And so it goes, this
endless round of lost and found.
Umbrellas, glasses,
gloves galore, coats, lunch boxes
and even more. Tell
me, please, that there’s a glue
to stick together
kids and stuff before my mind
is lost or my face turns blue.
JDG
Driving Truths
Uncertainty is at the wheel of life,
a fact we like
to ignore
as we
search
for
many
different
vehicles to
put us securely in the driver’s seat.
JDG
For Breath
Before there was an I to choose,
the breath of life chose me
and through the daily ins and outs,
in empty times and full,
has faithfully been there –
present when I was attentive,
steady when I was unaware.
When the time comes to depart
we will leave together.
JDG
Two Birthday Poems – Variations On A Theme
These two poems, the first by my daughter and the second by me, were written thirty years apart.
A Birthday Poem
What? Age 72 and still not through?
Must be tea-time for your soul.
The table’s set
The opposites dance
Sweet and bitter
Old and new
Warm wishes and fond memories
Swirl around you, ne’er to depart,
And I wish you a Happy Birthday
From the bottom of my heart.
HLL
~
Hinge Time
Age 42 and halfway through,
Hinge-time of the soul.
The door swings loose, the opposites dance.
Mother, daughter,
Age and youth,
Has been and not yet
Come together, then fall apart
Slipping beyond the tidy measure of reason
To the unstately beat of the heart.
JDG
The Dance
In the early morning darkness
the moon smiled
to see herself
dance with the wind.
It didn’t matter to moon or
wind that they danced
in silence, that
they danced alone.
Caught up in the moment, they did
not see the stars
exchange knowing
looks with the pond.
JDG
Those Turkeys
Just missing our car,
three wild turkeys flew in
front of us making
the kids ask a question they
couldn’t resist – “Why
did the turkeys cross the road?”
A slew of answers
came pouring forth, forcing me
to groan and mutter,
“to get the young turkeys in
the car to spew and sputter.”
JDG
Here And There
Grey has laid claim on
these days and though there’s no use
in looking for gold,
our eyes scan the horizon
for the first glimmer of hope.
JDG
Winter Wait
The color has drained
from the trees, leaving only
green and brown. Branches,
grey and bare, reach upward to
the sky. The land waits
now and we wait too , if not
for color, at least for snow.
JDG
All Smiles
Although I do have a say in this dialogue
between life and me,
I do not have the final word.
It must bring a smile
to the face of the great All
to see this infinitesimal speck
trying to dominate the conversation.
JDG
Crazy Days
Crazy days – when every which way you turn
you’re thrown curve balls
that you can’t
ever
catch.
JDG
