D.R.P.

an ekphrastic.

at first glance
you don't recognize the woman
with big tousled hair
and mouth set firmly
staring resolutely
from the magazine cover
over your left ear
into the future
into destiny,
a gaze so steady
you almost miss
that she is holding a book.
But then, your eyes readjusts,
and you recognize the woman
without her makeup, her persona,
the kind, generous,
always smiling singer, actress,
daughter of the Tennessee hills
she never left.
But this drawing captures
the woman behind the mask,
strong, resolute, 
who quietly helped others,
a strength and steel
hidden beneath the laughter and joy.

leadership--

a saturday morning poem

i try to remind the cat that
i have lived in the house
much longer than she
i know where everything is
where i am going
and she does have to lead me
to the coffeepot in the kitchen
every time i stand up.
but she has enabled 
that noise-cancelling feature
cats are born with.
i follow compliantly
until our paths diverge--
hers to her food bowl
mine to
wherever.	

second chance

the little kid
just past toddlerhood
has separated herself
from the scrum 
of stroller, dogs, siblings
and parents,
independent.
As she races down the sidewalk,
dancing between novelties
that need exploring,
with the sheer joy of
freedom.
But then she squats
in the middle of the sidewalk
and jumps,
for a few moments free
even of gravity. 
I jump with her,
hoping to relive my first moment
of no constraint, life, freedom,
joy.
She will jump again
many times,
reliving the excitement,
learning success, failure
and risk,
learning to fly.
But no time
will equal the first time,
when she broke free
from the earth
on short, stubby legs.
I still have those feelings
emotions
captured in my legs,
ready to fuel
my next jump 
to freedom,
to capture 
or relive
experience.

yes/no

on/off
0/1
yin/yang
black/white
good/bad
right/wrong
us/them
do/don’t
can/can’t
not a way to live
to enjoy
life.

in first person

i
contain
multitudes.
walt said that
i 
believe him
i
now contain walt,
mark huck jim the river
tim jimmy and the song tra bra
terry the watch sorcerers and
a planet
carl and chicago with its streetcars
joe yossarian and the war
billy and rita and moments in the 
universe
as real as anybody
who fed me comforted me
slapped me on the back
too many to list
only a sample 
i
sing
with many voices
many tongues
i
sing 
harmony solos
with crashing cymbals
and gentle harps
loudly softly
I sing
off-key
lyrics optional,
but passion at the core
i
keep 
much to myself
 practice patience
waiting waiting
until the time is right
for release
for flight
i
contain 
dark
as well as light,
wells of wisdom
wells of emotion
forces of mayhem
some life-giving
some
destructive
i
cannot contain
the multitudes--
too many, too energized,
too important
to be only min3
i 
contain
multitudes.