from theRubiyat of Omar Khayyam

There was a Door to which I found no key,
There was a Veil past which I could not see,
Some wild Talk of ME and THEE,
There seemed- and then no more of THEEand ME.

Edward Fitzgerald
Translation of the Rubiyat

The blue veil

2008

NOWHERE

nowhere isn't
far enough away
from where i can forget you,
or think of you each day. . .

nowhere works
a different way
a raging storm that maelstromed
all my thoughts to disarray. . .

1979

Obscure Workplaces #1

Stacking Bulldogs 2008

Arboghast

The arboghast,
reluctant sat,
cow'ring by the fradd side,

a tonsured past
of sneering zeeds
yawing to the float ride,

what kind of gwins
glives up glittar
sniv'ling in the gloaming,

seeming pleased
it sat and stared
recalling all the roaming. . .

1979

That moopy-doo

look out now, she's wild and free
and never ever worries
she's always got that moopy-doo
thats why she never hurries . .

five foot two with her moopy-doo
i might be seeing double
with all that hair and 'lectric smile
and the way she pops my bubble . . .

moopy-doo, dinky dee
how could i ever doubt her?
got my number where it hurts
i just can't live without her . . .

that moopy-doo can take the heat
right now its really seething
slip that hooter to my hand
i need to check it's breathing . . .

she's hot i know and can't be had
and everyone is staring
got that moopy-doo for real
but she believes in sharing . . .

moopy-doo, dinky dee
she lights my mortal feeling
take me back to when it was
before things got to reeling. ..

oh, wow, she's got me nailed
i'm here to do her bidding
her moopy-doo is sure the best
and brother, i'm not kidding

other men just stop and stare
and quickly are beguiled
they've never seen a chick like her
she's beautiful but wild

moopy-doo, dinky-dee
how could i ever doubt her?
got my heart and soul wrung out
and i can't live without her

2001









2008

Bluesfire

Bluesfire at the Gutter Lounge
Pensacola, Florida 2008

Butterflies and fireflys

. . . .the night is drawn
for silent men to think
of all the things they want
instead of what others expect,
the larks have flown and butterflies
would be a welcome sight,
but they will not appear
'til late Spring morns;
so i guess a firefly caught at dusk
will have to do
for me to brighten up
the darkness of your absence. . .

1972

The Drinker of the Wind

with nostrils
flared she drinks
the wind
across the
arid sand
and close
astride
her Arab
withers
rides a
djinn. . .
a secret
Princess
of the Sun . . .

2008





The Wind of the Desert

Last time/ Lost time

prided notions
cast aside
taking chances
all denied . . .
saw you walking
down the street
dodging glances
sour and sweet . . .
makes no difference
what i say
it all sends you
on your way . . .
saw the rainbow
felt the cold
rained me out
the tale is told . . .
all those times
are nullified
all those dreams
that we let slide . . .

1999

The Blues Bistro

Trysting the night away . . . .

Decisions

"YOUR SOUL IS OFTENTIMES
A BATTLEFIELD,
UPON WHICH YOUR
REASON AND YOUR JUDGEMENT
WAGE WAR AGAINST
YOUR PASSION AND YOUR APPETITE"

KAHLIL GIBRAN
from the Prophet

Rainfall recollections

falling rain
both day and night,
September times
both wrong and right. . .

gray skies mottled
all day long,
summers flight
is now head long. ..

rainy days
would muss your hair,
i would laugh
and you would glare.. .

gray-on-gray
has dulled most things,
shine on hearts
shine on rings. . .

people moving
where they must,
sometimes Fate
seems so unjust. . .

September 1979

CTNTC

CATS TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT 2007

HEARTBEATS

ALL
HEARTS
BEAT
NOT
ALIKE

1981

Desire

green-on-green
the colors of your world,
and green is the color of your eyes. . .

gold-on-gold
the gleam of sunstruck brass,
and sunshine is the color of your hair. . .

fire-on-fire
your fireplace, you, and me,
and fire is the color of desire. . .

1982

Ditchdiggerosaurus

The earth shook with vibrations
dust rose and then settled
around the yellowbrown bulk
of the monstrous thing,

it grunted and growled
as it chewed and ate
then the sound of its feeding
changed to a screeching,

and it slowly reared
its ugly scabrous head
it seemed to stare at me
its jaws still dripping,

grass, dirt, and stone
freshly cropped from its feeding place. . .

1990

I only heard about it yesterday. . . .

I was the last to know. . . . 2008