Perfection

 

 

He was doing fine

throughout the entire ordeal

the rehearsal dinner

the wedding rehearsal

the tuxes and gowns

rings and flowers and photos

only losing it in the back of the chapel

as he stood watching the six young ladies

he’d known since they were little girls

lining up to proceed his daughter

down the aisle nervous

in their graceful perfection.

 

 

 

 

Black Raspberry

 

 

Black raspberry ice cream isn’t my favorite

ice cream but it is

creamy and refreshing

in summertime New Jersey

the sun and humidity

hot and high

 

I made it as a “special”

when I worked at Carvel’s the summer

Lois was pregnant. Half-a-dozen pints

stashed in the corner freezer

under Fudge Brownie Walnut

Mint Chocolate Chip and plain old Strawberry

 

The lines were 15 deep

but when Johnny showed up

I’d nod and he’d come around

to the side door. He always paid for it

and I stuck extra spoons

in the bag in case they snapped

under the pressure of her tenacious grip

 

Johnny said when Lois has a craving

Lois has a craving

simple as that

 

 

 

Eyes Meet

 

 

One Friday night in the winter

of 1971 I got the last seat

on the bus home, back row

in the middle, the worst seat.

Sleet and snow turned

the one hour ride into two.

 

The woman beside me fell asleep

on my shoulder her name was Jean.

We had spoken briefly over the months,

so I knew she was 24

and worked at Fortunoff's in Manhattan.

But mostly we'd simply say hi when our eyes

would meet at the station.

 

She was tall, pretty and pleasant,

with long brown hair. I liked her

and watched her closely

and could tell she hated men—

especially middle-aged businessmen

with plump wives and kids in college—

making passes at her.

 

I never did that, never made passes,

only said hi whenever I saw her

at the station. That was enough for me

and she must’ve liked me too

and trusted me because she never fell asleep

on any other shoulder but mine.

 

 

 

Magic Dragon

 

 

In Studio Grow Children’s Play Space

with our two granddaughters:

 

stacking blocks into barns, buildings and bridges

knocking them down again

 

climbing over the wooden slat bridge then crawling

through the long slinky plastic tunnel to freedom

 

making salads and waffles and triple-decker burgers

in the play kitchen then play-eating them

 

assembling a tall chimney on Tom the Builder’s Lego House

that he shares with Nurse Betty and sometimes Dr. John

 

doing a dinosaur puzzle and a farm animal puzzle

sometimes mixing them up into a confused clutter

 

playing a turtle, a seagull, and a tiger

in the Make Believe Puppet Theatre laughing

 

uncontrollably as the bar holding the curtains

falls down

 

Then Peter, Paul and Mary’s Puff

comes on over the studio stereo

 

and suddenly I’m struggling

to hold back tears no idea why

 

 

 

Feeding the Ducks

 

 

As Kerry’s wheeling the food cart

in and out of the wards dishing out Alpo

and biscuits to the dogs while whistling

some stupid Supremes tune

I leap out pretending I’m a loose dog

clawing and scratching at his legs

growling and barking

making him drop everything and scream

and when The Doc comes in to see

what all the commotion is about

I’m out in the backyard

feeding the ducks