Alarm clock’s buzz
Yanked from one world to another
The first so real but fast fading
A mist in morning sun

What was it all about?
Clutching at straws
Blown by this wind of wakening

Think hard
Grasp the remnants with words
Write them on the beach
That bounds this ocean of unconsciousness

But the very act of naming
Is a wave of willfulness
Erasing the words
As soon as they are formed

Cosmo killed a raccoon last night.
Ellen found it by the door.
She heard the ruckus in the middle of the night.
I did not, being a sound sleeper

It’s my job to dispose of his kills.
I grab the shovel to scoop him up
Before the warm September sun
Makes him stink.

I try sliding the shovel under his soft fluffy fur
He falls off as I lift him up
A clumsy undertaker.
I should apologize

Finally, I get him balanced on the blade
Start the long walk up the driveway
Then off into the woods far enough  
To hide his stink and flies

The path through the trees
Is blocked by spiderwebs.
I whisper “I’m sorry”
As I break each strand.

In the cool morning
I throw him rudely across the big ditch  
That might keep the dogs
From dragging him home again.

Standing beside his body
I feel the need for words
Some remembrance
He was once here

I hear the cicadas,
Fewer and slower now
September having slowed their song
They’re singing their own dirge

I was tired, tired of it all
When the black dog came
Full of joy, scratching at my door

He trotted down a darkened path
Into a smothering forest
Stopping only once to see if I would come

Eternal Eden from whence we came
To whence we must return
******* succoring green

What awaits us there?
I know not, and yet
It seems the way to go

Twilight steals what eyesight’s left
Imagination fills the cleft
Fireflies flashing frantic fires
Overload the neuron wires

Ghostly beams steal through the trees
Creating moon mirages
Fairies beckon, promise to please
An **** for the ages

Katy did - Katy didn’t
Unending ancient chorus
Drowning out all other sound
Swallowed by the forest

Blindly stumbling toward the end
All oblivion calls us
Careful where you step my friend
You might become the Walrus

Looking at the Sugarberry tree
Its rough but paper thin bark
Splitting and peeling

Growth is such a painful thing
Is it the same with us?

In truth there is both you and me
Circling each other like a shark
Writhing and reeling

In the end everyone must hang
Please don’t make a fuss

No wonder we chose spring for Easter
All nature joins in resurrection
Today, I found blood on a feather
The reckoning keeps coming faster
Invention killing all connection
Dead bees among the heather

Life and death and in between
A crazy quilt of paradox
Shall we be ****** or saved?
What in heaven does it mean?
Was Jesus crazy like a fox?
Is joy doubled, sorrow halved?

Is it all a gag?
Not knowing gives me chills
Two calves playing tag
Romp over verdant hills

The old man had been alone
For a long time now
How long? Hard to say…
Time had gotten slippery in recent years

No one else lives there
He does it all himself
Cooks, cleans, pays the bills
He had paid them hadn’t he?

He didn’t mind the solitude
It was peaceful
People were a mixed bag
More trouble than they were worth

He had his dog
That mutt that wandered up
And wouldn’t leave
Despite his protestations

Speaking of the dog
Where was he?
When had he last been seen?
Ah, that devil Time again!

Maybe he had run away
Wasted money
On that bag of food
Molding in the pantry

What’s for supper?
Check the fridge
Well, that makes supper simple
An egg or an egg!

Should I check the expiration date?
Not without my glasses
Which had disappeared
Around the same time as the dog

Fried or scrambled?
How about scrambled
Like my brain
Still got my sense of humor!

Turn on the gas
Where the hell are the matches?
That’s right
I took them to the fireplace

I left the TV on?
Yep- Now it’s on the news
Then comes Wheel of Fortune
And final Jeopardy

Whew! I’m out of breath
From that short walk
From the kitchen
To the living room

Better plop down in the recliner
Power back and rest a spell
And anyway
Today’s news seems worth watching

Jeopardy’s on now?
Did I doze off?
I must have
What’s the question?

Something about bombs
And London and World War II
Oh, I know this
It’s a German word!

What’s that smell?
It is so familiar
Tip of my tongue
But I can’t say what it is

Is it danger?
But it seems to smell so sweet
Wait- final Jeopardy is here!
I have to concentrate

World War I
A new weapon
That contains no steel
I know the answer- It’s GAS!

All my shows are over
Nothing left to do but eat and sleep
Christ! I forgot to cook my egg

Grab the matches from the fireplace
Amble back to the stove
Strike the match