Like a Caged Canary in a Coal Mine

You who sing life’s short but meaningful— 
Keep digging there so long as 

The air’s fresh and plentiful. 

Trust to Revolutionary Verses Then

Mind you always explosively intense yes hitting
No false note comrades enlightened enough 

To blow the hoi polloi’s brains out, 
Make true believers of them

To the very end. 

Earth Science Field Notes

                         promontory

sun lounging

lizard stands rock

still above blue green

deep

                        

                         fissure

where upswept pink

cyclamen petals quiver

                         

                        between rocks

slit filled with pine needles

Potomac Farmhouse Diner Entrées after a Freak Summer Shower

Garnishing the fowl 
Broiling, steaming sun 

Basted squealers roiling 
In a heap of muck served 

With relish on the veranda. 

A Poem Should Be (10)

Battle-scarred, still 
Undying, like that word now 
On the tip of your tongue 

Long forgotten, dead 
To a world waiting to burst 
Forth from the rubble 

Your speech has become. 

Spirited Away

On a day never to be 

Forgotten, this day will return 
No longer 

To haunt you. 

Janus-faced

Poker face and all, 
Everyone knew he was given 
To hiding behind a facade all day.

All for naught! 

For no one called his bluff, 
No one dared face the thought 
Of giving one’s self away. 

Reciprocal Gestures of a Different Kind

Love, not taking in 
Everything you throw my way 
Does not mean I do not appreciate how 
You take in everything 
I throw your way. 

Eudaemonia

The gods have been kind indeed; finally 
Out of nowhere, the Senate’s agreed to hear 
Our petition with pomp and circumstance— 
This promises to be a very fortuitous year. 
 . 

Today we have the airing 
Of righteous grievances, 
Tomorrow and the next 
More of the same 
 . 

Till Acheron freezes over—hear, hear 
Let the gods bear witness, 
One more splendid, glorious year. 

R.I.P. Sebastian Barker (1945-2014)

I just got a call this morning from the poet Hilary Davies informing me that her husband Sebastian Barker passed away in London. A fine poet and dear friend, he shall be sorely missed. Here he is with wife and friend in happier days in the house he built and loved so much in the village of Sitochori, Greece. 

You can hear Sebastian reading from his poetry as well as finding out more about his rich and creative life at the link below.

  

http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=5564