A dog’s tail tells no lies, cannot
say one thing, but
mean another.
A dog can’t hide
behind a friendly wag as he
contrives a fierce
attack. It comes
as no surprise
that not one dog has ever climbed
Wall Street’s mighty
ladder or made
it to Congress.
JDG
With a vocabulary as
large and awkward
as her gangly
self, Sami speaks
in halting giggles and soft sighs.
On that night though,
as her sister
and I lifted
the dying fawn out of the road,
her only words
were shaking sobs,
spoken with grace.
JDG
When barely nine my granddaughter
reminded me,
after I spoke
some silliness,
” Gaba, you’re almost sixty seven.
It is surely
time for you to
start maturing.”
Now, almost eleven, she notes
my progress on
that front hasn’t
been mind-blowing.
JDG
Saturday after Thanksgiving
slowly tiptoes
in. A few crows
call. A few deer
saunter by. Even the sun seems
in no hurry
to cast its light
upon the scene.
The pond lies undisturbed by bird
or breeze. Stillness,
however brief,
visits today.
JDG
So many trees have flamed out now
that through their bare
and boney limbs
you can see what
lies beyond. Even some stately
evergreens have
parted and let
the light pass through.
Sometimes losing what was once so
full opens up
another view –
one vast and spare.
JDG
What is it about chocolate
that makes it hard
to let it be
and not be lured
into taking just one small bite,
then another
til all is lost
except the weight
you planned to shed before that mound
of luscious brown
bypassed restraint,
dissolved resolve?
I remember what it was like
minutes before
the miracle.
A period
seemed about to bring this sentence
to a sudden
end, when a dash
appeared instead
and suddenly, right there, just now,
a door opened,
inviting me
to walk on through.
Color has burst upon these woods,
adding new hues
to all that green.
Before winter
comes with its stark and measured tone,
these trees will sing
in notes of red
and brown and gold,
reminding us that the Great Round
holds all colors
equally as
it slowly turns.
JDG
Body and Mind have now agreed
to let Spirit
come moderate
their hot debate.
At Spirit’s nod they both begin:
“What would you do?
Where would you be
if not for me?”
With a grin, Spirit looks at them.
“Where WOULD you be?
Ponder that and
get back to me.”
JDG
I’ve been lassoed once again, yanked
from my small world,
pulled into yours.
It’s not the place
I want to be. I was not asked.
Given a choice,
I’d much prefer
to stay away.
But, upon finding myself here,
perhaps, I can
expand my view
and include you.
JDG
aholdingplace 