joy

Somewhere in a wasted town

in an old worn house

there lives a wise woman

who loves to bake tasty pastries,

plump, juicy pies, with sparkling crusts.

Every evening she bakes two pies

for her nine whining children

and sets them on the porch to cool.

One day the mother discovers

she does not have enough flour

to make the dough for the second pie, so

she decides to make half a crust on top.

The children are very disappointed.

" Don't bake that one, mama

we don't like how it looks', they grumble.

Mother merely smiles.

Very early the next morning

the children waken to the aroma

of cinnamon,sugar, and peeled peaches.

All nine foolish children

scramble to the porch to find

only one lonely pie

Today

I journey to the Gate of Heaven

to place a red rose

on my grandfather's grave.

Beyond the icy iron gate

cumulus clouds cover

a secluded earth , veiled

in soft white lace.

Gusty winds carve the drifting snow

from marble stone,

My numb fingertips search

the chiseled letters of his name.

On my first day of school

we walked together

his fleshy fist curled around my hand

like a shell protecting its seed.

He sat, surrounded by trains and blocks,

an over -stuffed doll in a playpen.

Now, a haunting train whistle

pierces an eternal white sea

and peeling red petals sink

into his cold, white blanket

I return to earth

through the heavenly gate,

wondering at the swirling skirts

of white-robed angels

winding uphill

to his quiet kingdom.

Flitting, darting

never tiring

feathers floating

twigs, grass

even a touch of hemlock

woven tightly, nestling

in the crook of an old oak

She sits, waiting

warming unknown treasures

Above, green parasols

protecting the sanctuary

a lover chirps his ready song

high noonday sun

feeds newly planted seeds below

She sits, waiting

Warm breezes start to whisper

as wide wings appear,

No harbor here,

no throbbing hearts, no pleading peeps

no hungry beaks

She sits no more

as the Universe weeps

She totters about

without direction

muttering to herself,

her voice makes sounds

like an old trombone, sometimes

cracks in the pavement

cause her to pause

take three steps

back

seeking new tracks.

She carries her life

in a torn leather bag

hanging from one shoulder.

A floppy red hat,

a tattered dress

and one laced shoe

adorn her.

Shuffling across city streets

with no mind

to grinding gears or reeling wheels,

she swears at two-ton trucks

rattling past

her threatening fist.

Suddenly, she stops

and stares,

as if her world

has disappeared.

"Three red roses", he says proudly

I tilt my head

as my eyes follow the vine

that curls around his elbow,

the tattoo climbing to greet his shoulder,

"This is for my mother"

he notices my approving smile and offers

"Do you want to see another?"

I blink at the question

coming from a total stranger. Blushing

I nod my head, but he is already unbuttoning

his black silk shirt,

the uniform of the bartenders

in the lobby of the Signature Theater

on Forty- Second Street.

This time, astonishment. A large purple heart

engraved in the center of his perfect chest,

"This is for my father, he's gone now,"

"How beautiful" I swallow, privately embarrassed

about all the times I thought of a tattooed, man

being menacing or mean,

What a sensitive young man, I think

as he tucks in his shirt.

He can't be more than twenty-three..

He sees wonder on my face, he grins, "My name is Jacob".

I offer my hand, "Call me Jan."

The bar is quiet now, almost closing time,

the only sound, the clinking of ice cubes

in the cocktail shaker, doing their rhythmic dance,

He places my friend's Martini on the counter

along with my diet Coke, a slice of lemon

caressing the top of the glass.

"Where are you off to Jan?"

"Back to nature," I smile at the thought.

"What do you do now Jacob?"

"I'm running to a dance class"

.

I was watching a ballgame tonight and noticed how dirty the uniforms got during a game, especially after they slide to base.

Do I have to do one at a time?

e.g. Paste, Copy, etc.

How can I print any page??