getaway
getaway
the only distractions here
are mergansers gliding through
gold and black bands
trailing slashes
sometimes the hoarse hiccup of gull
or a loon’s two-pitched wail
a time to rest and be
but always the nagging thought
am I doing enough?
how can I move
like the trees around me
whose leaf buds burst quietly
unfurl effortlessly
make air without thought
do what the plan prompts
just flow in accordance with all
Saanich Blessing
Saanich Blessing
May the waters be smooth before your curragh.
May the firm warm bud of springtime
always live in your heart.
May you and yours breathe easy and sleep sound
all of your starry nights.
May you feel the love flowing from one and all to you
even when you be all alone.
May the sun’s warmth be a reminder
of the healing power of positive energy.
May the Easter lily show you
how to thaw even the deepest snows.
And when the next fiery sunset arrives
may the slender otter and
the tranquil mergansers sigh and say
all is well
for another day.
closing up shop
closing up shop
first they lock away the luxury goods –
alpaca fine knits
the real jewelry
and fancy watches –
things that might be worth smashing for
then they put up whatever barriers
they can afford –
a web of packing tape at Sunglass Hut
metal grille at Hugo Boss
clear plastic sheeting pieced together with tape at Coolbox
cerrado
the restaurants serve up whatever’s left –
3 dishes at the TGI Fridays:
babyback ribs
chicken-fried chicken
or Bucket of Bones,
all with mashed potatoes only
but these privations are so trivial
up here in the departures lounge
placidly sailing above the ticket counter chaos
out of sight far below
jammed with people who woke this morning
to learn the window for leaving had shut
each trying desperately to pry it open
just wide enough to slip through
erasing the Incas
erasing the Incas
stone by painstaking stone
they dismantled the temples
then piled churches
onto the foundations
