SHARP TOOLS©

SANTA'S GHOST

in the heat

the iPhones come and go

speaking of last year's summer snow

on Christmas day

the hummingbird arrived

inspecting fuchsia blooms

the gift card —

perhaps a trip

to Orchard Supply

the shelf is lined

all kinds of feeders

elegant —

that blue glass teardrop shape

shelf price: $29.99

sale sticker: $7.50

swipe the card: $0.01

O Philosophy!

your unearned bonanza

is a ghost in the machine

EMERGENT CHANGE

are we dodos?

human evolution affects everything

and naturally our civilization

cosmic consciousness is appearing

unshackled harbingers

joined by planetary Change

are the next stage of transformation

THE LAST SUPPER

the very absence of a tsunami is a big deal

flotsam and splintered houses

a mangled radio from high school days

bits of photographs, possibly false memories

which had all seemed so solid, so real

it's a good deal

life without all that stuff

is possibly difficult

but the nets and tethers and tangled debris

are returning to the sea

on the cliff a tree is undisturbed

people on the beach are setting up a picnic table

inhabiting a landscape painting

with sea gulls and a Ferris wheel

they haven't noticed it's the dream

of a lucid dreamer

free to sit at dinner

with hungry ghosts

exchanging pleasantries

CHECKPOINT CAIN

the open box declared nothing to hide

while going through customs

the overweight agent with a mustache

naturally suspicious

with an inaudible chuckle, the box smirked

ludicrous

the usual thing

hiding right there in plain view was nothing

almost a political statement

but a speech, under the circumstances, seemed unlikely

more to the point, if it could be brought to that

would be a meditation, possibly to begin

with the nature of cardboard, the dyes used and so on

there are few unintended boxes

accidents are the habitat of presumed chaos

and there are few security guards with patience for reality

invisible though it may be

and so the box was checked through, scot free

flies followed it

as though they knew it knew something

snowflakes fell on it

and melted

laughing all the way

NAME DROPS FALLING

numerous are those enmeshed

a duck paddles over memories

getting free

for those who would like to be

a trek through the forest

no telling what might appear

there are bonds with civilization

what if food were too difficult to get?

or perhaps it's like stalking an elusive feeling

that just dodged behind a tree

what if food were not tasty?

desires live within

but the journey continues

it doesn't matter if nothing appears

just walking, breathing, being part of the forest

birth, old age, sickness, death

violence, slavery, climate change

during recent deluge days, fresh air blowing

let's keep the storm drains clear

reports of flooding that might happen here

civilization is not preordained

earthquakes, asteroids, bursts of deadly gamma rays

butthis time

human activity is decisive

all kinds of reports

riots, North Korean hackers, taliban massacre

of grade school children

though the prime directive of power is perpetuation

continuity of destructive habits is not assured

institutions that enforce them are bypassed

a din on the roof

rain spout splatter

civilization can Change to meet the climate

but when assaulted with suicidal determination

violent momentum warns of nuclear annihilation

throngs of winter stars

bloom songs of our backyard jade plant

red chimney bricks

business as usual might bring

the sixth extinction or

the Change can support Self realization

a transformation

boundless, inherent in all, that goes beyond

the frightened “I” of perpetuation

vast dark roiling clouds move silently

unnameable, a slight flutter of attention

returning

opportunities remain:

a tech writer escaped the war machine

became a gardener

and sharpened his tools

for this