Wherewithal will you go?
All take up a lot of room—
not to mention their luggage.
The airfare alone would be exorbitant.
But at least you’d have company.
And if you ever got lost,
surely one of them would know the way home.
They could take turns
keeping watch at night.
And in the morning,
your oatmeal would be waiting for you.
They might even offer
to do the tidying up,
in lieu of rent.
So, go with one,
or go with all.
But please, just go—
you’re standing on my foot.
Rebirth
illustration by Cindie Flannigan
Pharaohs and phalanxes, Caesars of Rome
Far-away soldiers longing for home
Battles and brandishments, cannon-shot fire
Beware hooded Death in the trench and the mire.
Witches of midnight, Goddess of Spring,
Corinthian columns and vases of Ming.
Orchards of sunfruit that ripen the sky
Feed earthbound children learning to fly.
Come out, come out!
illustration by Cindie Flannigan
And now the warm winds come
As they always do
After the storm
To dry off the leaves
And send them out to play
And we will soon follow
Into the warm, windy, sunny day
Which is surely always
The best time to play.
The Bad House
This is not a great house
Now I stop and think
The neighbors on one side complain
The other neighbors stink
This is not a good house
The carpets need to go
And all the plants we plant out back
Take years and years to grow
This house is kinda bad, in fact,
Just the other day
The plumbing broke and swept
Our brand new sofa set away
This house is really awful
See? The termites ate the sill!
The walls are full of nasty mold
That costs a lot to kill
So now it’s time to buckle down
And get this place in shape
I’ll really put the effort in
And never take a break
I’ll call the crews and get the bids
I’ll buy some tools and wire
I’ll study law and building codes
And put out all the fires
I’ll make this house spectacular—
You’ll think you’re at the Louvre!
Y’know, this sounds like too much work
I think that I’ll just move.
Ephemera
illustration by Cindie Flannigan
A snail on a mushroom
A cricket in a wall
A tern on a dime
A toad in a hall
A child in a garden
A tree on a hill
The rain on the rooftop
The wind in the mill
Wherever they came from
And why,
And how,
They all have a place
At least for now.
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