Mind Streams (Work in Progress)

Mind Streams (Work in Progress)

Mind streams-
small tributaries
of life's large river
appear independently
two hours before waking
each morning. Some days
only a solitary stream flows;
other days they all flow together
like a choir of morning meadowlarks.

Today the war tributary
A chaotic canal
invades my dreams.
Shattered glass,
Strewn corpses,
Burned-out buildings
Weeping widows
Fallow farmhouses disturb
My peaceful R.E.M. sleep.
Apparitions of bearded men
Turbaned in white pajamas
Like the ghosts of Ramadan past
Swirl like clouds over a golden dome

Her Vote Counts

Her Vote Counts

Like most grandmothers, she is afraid.
Afraid of terrorists, communists, snakes,
taxes, Mormons, Muslims. Mexicans, Negroes.
Fearful of creaks, shadows, strangers and queers.
Ripe for demagogues and politicians, she
votes her fears. Often without blinking
she marks her X in the blood of others.

Neither Famous nor Infamous

Neither Famous nor Infamous

They’ll never make a movie starring me.
Cantankerous, overweight, out of step
I don’t fit the star mode as you can see.

They’ll never name a school after me.
Non-conforming, impolitic, invisible
I’m out of tune with social philosophy

I'll never get the treasured Nobel Prize
or win a Grammy for my musical art
or cause tears to well-up in admiring eyes

as I receive a gold medal for my sport.
I’ll never be the most rich or famous or
listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted report

or celebrated for my great invention
or crowned a king at a coronation
or be the center of world attention

I can only settle for who I am,
a proud father and a man with
a stand living under God's plan.

Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce

Awhile back I lived in Mexico

studying language and culture,

learning about food, visiting

ancient ruins, becoming worldly.

Then I met her and ate her eyes, her

lips, her hair, her skin. Now I lie

awake at night with a heartburn

craving the sting of chipotle sauce

and jalapeños.