meanwhile,
back at the ranch,
.....or hacienda or suburban condo,

the young suburban ma'am
was weeping, 'n cryingn  'n sobbing,
having thrown herself down on her
soft, velvet covered chaise lounge.

"where are you Manly Cowboy?"
she wept
"wherefore did thou go?"
"whyfore have you doth forsaken me so?"
"in my hour of need?"

Boo hoo hoo hoo

the wailing was reaching a rather
intense volume,
so much so,
that,
soon,

there was a knock at the door.

wiping her tears from her
bright red swollen eyes and cheeks,
with her delicately embroidered
handkerchief,
her long white gosling robed gown
trailing her as,
she went to the door.

opening it,
what did she see?

but standing there,
there stood,
the,
most,
handsome, tall,
muscular man
of a manly plumber
she had ever seen.

said he,
"i couldn't but help to be
overhearing
your pitiful wails.

and i thought you might
need some help.

anything i can do to
assist you ma'am?"

WELL...
thought she,
this is the best iimprovement
in many a long day,
since the Manly Cowboy
had gone away.

"yes, you can" replied she
"would you like to come in
and take a cup of tea
with me?"

......not so fast,  
we're not done
with this one.

"certainly, i would" replied he,
"and, well, ma'am, if it isn't any
trouble for you,
i'd really prefer something
a little stronger,
per chance, do you have
any beer?"

"why yes i do." says she

"cold?" asks he

"as a snowball in hell." she replied

the manly plumber strode in,
his tools jangling about
his firm hips and strong legs.

excusing herself,
she went to the kitchen and
opened up two beers.

pouring one in a tall glass,
over ice,
she poured an eighth of the other
into another
and finished filling it up
by adding warm water
from the tap.

she did this to prevent herself
from getting too tipsy
as she was dehydrated from
all of her crying.

out she walked,
two tall glasses
in hand,
she handed one to him
and looked over the other.

the first shy smile
her sweet face
had seen in a while,
began creeping up.

since,

now? who had gone???

the manly cowboy
lying on his back
of some foriegn land,
looked up and
saw a star twinkling
high in the sky,
and he smiled.

The manly cowboy
continued his travels
across the land,
of merry ole England,
drinking a little mead,
riding his steed.

Walking along one day
beside his horse,
says to his horse,
a question this way,
says he.

"What's your name?"

"Randall." she replied.
for his steed was a she.

"WHAT did you say?
What the hell kinda name is that?"

"And please pardon me for my language,
your answer took me by surprise."

"For your information kind sir,
i am highly educated
and well brought up.

what did you expect?
some silly name
like Bay
or Susie?
or ,
if i hailed from
your part of the world,
Cochise
or Blaze
or Cimmaron?

Oh no, i know,
you might
have very well
named me
General
Blueberry."

Scratching his head,
the manly cowboy
just looked askew,
completely anew,
at this fine steed.

Randall!

Off they trode,
adventures to be made,
fast becoming fine friends,
as they were
running the roads to the ends.

Many a new sight did they see,
then one day they happened upon
Queen E.

"That's one fine looking six shooter
you have there."
said the great ruler with
the neatly coiffed gray hair.

"May I?"  asked she,
her royal hand outstretched.

Happy to oblige,
this woman who
has ruled so long,
seen so much.

Handing her his gun,
so carefully,
he inquired,

"Do you know how one of these things works Ma'm?"
asked he
"Don't be so silly
you manly cowboy.
Of course! "
said she,

With that,
she turned
and shot
every chamber bare,
six apples from
the tops of six heads
of her many heirs.

"Here, come join us."
said she,
"We're out for a ride
to look at the tide."

So the manly cowboy
threw in with the royal
mob for the day.

Riding far and wide
treated to vast
expanses and views,
and the eternal tide.

Having so much fun
shooting and riding,
out in the fresh air,
out in the sun.

At last evening approached
too fast and suddenly.
"What a day i have had,
one to always remember,
to recount over fires
many a coming night."

With that,
he took his leave,
tipped his hat,
and bowed to Queen E
so gentlemanly.

the manly cowboy
settled in for the night,
after a long day of
pure athletic delight.

delivered the mail
did they,
deliciously slow
as any snail
on the go.

he opened
and read,
that a young brave was
a looking for his head.

so he got to thinking,
i'd better still wander,
way over yonder,
way over here,
so 'n he can a ponder,
ifn'  he is still awantin'
to be,
scalpin' me?

never one to hurry,
why ever  scurry?
the brave young lad,
or young lad brave,
he,
couldn't possibly be that bad!

i'll give him some time,
and not start to whine.
(and most certainly not in rhyme)
we can find,
i  am sure,
just the right cure.
thought the manly cowboy,
think did he.

many a mate,
but never as a date,
he did spend
with many a good friend.

not that he minded,
nor cared, where love was a finded.
nor with who,
nor whom,
that's entirely up to you,
before you are laid to rest in your tomb.

out in the wild,
did he spend,
many a night and day
and not a one,
did go astray.

always polite.
nary a fight.
i'll give this good brave guy
a little time to go by,
just a little to fly.

he will be a findin'
i don't be a mindin'
differences in thoughts
differences in gots.

i might be having a few
but i shall say to you,
'Hey buddy
what do you say?
think we can be friends
one day?'

