Category: Family
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Window sill tomatoes
Before autumn killed the last tomatoes on the vine mom would gather in the not-quite-ripe and green set them on her kitchen window sill. She would rotate them everyday until they were ripe enough to eat, but some rebelled against her best intentions, bruised and rotted in the sun and stained the painted sill. 10-13-20
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Mother’s knit doilies
She used to knit doilies for living room end tables, to place under lamps and African violets, protecting wood finish or place upon arms and backs of chairs, keeping furniture fabric free of oil from skin and hair. Her mother did the same with well worn sticks, twirling stitches, replicating forms over and over. I…
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Intercoastal waterway
above reedy channel birds soar eagle, pelican, gull egret and heron stalk on stilts silver mullet hooked through head cast again and again and again hope bigger fish will take bait at the dock flounder, red and black drum sit on ice Captain Curtis hands you fresh fillets feeds remains to birds and fish leave…
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haiku for my son-in-law
watched pot never boils but an unwatched pan will burn open doors and fan 10-8-20
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on the day after the anniversary of the 1000-year flood
sitting in the chill he wears a jacket over his shirt sweat pants, socks with shoes believes he wears bare essentials but under it all a naked chest, flaccid penis bare feet that wish to run like the wind beneath and above the he of him, treads memories flooding streets outside his door toddler in…
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for Duane
What ever happened to the boy in school With pop bottle lens Who couldn’t play like other boys at recess Who didn’t stand and fight Or wrestle his tormentors; I was a tormentor I didn’t know at the time I was, but I was gifted at making cutting remarks Disguised as humor to make Classmates…
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The caressing bow
in fresh mown grass she stood outside the hospice window bow caressed violin _____ on the other side music embraced her mother kissed her cheek and said goodbye 9-23-20
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Hoosier hospitality
To the ground hog that lives under our son’s garden shed This is your eviction notice we will shovel mothballs in your burrow tomorrow You may move next door there is plenty of room under the neighbor’s deck Don’t take this personal but Hoosier Hospitality has come to Pittsburgh 9-9-20
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Ricky
Ricky moved into a new house built on an old grass landing strip of Shambaugh Airport Three years older than everyone in 4th grade he’d chase me home from school One day, I ran into our house home early, Dad made me go back out and fight Ricky put me in a headlock I bit…
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September 1969
Whose car is that? …..Mine I didn’t say you could have a car …..It’s a gift If I thought you needed a car I’d get you a car …..An old couple whose yard I mow …..came by the grocery with it We don’t take charity …..Dad – they were just being nice No! they were…
My husband's poetry 