Our Mark

The artist's canvass
takes many forms.
The world is his paintbrush;
and nature, his palette.

The chance to create
something beautiful
vies with the desire
to leave our mark.

Time and circumstance
permit what they will.
Satisfaction is not
always guaranteed.

Doughnuts

They call them doughnuts--
round objects with holes in the center.
Only, these are non-edible.

Small and compact
cars have teeny weeny trunks
about the size of a suitcase.

These suitcases hold only bare
necessities--like a spare tire.
Only, they aren't tires at all;

they are limited-distance,
non-dunkable doughnuts!
Coffee not included.

Shadows of You

A mere shadow of you
is all that is left of us.
I remember your form,
not your features.

Even your pictures,
carefully framed with love,
have become images
of a distant stranger.

When a man's shadow
crosses my peripheral path,
I think fondly of times we had.
I miss the idea of a man--
not you.

Feet

Mine, half the size of yours
and just as dark, work
just as well to cover
half the distance.
I told you before
that bigger wasn't better;
now, slow down
so I can keep up.
My little guys are working
twice as hard as yours!

The Phone Booth

The phone booth near the corner
is so brightly lit that it allows
me to hide in plain sight.

The glow of the solitary bulb
casts a glare on the shadow
of my being. I can no longer
afford to pay the surcharge
for hearing your voice
in the comfort and privacy
of my home. Since you left,
I can barely afford my home.
I must forget the resonance
of your words and you.

The warmth of the lonely confines
dries the tears on my cheeks.
The necessity of this prison
makes the perfect excuse
for turning you away.

Wires

unsightly wires mar
smooth inter-connected points
when I upward gaze

Forgotten Shoes

Our shoes are on the patio
a little worse for wear
placed on the stump for safety
and nearly forgotten there

The water is so tempting
so early in the year
we just had to take the plung
with gins from ear to ear

After our swim, we ran around
a wet and soggy pair
the sun and grass dried us some
summer in the air

When it was time to go on home
we ran ahead and back
never thought of our shoes again
safe and off the track