this Funchal art walk
makes me miss my young artists
at home without us
yet we must adjust
with the empty nest so close
i can feel its grip
this trip is a test
to see what “just us” feels like—
we’re on sold ground
ten thousand stone steps
slippery at dawn, at noon
as mist never stops
ten thousand reasons
to be afraid of this hike,
yet we keep trekking
ten thousand peak views
all in different shades of light
just like our marriage
ten thousand questions
when we married at twenty
look how far we’ve come
enchanted lava
creates unique swimming pools
otherworldly
infinity pools
so twenty-first century
simply don’t compare
an intense hike day
with a mid-Atlantic dip
in the midst of love
a cafe awaits
in the midst of all trails here
Tarta de Nata!!
afternoon beach time
cheap to rent umbrella, chairs
on Moroccan sand
stressful travel day
of planes, trains, automobiles,
worrisome charges
Madeira calms us
with its volcanic beauty,
nice people, great fish
everyone loves pies
especially my “sailor”
sailing in England
his dream, to be here
honoring Admiral Nelson
at pub built for him
the travel bug bites
a little later for some
(i’m glad it but him)
monumental start
to a pretty walking trip
of a London day
Tower Bridge tour
with views of the mighty Thames
where they built this town
an historic bar
rebuilt four centuries back
for beers in cellars
jet-lagged beginning
for a slow and easy day
goals: tea, nature, food
the Thames is perfect,
Chelsea is as sweet as pie,
London has orchids
with perfect planning
(cutting onions with bad knives)
we’ll eat cheap; sweet prize
ten gallons of paint
in two shades of first-place blue
nine sets of hands working
on their shared day off
eight sets of curtains
washed and re-hung
seven stairs on each level
to paint between the cracks
six day deadline to
start a vacation, a new life
five day miracles happen
with many hands making light work
four levels to scrub grime
from walls, baseboards, and floors
three gallons of cleaner
to rub our hands raw
two levels of pet-pee-stained carpet
replaced at an affordable rate
one hell of a victory
for the life we work so hard to achieve
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