the moon commences its' illusion
it rides the crest fully
survivor of Roche's Limit
survivor of human prediction
filling the night with shadow
my early morning walks
the light in the distance
calls thru canopied jungle path
the setting moon
stepping on the soft white beach
where a silver highway plays
in the rippling water, i am
the human past who long ago
beheld such a sight
without the shaman's cheap trick
nor the cold touch of science
have accepted the moon just is
beautiful to behold
we let each other be
we are one and the same
dancing thru the universe
and when this is no more
we will be lip to lip
i do not know what God is
and have no such need
yet whatever it is
it is magnificent
the heavens live to die
and in that death
life finds itself again
my wishes, mere mortal longing
that so might i
even Rimbaud capitulated
the reprobates' fear of reprobation
and i have but one question
before the empyreal throne
is there in heaven, a moon
Norma's roof Santa Cruz 95
AROUND THE WORLD IN ….
Phileas Fogg sought to amaze
And circle the world in eighty days
Long before the plane
One night, in an alcoholic state,
I bet I could do it in twenty-eight
Using boat and train
I didn’t give a lot of thought,
Just staggered to the nearest port
And sailed to Spain
When I recovered from the booze,
I found myself in Santa Cruz.
In future I’d abstain
I’d bitten more that I could chew.
If only I had Passepartout
To take the strain
Stone cold sober I was sure
I shouldn’t travel any more
My wager was insane
Who cared if people laughed at me?
The bet was only 50P.
I sailed back home again
4th May 2022
Tall Tales 2 poetry contest
Sponsor - Jeff Kyser
A big-time gambler in Santa Cruz
told his wife: Hey—what’s there to lose?
But she filed for divorce
when he picked the wrong horse
Now he’s left with an old pair of shoes.
2/6/22
All over Italy north and south
Cows and goats and their cheeses
Corn polenta, mid-land pastas
There white and red wine always pleases
Beans and cabbages poor man’s wishes
Folded with tomatoes and onions
Add broth, and eatable Allium that helps the best dishes
That strong flavored bulb even illnesses eases
Ah Italy the chefs and mothers have such genius
The country endowed with uncommon vigor of mind
There you will find versions of dishes of every kind
And though the Nazis were there people still dined
Many sent their meats and cheeses to barns and homes
Where people would run and hide leaving the worse behind
Reminding us Bologna gave us sauce, pasta and pears
In remembrance still everyone gathers and shares
Ah Italy how I wish I could again be there
But tonight in Santa Cruz there will be —
Still be tomatoes, cheeses, pasta and pears
I love Christmas as it brings unity
& for peace it plays a major role,
I see either a brother or a sister
in every Christian’s soft tender soul.
I see a global family which enriched with
people from numerous castes & religion,
In every Christmas I found a divine light
that glows & brings joy removing tension.
I like festivals that flow like a river
carrying stream of nectar for all,
Christmas is such a sacrosanct river
that flows in every corner of universe.
Santa Cruz, chocolate, gift, Christmas tree
These are things that makes earth nice,
I love Christmas and all my Christian friends
because they are promoting human life.
Today winds at 20 miles per hour
The temperature is 90
no electricity no power
Santa Cruz Halloween costumes will be about
the Joker and surfing
Wild fires red and orange, windy and smoky
San Francisco schools are closing
Muir Woods blackened as wood is disappearing
San Diego in the hills have evacuations
Tornado Warnings for Mobile, AL
the basement shutters in a storm rotation
New Orleans severe rains and flash floods
where jazz music and instruments are floating
An Arctic cold front sweeps through the north
friends fighting breathing in Dakota
aware of the potential for pneumonia
And the snow storms from the skies
We are back to the times when mankind and wildlife
fought for food and shelter as even technology fails
White sharks are roaming at Rio Del Mar
at 90 in October the living bay waters are hot
I share my peanuts and water in the heat of the 90s
but I notice that the squirrels and crows do not
Santa Cruz, the early morning’s
cold air damp and gray
than sunshine emerges gold and
folds into the maple and piney leaves
as curelium takes over high on the hills above
while over the ocean to the west still lies
the misty skies of blue haze
He sat and told me not to read
not NIH or Tumor Insight
or any such journal, he told me
to stop wondering what would be
when that happened he
and Stanford would tell me what I
could do. the disease was very rare,
at 2 years I was well beyond the norm.
he told me to enjoy the bright purple
sun laced flowers, the white intensity of
the moon, to walk my dogs
to watch them play
to be alive to the bird songs
before the winds and waves come crashing
through the darkness of the storm
ocean waves roll in foam
winds howl clouds darken streets roll
mother earth takes hold
Early mission's ruin makes chaff.
Former pride's diminished by half.
Seen now old destruction's no laugh.
Glory's faded.
Rogues were ruled not by an oak staff.
Prudence jaded.
Don't go Shane, we imagined her tiny kitty saying....
As she clung unto the blanket upon my way, another day
Nineteen sixty-five, standing aside this sea Santa Cruz his child
Even then it seemed merely a dream these, vast rolling emerald waves
Baby never knew their rules; in time, hung down with the freaks and ghouls ?
Trying to paint something of today; portray, words that they wish myself somehow
Swift her brush colours mixed as apologetics acrylic crude; monomania's, stemware stigma.
THE MERCHANT’S GIFT
It was just a lucky break-in
Christmas Eve rich old Casey drunk
Not a soul on the floor
The late rush was over
Casey’d turned off the lights but
Forgot to lock the door
The old safe cracked so easy –
Mostly twenties tens fifties –
Robin left the change hurried out
He pulled the bills counted –
One thousand twenty bucks –
God! He wanted to shout
Their dented pot hung sparse
Maria and Joe were so hungry,
Their children at home hungry cold
Robin was hungry too
He fished the bag of bills,
Took twenty from the hold
Sad the couple’s jingling
When most were warm at home that night
But Robin had great news
He smiled sauntered up flung his loot
“Hah! This thousand for your empty pot
From Robin Santa Cruz.”
It's so fun to play eachothers
lives
write it down
come get inside
on these Giant Carnival Rides
It was a Giant Good One
And it's written all over your
face
I was just looking for this pencil
when i was thinking of you.
It's all in your brain Big Dummy
Don't let it kill you!
Before I do
I'm getting loser
TO YOU!
Day and night I think of you
You like a happy tree
With promegranates brimming
You house of honey bee
Your rich sweetnes founting
In the sum of our love two
You like the Santa Cruz Mountain
Big and beautiful, my firend.
More than all
Above all
My firend, my friend, my friend
The petal opening up again.
\Day and night I pray for you
And measure time with my heart
I thank the Lord for sending you
And for strength to play my part
You are crystal river laughing
You are my lapping tides
You are the balmy winds of evening
For you my loyalty abides.
A Renga:
A Single Blossom
Santa Cruz Harbor,
The sound of barking seals
In the morning fog
Summer heat pushes people
To the California coast
Watching the sunset,
Newlyweds are holding hands
On the balcony
A power outage has occurred,
But nobody seems to mind
The moon is rising
Over the distant mountains
In the cool fall air
She adjusts the thermostat
To a much lower setting
"We should concentrate.
We are blowing our budget.
Where is it going?"
He puts the folders away
And gazes out the window
Relentless winds blow,
Whistling through the power lines
Past the frozen pond
A diner prepares coffee
In the early morning light
The hawthorn blossoms,
White, with a tinge of yellow,
Bright against the leaves
She plucks a single blossom
And places it in her hair