Leaving You

Leaving you
Was never simple.
When I went away
We would do that dance,
I would try to convince
You to go with me,
You would waffle and refuse.
"You know I hate to travel,
You need time alone."
I would be a little relieved
And go, but miss you.

When you began falling,
I wouldn't want to go
To the gym or to the store,
You'd promise to stay in place
I'd come home to find you
On the floor.

When you were in the hospital
I would get ready to leave
And you would say,
"Oh I know how it is
You're glad to get out of here
You'll go home, pet the dog
Put your feet up, have a cup of tea
When you leave
Every thing here
Turns to garbage."
So maybe I'd stay a little longer.
In truth, I was relieved
To finally leave.

And now I must leave you
Again, not a simple thing
For you have left before me
And I must find a way
To leave you again.
A way to carry
The memories, the heartache
Within me,
While remaining whole.

The Grass

While the grandson
Chases his hormones
Or searches for himself
I take on the job
That was yours


Following your
Footsteps I see you
As I push the old
Craftsman along
The Euclidian paths
You cut in the yard.
Triangles, quadrants,
Doglegs and squares,
Outside to inside
Plotting a course
To bring the machine
Close to walls
Avoid throwing
Grass on the drive.


The blade slices
through a pine cone
With a gritty sound,
The varied scent of
Fresh cut grasses
Drift up as I mow
Kentucky Blue, clover,
Tru Value play yard.
Birds rush to
The feast of
New uncovered
Bugs and slugs
And worms.


As I rest on the bench
Beneath the pear trees
I admire how the place
Seems to be head up,
Shoulders back like you,
Trimmed and ready
To go out.

Rain

The rain and I
Have always been friends.
I once feared a thunderstorm,
And my mother said
the angels were bowling,
That set right
I have loved it since.
Curled up with a book
By an open window,
Walking in it
At each opportunity.

One time
My worried husband
Came looking
With the children
In the car.
Another time
I ran naked
With a lover,
The cool soft drops
Upon my skin.

Now a grandmother,
A great grandmother,
I was out before dawn,
Without the lover,
Still sweet, still cool
And soft upon my skin.
The woman,
Ghost of the girl within.

August Rapture

Luscious peach
Velvet surface
Sunset yellow
Blush of rose
First breech
Lets loose
A river sweet
To outlast
Winter snow

Nighttime Magic....for Emily and Isabella

I lured them
From Kung Fu Panda
Into the night,
Alight with the dazzle
Of fireflies in flight.

For them,
A magical quest
To fill a jar
With earthly
Starlight.

For me,
The sweet song
Of laughter
And a dance over
Dew kissed grass.

Upstate New York/ Mid August

Autumn seeps into
corners of summer,
crisp night paints
peaches pink, shoots
sugar to the grapes,
whispers to the birds,
get ready for the long haul.
the grass grows slower,
the sun sleeps longer,
you know, it's almost over.
Your summer lover's
about to fly the coop,
find warmer digs, with
palm trees waving
a come on hello, promising
a last forever kind of love,
a rollicking roll
in the sand between
the scooters
and the T backs.

Motorcycle Man

She thought he was
adorable, but not in
the usual sense.
Beer belly beneath
a black cut off T shirt,
muscular arms and shoulders
with extra padding
and a graying little braid
tied back with leather.

But when he walked out
of the men's room in the Quik Stop
and saw her coming towards him,
he got the sweetest widest smile
as he bowed and swept his hand
to let her pass.

He stood next to the Fritos
while she poured her coffee,
she was charmed by how
he kept the smile wide
straining to suck in his gut.

As he climbed up on his bike
he caught her eye, saw
the big guy in the car looking
aside, his eyes were dancing
as he smiled and rode away.