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...

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (7)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (3)

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

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (1)

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...

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (2)

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 ...

Read and leave comments (0)

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

Read and leave comments (0)

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

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (3)

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

Read and leave comments (0)

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

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (4)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (6)

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 ...

Read and leave comments (2)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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...

Read and leave comments (0)

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 ...

Read and leave comments (3)

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...

Read and leave comments (2)