everytime i have the dream

 everytime i have the dream

i can't remember 

and i dream it another time

i always say 'geeze it is good

to be back in this dream! one of 

the best dreams of all time,

now that i remember i remember

it.' and i'm sure after this i

take off my coat look around and

sigh 

___

for 2021

12.31.21

in the sparkling night

in the sparkling night

there are places to land

we work on a puzzle of

'the dream' by rousseau

we might watch the festivities

faraway in nyc or vegas

but we don't because

you are and i here and

this is where it is turkey

stiches and staples

peanut butter dog treats

*

it isn't good to wait

it isn't good to wait
but i do 

it is my default 

spiritual practice

or lack of any

proper practice

so i'll rouse myself

goad myself

to appear 

otherwise

and sometimes

i am different

and i am

true

the universe

has a great 

sense of

humor

and will work 

with me

and with 

whatever

i think

__

the night sky is not out of hand

the night sky is not out of hand

the stars are not out of hand

the moon is not out of hand

the bare trees are not out of hand

the snowy rooftops are not out of hand

nor the warm houses

nor the bright kitchens

nor the leaking washer

nor the clogged drain

8

sensible dreams

sensible dreams

sensible answers

don't play out 

in sensible life

but why is this

there are so 

many dreams

and so many

dream answers
for sensible life

_

this day

this day

the only place

it is marred

is where we step

or think

+

in my lies / like soft leaves

in my lies 

like soft leaves

sometimes a truth

like a thorn 

draws blood

because this

is how cowards

tell the truth

*

1,000 times in a row

it is a longer journey
with one day to go

an extra day

the flight delayed

now instead of 

4 hours it will be 8

flying on new years

eve getting in late

but home is home

and the heart 

flys on the way

is there and back 

1,000 times in a row

with every imagining

with every thing

that you missed

*

brother and sister / they fight the cats

brother and sister

they fight the cats

over any perch 

the female is

the little one

so gets muscled

out of a sunny spot

i try to play solomon

or god by intervening

but instead cause

unending confusion

and alarm

*

all is un evident and subject to change

all is un evident and subject to change

but here is the end of a rope

you can pull if you want

i saw william blake last night

i saw william blake last night
pushing a baby carriage with mao tse tung in it

i was on the other side of the street
but i waved

they waved back

*

when were we shown

when were we shown

the door to the world of dreams was closed

like the doors of many a church

or other a sacred place of worship 

so what a holy thing to dream

the land of dreams 

all are welcome 

and none denied

*

making shadow art

making shadow art

out of broken shards of metal

the artist forms something that looks soft

when seen as a silhouette or through a tunnel

so are we to god

*

a model day to learn

a model day to learn

how to be good and kind

even if you might need

a new washer 

you opened it up

without breaking it

and looked inside

shone a light 

there's a place

dark emerald green

where the water

has dropped dropped

drip

drip

*

every little thing cannot be surpassed

every little thing cannot be surpassed

especially the eyes that you could swim in 

for 10,000 years

*

they sell false memorabilia

they sell false memorabilia

but i am false too so for me it is real

*

do you know what you mean

do you know what you mean

steady and clear because i don't

the bright side of me i show is show

in reality i'm more dark and varied

but you know and there's the struggle

aiming to be less of the past 

and of the automatic drabness

that formed up out of indifference or fear

or a reaction to cruelness within and without

is it really possible to be something new

a surprising and delightful creature

as truthful as disarming and joyous sharing

borne from the disaster of burning and breaking

lies failure and striving against false imagination

well here we are and it can be so it can be true

i'm making my way by being here with you

doing very ordinary and occasional extraordinary things

i catch you throw or i juggle and you hold

i sing you dance we find the lost wallet or pants

here we are so it can be true we transform then it is evident

neither of us required a clash or a struggle

we are painlessly bright and absolutely undimmed

shadows and murmurs just the passing of conditions

behind all this was and still is and always will be

the keenest clarity the finest light the clearest sight absolutely

__

the day supporting us

because the day is bright
it is cold 

son and daughter visiting

so is the freeze

more bright days ahead

steady and frigid

they fly back tomorrow

to a warmer climate

i notice every moment 

is precious and if i try

to eke out more meaning

time just goes quicker

we're sitting here

in the living room

still slightly askew

from christmas 

bits of wrapping paper

ribbon under cushions

a stray gift or

memento on the floor

i feel like never

cleaning up these poofs

when these were here

my kids were here

but then i do clean up

order is swift and silent

when my hands are still

the wood floors are mute

kids bags packed

eyes look toward the door

i give them a good smile

see you next time

the day supporting us all
never stops 

brighter brighter and

even colder

the day supporting us 

never stops 

*

there's small flakes flying

there's small flakes flying

the dog won't go pee

because she doesn't like the cold

so i carve out a place

where you can see the grass

the small dog goes for a long time

looking at me gratefully 

*

i take snow off the roof

i take snow off the roof

rake it off

there's a place where

ice can build up 

when i go take snow 

off the garage 

my neighbor says

there's no need

i reply see how 

the roof sags

even without snow

it sags 

my neighbor says

they made the garage cheap

just like everything

back in those days

and so i nod and agree

but take snow off the garage

because it would be strange

to quit over what he thinks

__