comme ci comme ça

a chameleon approximates his environment
to fit in
takes on the colors of survival
when the going gets thin
what sounds hot
is what he's got
when he wakes to look in the mirror
he is alone a lot
planning the day ahead
and colors he chooses to wed
ones that have their uses
paints on the palate of excuses
as the wind-blown bag
sticks to his teeth with juices
what else mediocrity reduces  
in a one on oneself game
of sudden death goals
in a rink without fans
what does it net?
when one is adrift at sea
with a fighting tiger and orangutan
in a life of pie
in the sky
making sense of clouds
passing him by

August 21, 2017 

karaoke village

it is hard to say until it is over
if she is right or wrong
until the sun in the west
hangs over her eastern shoulder
energy spent
like a box of expired batteries
with no need for conditioning
dry in the air of a distant typhoon 
she sits with locals of the night
under the sweeping swoon
of a hidden tropical moon 
motionless silhouettes 
an aura round their southerly tummies 
beetle nut feedback buzzing heads
oscillating with tobacco and beer
fading in, taking shape, fading out
like wading through a whiskey river 
with a ladle in her hand  
walking a wet moonlit trail home 
unafraid of being frail 
unafraid of being alone 

August 19, 2017

family secrets

a slow amber light flashed dimly

one night on my bedroom wall

reminding me of an uneaten soup

from a mysterious cookbook

in a forest of forgotten aroma 

from a marriage, shell-shocked,  

and a first born’s grievous defects 

that lingered in black and white 

through infernos of resentment
burning down our house

with personal aversions to reality

wealthy pretension

of jewels from a thief

passed off as heirlooms
like artificial intelligence
for minors in caves

of lithium battery ash  

for rocket ships to stardom

on the shoulders of silent giants

as truth trickled into the night soil 
and i went back to sleep

August 10, 2017

love with some affection

love with some affection 
is better than rejection
at least there are four children
and food from in the kitchen
at least there is companionship
without dictatorship
at least there is respect
because we do not expect
'no' is so well known
unless there is a 'yes' at home
'yes' is not a guess
better not make a mess

love with no expectations
daily celebrations of
chores and stores
rides and drives
maybe one small peck
perhaps a caress of the neck
reminder of a date
but not a touch of fate
at night we pass
through a medical flash 
out of bed i rise at dawn
to cats' morning songs 

as long as there is life
we cannot hesitate
so long as there is love
it is never too late
she lets my dreams be real
we heal each others tears
maybe touch is over-rated
after all these tender years
her touch is in my heart
my heart is in her eyes
the wonder of it all
still a big surprise 

August 3, 2017

who to talk to

who to talk to

the reason why we speak

for love from others

to pass the time

exercise the mind

for gossip or acceptance

someone needs convincing

 something to win

by showing off

a club you are out of

wanting to be in

with like-minded comrades

organizing to get it done

debate; become aware...

and why speak a second language

if it cannot be used to travel

to share what marvels have been seen

about a new community 

the home of a dream

like a poem to please the senses

heard in a foreign tongue

like a trip overseas
when life feels young

be reciprocally bilingual...

but when one speaks the first

and will not hear the second

there is no one else to reach

but a barista with an order

Quizlet on a cafe table
 hungry and alone

left with history and grammar

a mouthful of museums

an earful of inflection and tones 

August 2, 2017

nine haiku: flowers that grow back

surprise my eyes 
wonder my mind 
flowers grow back

twist off flowers with stems
into a vase of treated water
they shrivel

go down to the riverside
gather flowers 
gone!

dragonflies dart
tiny breezes retreat
typhoon arrives

pick it up, drop it
pick it up, drop it
breeze kicks a plastic bag

chanting wind
in the dark 
nature howls its mantra

mayhem passes
sun comes out
flowers rise again

stop time 
in the wrong direction 
undress the illusion

birds sing
ears ring
sit and listen 

july 27, 2017

why learn a foreign language

before being thrown out the window
walk out the door
being persona non-grata 
is a dream no more 
all languages are foreign there
except for Anglo-Saxon
but if you were born
on that side of the wall
keep out or let yourself back in
you can not be imprisoned
having committed no crime
having paid all taxes
not liable to a fine
go to where healthcare is free
where life has liberty
and with your ancestors be
as cancer consumes the American brain
flip the switch, pull the plug 
board the next train 
bound for glory
in a world away from
the death of democracy
overseas
where no language is foreign

july 27, 2017