oh, brother horizon, oh sister sky
a white-tail deer goes padding by
I feel protected by the Great Father today
away from the city, the bustle, the nonsense, the fray
oh, cousin beaver, and sister steer
you are sensed, so probably near
I turn and see a turtle making his way
down the slope of my front yard today
I am surrounded by totems who love me so
If it was night, I would see a raccoon, I know
the trickster fox turns and flips me his tail
I take a sip of my coffee and study my mail
I have had a fine rest, thanks to my sister dreamcatcher
She never lets me down, or my husband Bill Fletcher
We are blessed to be protected by spirits, orbs, and ancestors
Our ideas miraculously intact, no nightmares sequestered
Oh, brother horizon, oh sister sky
we feel so blessed, and thank you both on high
There is no us in that—
in that you’re on your own.
Refusal to walk into your trap
where hate breeds like a disease unknown.
Your thoughts collapse, too slack, too thin,
to prove you ever weighed it all.
I cannot see where your mind has been,
prepared to twist and watch it fall.
You chose the crowd instead of thought,
traded your reason for their disguise.
You bury your hate in borrowed lies,
and march in step with a machine—
telling your heart this path is proud,
that every stride is patriotic ground.
But your path veers far from mine.
It runs against all I know.
Darkness shadows every track—
and I no longer want to know you.
I once had a brother in prison.
He knew what in life he was missin"
So he spent out his days
in profitable ways
and learned because he could listen.
Oh brother
You are my caring brother by the way
So near and dear
So good to have you back close again
After all these years
I can rely on you for sound advice
Now I finally think you are smarter than me
You are an army brat
You always use your GPS
I am so honored to be your sister
OH BROTHER
mom mends over skirt
pratfall split in Bob’s britches
Betty’s witty finger
5/7/2017
Senryu
He reminded me of my brother
His shaky and trembling voice those moments we argued
His instructions even when I couldn't understand
Even when I acted like I understood
The tiny little mountain of fights we had
Brought by a communication error
Were massive and they affected both of us
Then there were moments of laughter
One time he bought pizza and saved me some
Trying to heal the sores
Trying to make things better
Little gestures that I appreciated
Because I wanted peace
I hated the fighting
And I was first to acknowledge his change
His improvement
His new style that I really liked
Will always do
Brother, oh brother, how do you feel
in times out of cotton with hearts out of steel?
My brain was burned by bad feelings so soon,
that my heart lost its function and fled to the moon.
You've seen my drown in a pool of light,
as consciousness was out of sight
In a pool of light you've seen me drown,
as shadows pulled my body down.
Brother, how do you feel?
Brother, oh brother, what do you care,
since all you illusions dissolved in the air.
Your memory has grown to a gigantic riddle,
with all your best wishes stuck right in the middle.
I've seen you run through a valley of frowns,
with long-bearded women in blood-stained gowns.
Through a valley of frowns, I've seen you run,
as you desperate journey just had begun.
Brother, how do you feel?
Brother, oh brother, what does it take,
to run over ones feelings just for your own sake.
Your pity was starving with fear in its eyes,
since you wanted to feed it with sorrow and lies.
We've seen them die in awful pain,
with burning needles in their brains.
In awful pain, we've seen them die,
we sat and watched the time go by.
Brother, how do you feel?
Fragile, I cracked, collapsed
Into a screaming ocean of tears
My womb of sanity aborted, prolapsed,
I was borne through corridors marbled with fears
As broken and scattered
As the dog-strewn eggshells
I splintered, fell shattered
Lost in a maze of mind-hells
How long did I lie there, crumbled,
Flotsam & jetsam, pieces and bits
Awash on gray sands? Tried to rise, but I stumbled
Imploded, exploded – helpless gasps, nothing fits
---
You helped clean the trash that covered the floor
But to you, your sad sister was on a far distant shore
“Wow! You’re a mess!” was the best you could offer
Even cold comfort you were unable to proffer –
You sat by, on the couch, adrift in your world
While your fellow lay sobbing, fetally curled
Helpless and hopeless, my threads all unraveled
Only three feet between us, the road left untraveled
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