thanks, penn jillette

she was the first breasts i noticed
and i couldn't look--
awkward, flushed wordlessness,
kicking rocks,
obvious but ambivalent.
did she notice? i caught her looking.
ride away to what is known,
but I did notice.

fate

In a dark mood tonight, it's as good a time as ever to share one of my grandmother's darker poems:

Fate inexorable, crushing me down,--
Like the organ in chapel,
Deep, solemn notes that rise over the conflict,
Noise and confusion;
Low notes, omnipotent, steadily mighty.
Fate inevitable, beating me back
Slowly, relentlessly, fiercely as ocean waves,
Strong as the undertow, deep as the current
Fate invincible, --destiny, --platitudes
Crushing me down.

our room

Your room was small and neat
Still
The door was locked, but I wanted in

My room was stagnant and numb
What I signed up for
Stretched out before me

Our room is luscious and full
Verdant
A new forever, the door is open wide

so close, yet so far away

Lizzy Danger writes poetry and inspires others to do the same on her blog, A Series of Thoughts. Sometimes she asks for line suggestions, sometimes she suggests lines. The results are interesting and wonderful! I suggested a line to Lizzy, "He'd be a free man today," and here is the poem she wrote. 

I said I was game, so Lizzy suggested a line to me. "So close, yet so far away." As this lovely line has seven syllables, at first I was stuck in haiku:

our friend the mountain
so close, yet so far away
in her shade we grow

and

your words level me
so close, yet so far away
funny thing, choices

and

sitting side by side
so close, yet so far away
i want to hold your hand

Then I wrote this poem. I like it. It's called Anne.

silver bells
through the mountain
interminable drive
it feels like rain

an angel, a saint
laid hands on me
healed me
pushed me forward

jazz, violets

photographs of you
your children
your friends

your words
with me
through me
so close, yet so far away

a world between

A poem by my grandmother, appropriate for the rainy day.

Two learned men
Walked down our street last night--
They came to cross;
One paused and said:
"The rain has made a stream
Of mud and water, ugly, cold, and damp."
The other answered: "Yes, but see the stars
Reflected in its pool."