Thursday, December 20, 2012

Holiday Time Slip




The heart scores a wild beat
Deep in his chest
Up in his throat
Pounding with an odd thrill
A nano-second of inexplicable joy
Juvenile rambunctiousness
Saved for a holiday
Or a birthday
Some rare delight
That turns the clock in reverse
For an unforeseen treat
To the time that he got his first mitt
From his older sister
Who cheered him on
As he played that forgotten game
With his grandfather
Who smiled and
Bared  a gold front tooth
That reflected in the sunlight
Passing through the overhead leaves
Nudged by a gentle breeze
Carrying the scent of
Leather and sweet tobacco
Intertwined with the arbor vitae
Bringing him back
To the moment he left
Which seemed like decades ago
Drawing him to walk back
To the parking lot,
Asking the vendor with the stogie
In his mouth:
“How much for that tree?”

Monday, December 17, 2012

Beat Elves




Tired of the electronic circuitry line
For the X – something,
Weee – something
Gang of letter writers
Bubs and Jeebers
Packed their woodwinds
Swapping this ice block
For a jazz gig down south
Catching the first dogsled
Out of the tundra
Heading for Mama Millie’s Moose Bar
Burning up some hot jazz
Sweating up a rainstorm
For the drought of the land
Drought in their hearts
Serenading some round-eared,
Red-nosed dolls
Making them pine
For a cooler life
In winter wonderland
With some buck-eyed stags,
Some sandman tunes
Into the magic of twilight
Shaking a tail
High tailing it north
For that mystical trade-off
With shining stars
Lit-up elves
Donning their shades in the sun
Until their numbers came up
Finding their callings
On the MP3 line
As the Big Man smiles
And whistles Dixie.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Trial and Error





Being born with elf ears
Outside the North Pole
Was a curse to them,
Ridicule the norm
Stereotypes crawling under the skin
Thin skin, gentle hearts
Expected to wear pointed shoes
Unflattering colors of the rainbow
Accused of gluing on fakes
Spreading defective tinsel
Glitter graffiti
Sticking mockups
To purebred ears and
Unsuspecting specimens
Of self-righteousness;
Shunned, condemned
Without a trial
As a gift
For a perfect Christmas
With indifferent ears

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Hunt and Peck





Cold water splashed
On the sleepy face
Fog laden
Star dusted corners of her eyes
Reaching for the tattered towel
Frayed edges
Hanging threads
Everything hanging by that thread
Dangling her morning earrings
To cover her impoverished room
From the steno pool girls
Fast typing fingers
Fast talking tongues
Borrowing hats and scarves
From the shop owner
Trading the privilege for
Feather repairs and lint removal
Covering up
Hiding her past
The shame of her poverty
With a grin and a wink
As she put on the act
Along with her make-up
Carries the strut
Easily as her coat
Hoping that no-one will notice
Accidental tears in her stockings
Not realizing that they all
Play the same game
Hiding only from themselves