Now that I know where
to look, the little removable
panel in the back porch floor
seems obvious. Lifting it
provides access to a master
water shutoff valve. No more need
to crawl through cobwebs
and dust. I feel the presence
of an agile mind, a hand
grasping my own, and I breathe
Thanks.
An elderly Asian man
finds a seat near me
on the Route 550 to Bellevue.
About every third breath,
he emits a deep Buhhhh
from low in his throat.
This eruption shivers me,
though less than I might
have expected. He is not
so much older than I.
By the time we cross
Lake Washington, I quietly
try on a sympathetic
Buhhhh, about every
third breath. It’s not
so bad [...]
1.
We tried to plant a garden
some years ago.
Even putting in deer netting
turned into an argument.
The soil was not sweet enough,
nothing much grew.
Blackberries, scotch broom,
and sticky weed thrived.
Removing our old netting
required too much
effort.
2.
Spring breathes urgency
into an eruption of peonies
near my porch. Nearby,
Heavenly bamboo
shimmers in the sun
while my newly sown
chard and kale seeds
unfurl to the light.
3.
The [...]
I park my truck under
cover, crack the windows
when I shop for groceries.
That way my companion lab
won’t get too hot while he waits
in the front seat.
I give Ted’s velvet ears a loving
tug, tell him it won’t be long.
I feel him out there while I shop,
consider getting him a treat,
but don’t.
Three years have passed
since he showed me
how [...]
for my partner, Andrea
Roaring guard demons assault
my truck in the gravel driveway.
They leap and froth,
relentless walkway shitters,
midnight snarlers, minions
of my neighbor.
Lizard brained, I jerk to a halt,
throw open truck door, counterattack
with insane barks and growls.
Dark swirl joins me from the left.
Andrea, usually delicate and reserved,
in full Kali shriek, turns vicious
brutes to tail tucked curs. [...]
From my phone machine,
Two-L Willson spoke pleasure,
thanking me for suggesting
he Google “padlock parts.”
With a few strokes he teased forth
a reluctant key word
to turn a recently crafted
lament.
Though it’s charming when a shapely
word leaps to caress us, sometimes
it must be sought and wooed.
A true word Romeo stops at nothing,
however mad, bad, or dangerous
the seduction.
Brother Two-L,
you are
welcome.
