RADAR EARS©
NO SHOW
SO THE DVR WENT KAPUT
taking the TV down with it
curse or blessing, depending
it might be a buzzing fly
a cultural gem on Public TV
during the pledge drives
when I feel empathy with cattle
can almost taste the dust
so it's back to the clipboard
my writing desk
convenient for cat editors
easily distracted by bits of cheese
life is simple
just find the way to cheese
but not quite so easy
especially for cats
unlike rats, they're not good at finding new ways
even the king of beasts
even us
we all tend to get stuck
the old ways worked before
which has got what to do with a kaput DVR?
(patience now)
well, it used to work –
for getting stale cheese
Oh no, please don't start on that Wasteland stuff!
but this is no pejorative parrot –
something to be said for
THE HELLWITH CHEESE
rat trap lure the stuff of mazes
overturn the board and say oops!
walk through walls that aren't really there
amaze yourself
imagine an ad for private dreams
scan through it without a DVR
dreams, cheese, bah humbug
a night out, beyond city walls
away from city lights
beyond schemes
settles into that quiet beyond dreams
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
AND SO JUST WANDERING DOWN THE ROAD
when it merges into a stray vision
borrowed from somewhere beyond a reverie
no bones about it
the real thing
displacing reality
so called
a vision that defies eyes
does not roll dice
makes me want to whistle while I walk
more depth than a butterfly
just kicking rocks
a BART train across the bay kicking back
with its own whistle
a biblical scholar discovered it while eating a pizza
a zen student while sitting on the throne
it's everywhere
kids laugh
and then become silent
almost saints
but we know better
my sister paints a flight of crows
black wings flap at sunset
my synthesizer sighs
the guy at our Post Office sells commemorative stamps
does he eat pizza for lunch?
I learned how to drive nails in spite of my thumbs
to which I belatedly apologize
there is no end where there is no beginning
even though pens run out of ink
neighbors still wash cars
which eventually will run out of gas
the new year begins where it left off
everyone mark your calendars
EDITORIAL
soft voices extol salvation
strident ones promote freedom
I prefer a cricket
let the wind blow where it list
soon it will change
actually I prefer none of the above
grand pronouncements
shifting sand
raking leaves is better
or playing unwritten music
in the evening
when all the media have been tucked in
pronouncements fade to silence
a reality that includes jokester words
blazing trails through the OED
is a weight of centuries
cornucopia of colors, odoriferous itches permeating that
which is taken for thought
when thought
actually
precedes all of this
else wise leaves
which don't really need to be raked
except for centuries
would be – well
let sleeping leaves lie . . .
it certainly is OK to do though
for some reason
which seems to have stumbled off the edge of the world
grand plumes of reason
flash god's eyes on this bird of paradise display
unbelievable, come to think of it
preceding
all of that . . .
right here in the silence
how can it be
that just being is enough
let silence reign
