be ready to grin
to back-stab, brown-nose your key
into their pockets
to be ignored, spent
keys in hand, ready to turn
(but it’s the wrong lock)
where is the right lock?
where can i turn them with ease?
whose damn keys are these?
rather than turn locks
i will remain taciturn
and find the right key
in a search for faith
we forget humanity
in all its beauty
we judge; don’t reach out,
cast stones without confession
pit love against faith
flags fly in all camps
begging for new believers
each claiming the truth
what if we used hearts?
and arms and hugs and kisses?
would we be sinful?
here we lose our faith
in a connection-less void
we call religion
forgetting our friends
is like helping enemies
win every battle
summer-teasing sky
in the midst of finals week
beckons this field trip
free lawn movie night
we can pretend school’s out
just four days early
sunny skies return
for a barbecue birthday
mimosas and love
perfect city walk
through the perfect Denver ‘hood
gold gardens galore
kids with grandparents
treasuring these small moments
till the rain returns
is he that shameless
he’d admit infidelity
to an underling?
or. worse. that he runs
this broken-down version of
failed education
to be at the top
you need slime, distaste, and pride
in what you can’t do.
i would rather teach.
put my soul among the youth.
hope for the future.
younger girls’ voices
marred by oldest’s attitude
they just want to sing
i just want to hear
all their tiny voices sing
like when they were tots
concert on the green
plagued by rain, adolescence,
unforgiving looks
at home, peace returns
Daddy’s voice sings poetry
as he says goodnight
the oldest studies
in her hole of happiness
escapes into books
my voice escapes me
don’t know how to talk to her
no voice of reason
will she hear my voice
when in my dreams, she listens?
gives voice to my joy?
we all have choices
to hear the ‘tude or the song
listen… sweet voices!
no way to see her
as the crazy little girl
now so close to teen
i’d rewind our lives
to bring back those soft moments
without dirty looks
alas, i chose this
and still love her–so fiercely–
love can’t be rewound
Colorado beach
is a stream and campfire
my relaxation
The campground we paid $57 to reserve was covered in snow. Bruce texted me at 2:52 and said we had to cancel. I thought of six devastated girls and my Jordan National Forest upbringing. “Just drive down 285. Surely there’s something.” He reluctantly agreed to meet me in Buena Vista. At 8pm, we pulled into our non-campground, no-bathroom site and fixed Spanish dinner by 19:30. 😉 The next morning it rained/hailed for 3.5 hours, ending with a frightening lightning storm when I said, “Kids, get in the car! NOW!!” And I blessed the lord to let him drive…. Up the road and into a mud pit. He screamed, cried out, “Our brand new car!! Why did I do that?! Why did we come on this trip?!!” And I opened my door, stepped in 7 inches of mud, and walked 100 yards to a camp full of 4-wheel-drive fanatics who came with their tow line and Jeep Rubicon and pulled all 8 of us, Pilot and all, right out of that pit of hell. And he drove reverse for a quarter mile (something I could never do) and the hail melted and the rain stopped and that’s. What makes a marriage.
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