Wonderful to Be Here, My Love

As it was many years ago, seeing 

The couple that seemed old 

To us then, wondering what it was 

He was saying as they walked 

Arm in arm round the Parthenon, 

When he squeezed her hand 

And she answered yes dear, 

Clearly it must have been 

A day much like this one. 

Wary of Being Panned in Public, Publius Ovidius Naso Lambasts Himself Piteously, though Still Failing to Abort the Metamorphoses of the Masses Brought on by the Likes of One Alfredius E. Neumano, Roman Gadfly

Spare the rod? Holy Jupiter, are you mad, 

Ovidius? Shove that spit into that kid before

He turns us all into fawning muttonheads. 

In Transit

recently departed bus 

passenger gone but 

these handles on 

seat back still 

warm to touch 

Sirocco over Hellas

Muammar, 

If you were here I would tell you 

Today it rained buckets of red 

Dust brought from that distant 

Desert of your late despotat— 

A not unusual phenomenon when one considers

That maddening south wind blows hard 

Enough to take one’s head off. 

Rainbow

So bewildering 

To follow the spectrum 

Of the spirit, I was walking in 

Iridescent rain and thought I was 

Walking towards it. 

Being Swept off My Feet

Do I hear folly calling me again in guise of air? 

Well, blow me down—how was it I was unaware 

A whirlwind muse kept my frenzy hidden there. 

Stargazers

Not there 

Where we can be 

Seen but over here 

In this little corner of the world 

Where the stars lead 

To stairs that are invisible.