with that optimistic thought
in mind
he turned to his bed roll,
rolling out in a straight line,
lookin' to find,
only,
a peaceful night's sleep
never hearing a peep.

and a brand new day,
coming up his way.
always curious to see,
ever unfolding,
however they been molded,
life's great mysteries.

with that,
he tipped his hat
over his eyes,
so very gentlemanly.

cool rain falls,
Randall and the
manly cowboy
talk
drink
coffee

frolick about
in the rain

the moon kept on calling me
but i wasn’t answering

i miss you my sweet love,
my dear sweet friend
and our long soft moonlight chats

the moon kept on calling me
but i wasn’t answering

why have you forsaken me?
where fore did thou go?

the moon kept on calling me
but i wasn’t answering

i kept her waiting,
waiting through many a night
so long, so lonely for she

just one more moment
then i will be out, be out to join you
my dear sweet and loyal moon, my moon light friend

the moon kept on calling me
but i wasn’t answering

patiently as ever, for eons and more
she kept whispering to me
but i wasn’t answering......

as she slid quietly away
the moon kept on calling me
but i wasn’t answering…...

would i ever answer her,
ever again?

six bees
and a butterfly

a daddy long legs

...the neighborhood is improving.

the new boyfriend
now the gone boyfriend

such fun we did have
that first morning

what is your name?
I can't remember yours either

how much fun is that
after a crazy night

barking dog
wandering paws

such delight

hotels, bars, roads
in common

lives lived in parallel
at the same time

movies, songs
memories

laughter, yoking
such great fun

chasms of differences
matriarchy patriarchy

making someone into
what you like

i've been there too
how funny to have you

do that to me too

endless days
and nights

of talking
dancing

voraciously consuming
one another's forms

ah the adventure
ah the divine touch

seeing yourself in
the other

duality at its
very very best

duality at its
very very worst

you can't save another
nor fix them

the road
is a solitary one

the work is hard
and it plumbs the depth of your soul

of who you are

don't waste your time
in this life

recognize who
and what you are

we are ALL
the ONE

see yourself in
each and every creature

each and every being
every tree

every star
every celestial object

each and every drop of rain
and every body of water

laugh like a child
cry like a child

love like there is no tomorrow

nothing is ever lost
only changing form


om mani padme hung

out to get the paper
in bare feet…

ahhh...
so sweet

… the dusting of snow
cools my toes

if we are ALL the  ONE,
which part of the ONE are you?

blizzard passes
fluffy snow left
deep footprints

sun comes out
melting mountains of snow
night falls

cold descends
ice freezes hard
top layer of snow

now hard
feet don't
fall deep

owing the universe
a mountain of shoveling
shovel in hand

off i go.....

sitting in my house
windows and doors closed

the sound of blowers
seeps in

incessantly, unending
all year, every day

traffic, beepers
voices on phones in the woods

when did the world become so loud?
when did we stop savoring silence?

~2024

Star light, star bright
where is my puppy tonight?

dancing across the stars,
joyful and free.

Surfing the milky way
galaxy through galaxy.

turning the heavens upside down,
Cassiopeia now upturned into an M.

lapping from the dippers,
drops splashing all around.
settling here on the earth as fresh dew each morn,
or the gentle rain falling down.

pulling Orion's belt,
Orion with his sword held high,
chasing you around.

Laughing and leaping,
Ah to be so free and light.

racing the moon across the sky,
catching it each month with delight.

a new moon appears,
the chase begins anew.
chewing the old moon
until it disappears.

star light,
star bright ,
will you perhaps bring me another puppy when it is light?



*penned with much love for all those friends who so dear,
have left us here. ~ 29 December 2012

i forget

deep at night
no one
no thing

deep bliss

i wake
in lila

who am i?
what am i?

i lose everything

they are me
why???


are they afraid?

so violent?

i am ready to
give this
false life
for the
knowledge of
the ONE

SO FEW
know

please don't
crucify me

if you do
it matters not

the way of
the manifestation

who are YOU?

who am I???

or i  ???

Living deep in the mountains
I've grown fond
of the soughing pines -
on days when the wind is still
how lonely it becomes!

~  Otagaki Rengetsu

wood
woods
trees
rocks
water

bird
calls
rushing
water
stop

blue­
skies
grey
bark
mark

time
slipping
into
eternity
endings

years pass

things that
bothered me

songs that
pierced my heart

songs that
brought only
sad memories

don't,
anymore.
how i kick my
****
for getting rid of you

vinyl and CD
but especially
vinyl
****... why did i let you go
steeping in the memories

songs
music
how fast
they take
us
right back

to those moments
bittersweet memories
with ones we loved
so seemingly deep
or not
such great passion
such great wisdom

don't hurry through
your pain
but don't ever
think you cannot
get through it
if you so choose

sometimes it is time
to check out
who am i
to say

but....
maybe...
another day.....
another moment...
will change how
you feel
what you think.....

i say...
plan it out
be very detailed
but do not be impetuous

take your time

for you have all
the time in the world
all the time in the
universe

for there is no where to go
nothing to do
and
all the time to
get there

if you might
ever ask for my advice
and i caution you
you may not want to
do that

procrastination in
some things
is the very best
hand.....

now what the ****
am i talking about...

i know.
do you????