Me and Thee

We're in our sixties;
It's time to break free
Of the fantasies of others
About what we should be.

It is true that some
Are part of our team;
Only those are allowed
To cause a scene.

When we step too
Far out of the line
That our whole network
Has worked to define.

We can advance to old age
In peace, and gracefully,
Surrounded by those that enjoy
The real me and thee.

My Mother's Day

I've had a wonderful day
Though nobody came to play;
Many called to say
Happy Mother's Day.

I have never been one
To save all the fun
For a day that was begun
And by a corporation run.

Most major holidays
Play out on the stage
Of those of a certain age
Who all read the same page.

Those who are so busy
Their lives making them dizzy
And are so often in a tizzy
Don't need other places to be.

So whenever they get a moment
To share life not otherwise spent,
They can tell me where they went
And what their holiday meant.

Family Foundations

Families are accountable one to the other,
Mother to father, sister to brother.
Families are like dominoes, standing in a row;
If one falls over, down the rest will go.

We must all do our parts to keep our families strong
To find a niche for each member to belong.
We must take the time to strengthen the links
And respect what even the weakest thinks.

We must support each other as we learn
The ways to address our deepest concerns.
This is the only way I have found
To keep our families on solid ground.

It is a tragedy that some cannot
Get past their ancestral rot.
These must seek a new tribe
In which they can successfully abide.

What I Want You to Do

Listen, just listen;
That's healing to me.
Look me in the eye;
Tell me what you see.
Let me read myself
Through the mirror of you.
That's all I need,
All I want you to do.

Friends and Festivities

The sun rises over the marina at the dawn of a perfect day,
Filled with the promise of fun with friends coming to play.
Fresh flowers in the guest room, food in the refrigerator
Hoping to make the rating of our bed and breakfast greater.
A miracle of low humidity and cool temperatures has arrived;
Now I'm very sure a full day out of doors can be survived.
Nothing is more enjoyable than being the chosen tour guide
To fun and adventures that my loved ones haven't tried.

Today it will be Jazz Fest with two visiting female friends;
Supper with a surprise guest is how our evening will end.
Tomorrow, I'll get to squire the surprise guest around;
Richard will be boat building, while we will do the town.
Streetcars, restaurants, and museums, or another Jazz Fest day?
I guess I'll let him choose how he wants to spend his stay.
So much to see, to do, and to eat, and the time is so short
There's much that we won't get to, but we'll sure do our part.

A Silently Stalking Storm

The wind whips and waves the flag flying
On a single sailboat settled in its slip;
Many masts standing tall at attention
Serve as silent sentinels of the sea.

Ripples race across our home harbor,
Wielding wild white capped waves
The solemn sky heaves her heavy bosom
Onto the lap of the lonesome lake.

All await the fury of the stalking storm,
Anticipating its awesome and angry apex.
Ominous omen of solemnity and sorrow;
Pensive, pondering, we wait.

Easter Explosions

We couldn't have had a more beautiful day,
Or a more lovely display of spring.
It was a wonderful ride with blue skies
And every imaginable shade of green.

We woke to birds singing in dogwoods,
And arrived to fireworks on the lake,
From the peace of sunrise in the forest,
To a display that made the skies shake.

This area is like another country,
In another, more southern, hemisphere.
There are differences in how we show
Homage for what we hold dear.

We have different body clocks;
This is a night time town.
The evening workers are getting up
When the farmers are laying down.

It may be a bit backward for most,
Peaceful mornings and noisy nights.
What better example of our two lives
Than this difference in joy's delight?