inevitable professional, seems like
a mindless choice to me, what
happens when smart people choose
careers, then can’t retreat – you
were a hallmate in our
coed dorm, had a show
on campus radio, on air announced
“The Reaper” haunted you –
come on baby, seasons don’t
fear, is that still true?

a man dressed up in
layers of roles like different
suits of clothes: father, husband,
brother, coach, community member,
elder – the big one, the tall
one, the wise one, the
capable one, the unknown hunter
divided from desire, driven by
that merciless stranger, destiny,
twin legacies of dust and stars

curious about my neighbors,
who lived within the aura of
my parents’ comments – this summer
barefoot woman, my mother said
her feet were dirty – unforgettable
detail, now I recognize she
was an early inkling, Shakti,
stomping shining feet on her
cremation ground, ready to bestow
the gyanagni I still crave

serious accident with farm machinery,
extended recovery in Boston – could
this bring new willingness to
interact with your extended family?

turns out we didn’t visit
you after all, though we
were present in your room
together – hard to accept, but
you can only visit someone
who’s willing to be visited

bright seed transplanted several times,
cared for miscellaneously, sometimes
overwatered, sometimes left too dry –
stubborn blushing bloom resulted,
exquisite as reality, glowing, tan and
prickly, exotic with her dreadlocks
and tattoos – where will this ominous
beauty thrive, a beach house
on the moon, hidden in a honey
bungalow, or everywhere?

a Lancelot, bringer of romance,
in the current version of
Arthurian legend (the one that
has no king, no Camelot,
a ruined castle, and where
chivalry’s a shadow code) – many
nights, they played out their
adventures in the hands of
evil forces (ingested) and survived
with bravery and loyalty intact

bachelor brother – a man of
so few words it might
be better to describe him
using chemical equations –
he activates my scale of
lacks (he should have this or
that) but like the Great Oz
says, what he has is
home sweet home plus intimate
knowledge of the eastern seaboard