The Intern
Following
the
leader
learning
the
job
a
little
sweat
another
dollar
earned
on
my
feet
like
learning
to
dance
with
a
mop.
My Brother’s Motorcycle
Riding
the
motorcycle
sneaking
out
of
the
house
winding
along
a
back
road
summer
coolness
through
my
hair
worth
climbing
in
my
window.
ONLY POETRY LASTS
Everything else is ephemeral.
We sleep to awaken and find new words
in the air so we can sleep again.
Blooming flowers fade away like blushing
young schoolgirls at their first school dance.
I hug you like you’ve never been hugged before.
No strings attached, only the wish to hold you
until morning sunlight shines on your lovely face.
Falling in love can break your heart.
Honeymoon of love blows over in time
as heat of summer becomes autumn.
Shooting stars pin prick your eyes and vanish.
Sound of music becomes utter silence.
Tides keep flowing in and out and in and out.
Wars end in peace and starts again in another war.
Songbirds sing until asleep and sing again.
Trees fall and rot until they grow again.
Smiles and laughter provide temporary relief,
grief has a long life. Jealousy rages on and on and on
searching for a love that can’t be found.
Plucked strings of a guitar reverberate in the air
Summoning young and old to get up and move
in a Flamenco dance. Buglers play taps for old soldiers
who never die, they just fade away like dry land
in a drought until it rains again. Impermanence
is here to stay as long as you don’t count on it.