The Ancient Singer

Someone’s stumbling on the prayerEveryone tripping on the wayThey’d sew me a new coatWhere the treadle machine’s storedHoping we don’t … More

Softening Music

Grampa sits on the porch rockingHums songs from back in the day when he sang themFull-throated, lung-topped and smiling breathlesslyFeeling … More

“Doing Swimmingly,” Chapter 9 of my second memoir, is now available on the Kindle Vella platform.

Reflections

Amazing how so much dust and grimecoat the surface of a wall mirror.Lying on the floor, I could easily see,but … More

Missed Miles

Travel catch-upFrance friesChina frailsIreland fleetsNorway wavers Korea warnsAntarctica whelms Yesterdays of anytimeDesire returnedAche in the plane seatFatigue flying time zonesDay after … More

All Those Miles

Taking hits between rehearsing scenes of Oliver!Smoking all the time during dances and concertsDriving home smashed Saturday nights from Wai‘alae Drive-InDrunk … More

Never at All 

In my dream, just before the music plays – I’ve seen this so often over 60 years – learned all … More

Quid Pro Quo

The blackbirds are too many nowand fierce today. Even thoughI hurried to hang the laundry on the linebefore the sun … More

A Guppy’s Dream

My pond’s overrun by guppies again, and at perhaps 2000 gallons, it’s not a small one. . . . a … More

Poeming

When I see a poem coming down to around, say, 24 lines,I begin to consider whether I’ll compose it as … More

A Little Death

For cutting and weeding there’s nothing I like morethan my small sickle, its 3-inch serrated bladeeasy to maneuver speedily with … More

From Then To

I remember the dawn’s first early light,silhouettes of darkened heads bob love,no secret anymore, amore in paradise,no strangers to me … More

Chapter 8 of my second memoir is now available on the Kindle Vella platform

A Hallmark Moment

My friend calls to tell me a co-worker,rushed to Queen’s Hospital the night before,had undergone an emergency quadruple-bypass. The others … More

Gray Dog (Loving Pets)

The dependance uponwhat a great deal her life lenta small gray dogthere a statue nowstanding over her asheshonoring herafter Greyfriars … More

Being Bold

My neighbor kid’s been helping me tie up some dead branches. Finished, I’m drinking a beer, he a passion-orange juice … More

A Haunting High

For me it was like picking up a can of teargas,then huffing it – remembering paint and glue and you.Not … More

Never Give a Inch

After One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest came out as a movie, Jim was madder than a wet poultry dentist. … More

I Am, I Said

People can be such drive-by critics, those looking for value.But maybe I prefer that, not being seen, comparedto rubbernecking quick-stoppers … More

Speak with the Dead

I quit watching the clock some time ago.  Factssuch as my age, or what day or month or yearit is often escape … More