He sits at his desk
Contemplating his unfulfilled destiny.
His bulky form shadows old letters.
Thick fingers linger and ****** photos
And dusty promises,
His "Awakening"
Turned into a funeral
Of ideals and love.
Oh yes . . .
His integrity is in tact.

My Dad
Didn't speak,
Worked endlessly,
Ate bowls of white bread
With milk and sugar
Before bedtime,
Got up early
By himself,
Percolated morning coffee -
Blip Blip Blip -
Into my bedroom
From the kitchen.
He watched over me
Silently,
Worried
Silently,
Protected me
Silently,
Loved me
Silently.

Why didn't you send that boy away?

Because you never would have spoken to me again
And I could not have borne that.

Now I know.
You were right.
And I apologize.

I am the "Lap Cat".
"Lap cat"???
Why am I
being called a "Lap Cat"? --
Then the "steak" (*** roast)
came out.
Oh yea . . . !
We be likin' the "steak".
In fact,
I'd do most anything -
even be a "Lap Cat" -
to keep the "steak" comin'.
Unfortunately,
two other critters
with whom I share this humble abode,
have discovered
my secret passion
and,
doggone it,
demand
their share of the loot.
In case you're bad at math,
this leaves less for me.
I'll just
have to
puke up the Meow Mix
a little more often
to accentuate my point.
The battle
of the (animal vs human) minds
has begun;
don't underestimate
the devious methods
of . . .
the "Lap Cat".

by-
Fred

Go away little wisp.
I know what you are up to.
I pay the slightest notice,
you morph into an innocent, seductive puff
strutting to and fro
offering companionship,
comfort,
yes, even love.
I admire you; you gust, fat and fluffy.
I compliment; you explode into a cumulous mass hovering ominously above.
I worry; ashen gray lithely overtakes beguiling white.
Rumbling belly fills with rage and swells with forboding.
There is no longer an escape.
My thoughts
are pulled into shadow
and slapped onto earth
in torrents of unrestrained rage.
Completely engulfed, I choke, and
swirl in great muddy vortexes down lost drains.
Who am I?
Who are my thoughts?
I only have you to grasp onto,
and that is no solace.

Give me a pink hat
to match the blonde hair.
Give me twenty-five men.
Let one of them be drunk.
Give me a deck of cards
that sends me good luck.
Give me great heaps of money,
ready to serve.
And let's see what happens.