A Trip to the Dentist

I’m not really as scared as I look!

I lie Ihere on my back
Helpless as any tipped
Over turtle
My mouth full of dental
Instrumentation
My goggles protective
Bespattered with water
And small bits of plaque

The pretty young Dental
Assistant is almost
Unrecognizable
Masked, gowned and
Gloved
Her microscope eyes
Probe the innermost
Recesses of my
Gaping jaws

I catch a glimpse of
Myself in the
Overhead light
Vulnerable and drooling
Onto my blue paper
Shield
Grunting responses
Which luckily she
Understands

Though it’s not very
Pretty to witness
The dentist is happy
My smile is agleam
I have a new toothbrush
And four months from
Now I’ll be back
To do it all over again

Remember folks
Ignore your teeth
And they’ll go away

Summer of the Child

The golden Summer of my childhood

Memories of my childhood

I remember long hot days
In the endless Summer sunshine
The sound of the honeybees
Abuzz in the pale pink
Heaven-smelling sweetheart roses
Which yearly overtook
The porch of our house

I remember the touch
Of the air on my skin
The rasp of the crickets, and
A honeysuckle breeze
In the soft Southern night

And there is always music
And a sense of belonging
And the sure and certain knowing
I am a part of something
I am a member of my tribe
My pack my family
I matter and I am loved

Poem Noir

The Last Time I Saw You

They’ve called my train
Three times now ~
The conductor is
Taking up the stairs ~

How can I leave you
Where will I go ~
I can’t live all alone
In the flat we shared ~

I hear the train wheels
Turning in my head ~
I hear our favorite song
Playing in the background ~
As if my life were an old
French film ~
In black and white ~
The soundtrack
Just a little out of synch ~

I kept hoping ~ that you
Would ask me to stay ~
Beg me to stay ~
But I was a dreamer
And you are no beggar
Whatever else you may be ~

You are as much a
Mystery to me as ever ~

As I look into your eyes ~
For what may well be
The last time ~
I feel my heart break ~
Crack open from
Side to side ~

But there is no change
In your expression ~
As I pick up the pieces ~
Hand them sadly to you ~
And board my train ~

[Background music swells then fades]

Yes, Wings

In my dreams

The music stirs my soul
I just can’t help it ~
Not even if I wanted to ~

I close my eyes and
Spread my wings ~
Yes wings!
And I begin to fly ~

I feel my feathers
Moving in the wind ~
I feel the sun upon my back ~
And I am in another world
Where woe can never find me ~

But I am not alone ~
I am never alone ~
We are never alone ~

For the Universe ~ or God
Or Primal Mind ~ or
Whatever other Name
You put to It ~ resides
Within us ever ~ and
It is not what we must
Learn ~
To be wise ~
It is what we must unlearn ~

To return to the Source
Of us all ~ to what we
Knew Before this life ~
To what we will Know
Again ~

I love you all ~