Rider

"Payment deferred blues"

the watchman and his snarling dog
the charmer with his snake
the racer in her aeroplane
are skilled and on the make
the governor in his mansion
the fiddler on his roof
the walker on her tightrope
they just don't ever goof
the barber and his swivel chair
the coal man and his scoop
the dancer with her feather fan
you never see them droop
the blind mice and the farmers wife
the groom and virgin bride
the waitress with her dollar tips 
are never seen to hide
the preacher in his pulpit
the gangster with his gun
the bombshell with her hair so blonde
with plans they will not shun
the singer with his guitar
the gasman and his pump
the swimmer in her private pool
they always got a trump
the ragman on his wagon
the senator with his speech
the milkmaid with her Jersey cow
they are never known to screech
the Chinese with his chopsticks
the artist and his brush
the rider on her fancy horse
they never seem to blush
the poet with his ink pen
the Injun in his paint
the gossip with her wagging tongue
their hearts are never faint
the ballerina on her toes
the drinker with his jug
the miler with his racing spikes
they just look at me and shrug
the hoarder with his pile of crap
the baker and his bread
the sleeper in her lovenest
they got nothin' bad to dread
the smiler with his false teeth
the piper and his flute
the lover with her final kiss
they all remain astute
the doorman with his buttons brass
the beggar and his stare
the postman with his leather sack
they do not have a care
the lonely lady with her dog
the priest on bended knee
the cowboy on his pony
untied but still not free

1974

Eightieth Birthday

eight decades have
passed me by
tottered past like upright
pinestraw blowing
taken to another spot
perhaps another time
did i really feel it?
octogenrian
a lengthy sounding word
wading through the shallows
always with cold feet
perhaps not a cold heart

2016

                                                 Beach Babe