Throwaway

He passed me at the
Bus stop yesterday ~
On a lovely day in
Early spring ~ deeply
Engaged in a spirited
Conversation with
Someone named Rachel ~
Although he seemed
To be alone and sans
The usual earbuds ~

Bending down in the midst
Of his rambling tale ~
He picked up a crumpled
Plastic wrapper ~ and
Tossed it contemptuously
Toward the oncoming traffic ~
Not noticing when it landed
Far short of its target ~

Reaching the corner ~ he
Made a sudden lurch
To the left ~ and continued on ~
Still stopping to transfer
The occasional piece of trash ~
From sidewalk to street ~

And I wondered if he had
A home to go to ~
Someone who cared ~
Or if ~ ironically ~
He was himself considered ~
By the System he defied ~
Just a piece of trash ~ to be
Transferred and forgotten ~

And my heart ached ~

Spoiler Alert! Raw Grief Ahead

They are burning his
Beautiful body today ~

The fact that he is gone
And no longer using it ~
And that it was his wish ~
Does nothing to blur
The pain of knowing ~ that
I will never touch him again ~

Never hear that familiar
Laugh ~ or see him flash
That irresistible grin ~
All that bright beauty ~
Reduced to bits of
Bone and ash ~

His voice is quieted ~
His generous heart
And hands are stilled ~
A part of me rejoices
At his transition ~ his
Graduation to the big time ~

But part of me cannot
Believe he’s gone ~
I am bereft that I must live
In a world without him ~

And while I fight my way
Through to acceptance ~
I pray for strength
To carry on ~

(In loving memory of a truly remarkable and unforgettable friend, gone too soon)

At the Pleasure of the King

The chill of
The early morning air
Is a shock to my senses ~
After the warmth
Of the day before ~

The mist is rising
Slowly ~ into the
Leafy canopy above ~
The trees murmur quietly
Among themselves ~
While underneath
Their stern impartiality
And sheltering branches ~
The futures of nations
Are decided ~

As are our own fates
It would appear ~
Swept up in the
Wake of this long
And bloody war ~
Whether we will it
Or no ~

For kings decree ~
And knights will
Fight ~ and yeomen
Die ~ and peasants
And their crops
Will be safe
From none ~

And I will lose my
Beauty ~ and you
Your youth ~ and maybe
A limb or an eye ~
[God save the King!] ~

And Gods keep the
Kings ~ and all their
Princes ~
Far away from us ~

For mortal men enmesh
Themselves in the affairs
Of Kings ~ at mortal peril
To their safety and their
Peace of mind ~

(Originally published July 24, 2013)