A famous quote by Gertrude Stein
Is one I can abide.
It says that, “We are always
The” (exact) “same age inside.”

A film on Leonard Cohen I saw
Embraces this belief,
For age and all its facets
Is a dominant motif.

Performances of famous songs
Are featured back to back
By Cohen in youth and middle age
And on the senior track.

His passion never waivers;
He retains his slender frame
And his voice and repartee remain
Remarkably the same.

We can’t explain to someone young
That what our age does hide
Is all that makes us who we are,
Tucked, safe and sound, inside.

Overheard outside the store,
Mother to her son,
"If it ain't a dollar..."
That's the sentence she'd begun.

You can figure out the rest,
Knowing what would fit -
"If it ain't a dollar, well,
Then you're not gettin' it."

Was the kid upset? No way;
He'd heard that line before.
He shrugged and went to check it out
Inside the dollar store.

I guess in this economy,
There'd be no risk in bettin'
That many things for lots of bucks
A lot of kids ain't gettin'.

A building used to stand where now
A vacant lot exists,
Each scattered brick a remnant
Of the past that still persists.

Inhabitants were once ensconced
Within the phantom walls,
Who climbed the stairs each day and
Trudged along in dim-lit halls.

Aromas of assorted meals
Would waft from twice-locked doors,
Occasionally drifting
Up and down to different floors.

The blare of old-time TV shows
Would mingle with the noise
Of conversations or the thumps
Of raucous girls and boys.

But all is still and quiet now;
The vacant lot’s been sapped
Of all the lives that it once held,
Their joys and worries scrapped.

It bides its time, for very soon
Construction will begin
And walls will rise exactly where
The former ones have been.

Yesterday I was in Rome,
The end of a vacation.
Today, though, I awoke at home,
All thanks to aviation.

I tracked my flight upon the map,
The little arrow moving
And didn’t take a single nap,
The choice of films improving.

They served two meals, a snack as well,
Plus drinks for our imbibing.
The hours slipped by, as you can tell
From what I’ve been describing.

The flight was smooth, the hassles few;
No turbulence or rocking,
Though sure enough, and right on cue,
Some jet lag’s come a’knocking.

Here’s a start: a candy heart
Or long-stemmed bright-red roses;
Lingerie, to make her day
Romantic, one supposes.

Not too hard to find a card
With sentimental saying.
For a treat, go out to eat
(And naturally, you’re paying).

Better yet, go into debt
And buy a sparkly trinket.
Dim the lights, so appetites
Include champagne – then drink it.

Or, don’t fuss and be like us –
With years of love behind us,
We’ve agreed, we do not need
A token to remind us.

Two penguin parents and their chick
Are bringing people ‘round
To ogle at their lifestyle
And the happiness they’ve found.

Australians are delighted
At the airing of this tale
For the parents, Sphen and Magic,
Are both penguins who are male.

Their obvious affection
Led their keepers to decide
To entrust them with an egg
Neglectful parents did provide.

They built a nest and alternated
Sitting ‘til it hatched,
Each spending near a month, a time
No other penguins matched.

Though humans often battle
Over whether gays should wed,
They should look to Sphen and Magic,
Seeing what their love has bred.

The Holland Tunnel’s gussied up.
Its holiday display
Made some commuters angry
And they finally had their say.

Two wreaths were boldly planted
On the “O” and on the “U,”
So “Holland Tonnel’s” what appeared
To people driving through.

A Christmas tree was mounted, too,
On top of Holland’s “N.”
The “A” would be a better match,
The critics voiced again.

The ones in charge arranged a vote;
Results were tallied fast,
The decorations switched around
From the opinions cast.

The tree was moved, one wreath is gone;
There’s now a happy aura,
Which would be perfect if they had
Included a menorah!

symbol of Chanukah, a Jewish holiday
celebrated at this time of year