--THE HEART IS NOT SO EASILY CHANGED BUT THE HEAD CAN BE PERSUADED

…Happy Labor Day.  Is that the correct salutation?  Not sure.

…On Wednesday, very early Wednesday, I board a plane for five days in Vegas for a long boy’s weekend.  Should be fun with many lost brain cells.  Last time I went, two years ago, I was sure one of our party had died and I even called hotel security to check on him because he failed to answer two hours of my repeated cell phone calls, room calls, texts, door pounding.  When they opened the door he was standing there in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist with toothpaste drooling down his cheek as he brushed.

I could have killed him myself.

…So this might be the last post till next week.  Don’t think I’ll take my laptop with me.  We’ll see.

…These are some poems I wrote the other day…

Love Has A Face

You are worried

about how much you worry.

After all, bad things happen to good people.

Yesterday a dog went missing,

a kid got snatched,

someone’s city was invaded.

And those are just worries on a macro scale.

Here at home there’s a sense of floating untethered--

the kind of boundlessness that induces panic in someone who is otherwise motivated,

organized and inspired--

free falling through time and space,

breaking past cobwebs

which are the only obstructions,

never touching down

or touching the things you’d most like,

just one long drop

into the silky black.

Here at home there’s also the fear of being unlovable

or incompatible,

truly great worries,

worrisome because love is so many necessary things:

sustenance,

glue,

hope,

security,

a kind of  malleable eternity

and series of endless snuggling.

So why don’t you wait a second for once. 

Open your eyes and turn the nightlight on.

How’d I get here?

In your room?

Don’t worry about that.  I would never hurt you.

Just lay there.  Try to be calm.

Go ahead.

Breathe.

Exhale.

Good.

Great. 

You’ve got it.

Now let me tell you a story. 

It begins like this:

   Once upon a time

   there was a woman

   who was the face of love itself

   but did not know it.

Luck

I found an eyelash on my hand but it wasn’t mine

Too short

Not thick enough

I closed my eyes and made a wish

And blew

That’s when you appeared

Okay, only a memory of you,

But I was lucky just the same

Nightswimming

Hey it’s almost midnight

Come on in

The water’s not that cold

Even the crickets want you to

Can’t you hear them

I want you in this lake so badly

I’m not even using proper punctuation

So you’re smiling now huh

Does that mean you’re coming in

Who needs a swimsuit

What am I wearing

Nothing

Oh come on you’re not that shy

Besides it’s so dark out I can’t even see your freckles

But maybe if you got closer

I’d be able to see them under this stripe of moonlight

That would be something else

Otherworldly actually

Yes I really do dig your freckles that much

I’m glad that makes you happy but

Let’s go already

Snap snap

Andale andale

That’s Spanish

There you go

Do it

Great

Nice splash

Excellent splash

You’re practically a mermaid

I bet you grow a tail within five minutes

I don’t know why I’m talking so much

Swim over here

Thatta girl

Way to go

You’ve almost got it

What do you mean got what

Me that’s what you’ve almost got

I’m not trying to be funny

I’m serious

My arms are wide open

You can’t imagine how much

They miss you

Heaven Is A Highway

You’re riding on the back of my motorcycle

The wind is our best friend

But every once in a while she tosses a curve ball

And we get thrown out of lane

It’s okay

These are deep country roads

Haven’t seen a car for hours

Saw two pronghorn antelopes

That’s a couple of reasons right there for believing in God

All right, let’s not get all serious

I’m higher than John Denver ever was

But I know now what he meant

There’s the sun on our cheeks

That wind again destroying your hair

A flock of starlings just shot out of a tree

Forming the first letter of your name

I don’t think we’re in a movie

Neither of us is rich enough to be famous

But hell

Don’t close your eyes for a second

This could very well be heaven