You are the only person
Who can make your life beautiful

a Henry
of justice
lament job
as the
president arrive
forthwith his
instrument of
detail with
future shock
that civil
liability won't
out weigh
liberties involved
in his
administration there
turning deadly
by hour.

A Jack *** chortles at it's own reflection
Morning frogs join the odd celebration
October Pines scrub in quickening , windy
salvos , Autumn curt Sun battles wispy cloud cover
in a spirited game of recognition
Amberdeen beeves on the morning call
Steel buckets , log chain , tie wire and tin ,
tick treble notes in the pursed Fall breath
Scarecrows come alive , Gods hand painted-
leaves begin to shine
Shine piedmont morn
Shine in cool , new day virtuosity
Commanding the heart of your native , grateful son*....

Read the flames,
I implored
They smiled.
Read the flames,
I shouted
They cheered.
Read the flames,
I ordered
They sat around me in a circle.
Read the flames,
Read the flames,
Action, Action, Action!!!
I wept.
They danced around me in celebration!
Read the flames,
No action,
Read the flames,
Read the flames,
No Action,
I prayed and
I prayed and
I prayed.
Annoyed at my silence
They picked me up
And threw me into the flames!

when the telephone rang
at six in the morning
four days before Christmas Eve
   I knew
things were not right

they told me
   my father had died
   at three in the morning
   and would I please come by
   arrange for the burial
   and collect his belongings
at the senior citizens home
where he had spent
the last four years
of his life

they had rested him nicely
he looked at peace
I kissed him on his forehead
   like I always had
   at the end of my visits
and cast a last long look at his figure
   before the body would be taken away

    and suddenly I noticed
       how big his hands were
    they’d never seemed so prominent before

as if in death they sent me a reminder
of how much he had loved his hands
   for work   for play  for sports
   for fight and for survival
   to point and to gesticulate
      they held me as a baby and
         some times
      slapped me as a child
   they repaired toys   split wood
   built sheds   drove cars and motor bikes
   were patient and precise
   caressed and soothed and loved

they were his life
they held his world

my father’s hands