Condor
Monterey, 1986

Along the valley floors below
I see the poppies rippling orange,
a song of summer’s lusty boast.

While high upon this craggy perch
of time and change, the restless winds
condemn my kind to archives lost.

The pain of birth, of death to come,
are lost in thoughts that turn my heart.
Right here am I, and this is now.

Today I’ll live, my shrieking cry
resounds. For us, who fly the thin
pure air, tomorrow might not come.
 

Condor
Monterey – 2009

Along the valley floors below
we see our land and behold
a promise of life given back.

While high upon this craggy perch
where soaring time has returned
our destiny, species eternal.

The pain of births, deaths to come,
accepted now with endless rebirths
of my kind, tomorrow and always.

Today I’ll live, my shrieking cry
with great wings commanding
our tomorrow, at last restored. 

 *             *              *             *              *             *             *

The Customer is Always…

for a TWA flight attendant and wife

Monterey, 1985

 

receptionists, waitresses

and patient flight attendants

bend forth

with surreal smiles

 

while

stern, chin-up,

pasty-faced,

status-wearing folks

demand their rights

 

with 

roman-candle bursts

of displaced anger

that burn through

tormented sensibilities

 

one yells

and gets service

 

the other remembers later

and cries

 

*             *              *             *              *             *             *

Stuff
Monterey – 2001

We go to school
read smart books
watch some man
do guru looks

Self-help hype
grow man, grow
silver words
touch our souls

appreciate
participate
commiserate
then integrate

But ain’t no good
just so much fluff
till you put together
your own damn stuff