in good company
The darkness takes refuge beneath our bed again, and it doesn’t matter
that the sun has risen a minute sooner than it did the day before. We
have curated a warmth merely by lying here, and we take turns hitting
the snooze button. The dog has not complained. The birds will not die
down. We wait for the eggs to cook themselves.
Leisure by Charles Rafferty
November morning
I help Mother
write her obituary
wisps of fog
shroud the maple leaves
🍁
meditation
there’s always something
to let go of
the long slant of ash
on the incense stick
🍂
cleaning out
Mother’s lingerie drawer
the tears in her stockings
sewn up so tightly—
all my unanswered questions
🎋
yesterday’s desires
what were they?
a vase
without flowers
holds only itself
🥀
walking the path
through the dark garden
moonlight shines
on the flower
with no scent
🌙
A selection of tanka by Margaret Chula
I was standing in line at the bank today
when the old fellow in front of me
dropped his glasses (luckily, within the
case)
and as he bent over
I saw how difficult it was for
him
and I said, “wait, let me get
them. . . “
but as I picked them up
he dropped his cane
a beautiful, black polished
cane
and I got the glasses back to him
then went for the cane
steadying the old boy
as I handed him his cane.
he didn’t speak,
he just smiled at me.
then he turned
forward.
I stood behind him waiting
my turn.
—–
Helping the Old by Charles Bukowski
Last night as always
I called Bruce
although
he is the best telephone
person I know
he nearly
always says
Can I Call You Back
because he is Doing Something.
Last night he was
cutting up zucchini
and I asked him,
I always ask him
why he can’t talk to me
at the same time as he
cuts up his zucchini but
he can’t. He just can’t.
Later, he calls
back to explain What Happened
the Last Few Days
(nothing and everything)
Mike the painter
has landlord problems
red flying squirrel
still eating Bruce’s grapes
and I listen, thinking
how words
are the musical
notes I love.
💞
Can I Call You Back? by Esther Cohen
(you know it takes two)
let’s use the word tango
and plan on multiple uses of that fun word, cahoots
we can do that, right?
just you and I
it’s hard to hold hands with yourself
it’s much more fun with someone
than trying to lead the dance alone,
follow cannot even be spoken without at least a couple thrown in
one is still the loneliest number
(tho one is preferable to a dominant second)
Equals of one plus one always add to an even balance
of the perfect two
which is just what it takes
to make whoopie
a pair of wild bohemians
we’re all looking for a second
to show us love reflected back in glowing eyes
caught in the light of the moon
shining through the open french doors
in the still of the night
let’s only fight about me stealing the covers
then make up immediately upon my asking forgiveness
before the sun comes up
and one by one
we once again
make our solitary way into our day jobs
Amy Lloyd
Night night luv u
The electric eyes of comfort
Ushering you into the stillness of the night
Wrapped in the arms of a plush cuddle bear
💞
Sue Timony-Hall
life: acoustic & amplified 