lying

thinking in the dark

four walls do not

make a room

a room needs a floor

and ceiling

four walls

a ceiling

and a floor

four walls with no door

can keep others out

but keep you in

a door

an invitation in

or

an exit out

try to decide

which is best

door or

no door

or roll ov...

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someone’s forgotten cottage

walking in the woods

I discovered

an old deserted cottage

weeds and thicket grew all around

the windows were gone

old curtains blew in the

breeze seeming to enjoy their

almost freedom

old chairs sitting in front

of the cottage wasting away

in the rain sun and snow

if I look hard enough might

I get a glimpse...

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woods filled with snow

I walked through woods

as they filled with snow

a winters walk to fill my lungs

with cold december chill

I came to a small rise

one that I did not know

where did this hill come from

how was I unaware

I looked for familiar sightings

but found none

nothing seemed identifiable

I walked to the edge of the hill

and p...

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windmills

the old windmills

in Spain, slowly turning

large cloth blades

turning and grinding

ancient grains of the past

lined up in a row on a hillside

waiting for Don Quixote

to mistake them for giants

with his sidekick Pancho

he attacked them

only to get his lance

caught in the canvas blades

thought he had been tricked

by an evil...

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a pair of old cowboy boots (1950s)

Kenny and I always wanted

a pair of cowboy boots

there was no money for such

a childish wish

one day walking

in the woods

we stumbled upon a trash dump

someone richer than us

had discarded what

we considered treasures

we found old comic books

an old alarm clock

that worked, once we banged

it ...

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eyelids and earlids

beauty from color

shapes

scenery

glimmer from a lake

all lost with eyelids closed

birds songs in the forest,

symphony of city car horns

beeping to a crescendo

cooing of a morning dove

breathing of a lover

all lost with ear lids shut

is one better

to loose than the other

one would have to ask Helen Kell...

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howler monkeys

our Costa Rica hosts took

us to their ranch in the

jungle for a weekend

a ranch house on a small island

a river running around each side

a swinging wooden bridge

crossed the river to the house

we walked, swaying across the bridge

carrying our things from the car

suddenly we heard a loud screaming

sound which sounded like an e...

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little NYC hotel on 23rd street (1980s)

our little

leo house hotel

on 23rd street

was operated by Sisters of St. Agnes

an old time hotel

an elevator with

brass  scissor gates

operated by a nun

separate hot

and cold faucets

a bath/ shower/bath

clad in white subway tile

a crucifix over our bed

spied on our lovemaking

blessing our ...

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scary night sounds

he hears the night woods

soft sounds as well as scary

different from day woods

he lies in his cold bed

in cold room

hears frozen trees

grinding against each other

in the cold night wind

a hard unpleasant sound

hears distant sounds

far away in the hills

is it the sound of a wolf

or a coyote seeking a mate

owl...

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the tattered old man on Christmas Eve

snow was falling hard

as the old man struggled

through the deep drifts

on the country road

light shone from a

a farmhouse window

the old man smiled seeing the glow

it was a candle

the widowed mother had placed there

nightly since last Christmas Eve

a year ago

a man was found

frozen along this same road

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summer nights 1950s

curtains hang lifeless

awaiting breeze that does not come

whippoorwill sings 

hot and sweaty song 

it doesn’t feel like singing

boy hears whistle’s blast 

of a night train 

slowly crawling its way

through the country side

breaking the silence at each crossing

ambulance sirens scream

through hot night air

transporting wounded

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mystifying rain forest

years ago we discovered

a small hotel

at the edge of the rain forest

in Monte Verde Costa Rica

we arrived late afternoon,

bought cheese, bread

and a bottle of wine

we sat in front of a large window

in our room overlooking

the forest

the owner told us to do...

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six word poem

how do you know

I don't

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thinking of a poet

in a new england village

an old man wandered

the road towards me

thick crop of frosted hair

snowflakes started to fall

he shuffled along

looking here

looking there

a flight of geese

flew in a perfect V pattern

south

he watched them disappear

then walked

towards me slowly

a bit confused

hello ...

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