a wearisome gnat
preoccupied with smallness
worships his own buzz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

warm rays kiss bare skin
breeze and birds accompany
clandestine sun baths

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garlic floats softly
mimes feign dance to metal drums
pasadena nights

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lifeless bird on porch
spirit soared past fruitless flight
took window for sky

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he lives just across
secretly I watch him paint
spying on his soul

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La Parisiennes

beautiful silk scarves
carry faces drawn in smirks
and eyes that don’t see

Cannes

rich people disco
foreigner spies from boardwalk
too poor to dance

Pitanque

cigarettes in lips
weathered men squat to measure
distances with sticks

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Home Savings and Loan

hired at nineteen years
raised by coworkers for ten
laid off from her Home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple Summer Night Slices

crumpled newspaper
charcoal stacked with winsome smile
husband bar-bqs

vying for a kiss
I dance for his amusement
mister grants my wish

blue t-shirt
glass of wine in hand
Christophe smiles

lights my cigarette
lips pucker for his trouble
eyes promise much more

feet clad in sandals
perched restful on a table
husband cracks a joke

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Vinaigrette

amorous garlic
makes love with bashful basil
on a lettuce bed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fromage

exultant goat cheese
pungently acquaints us with
the feet of angels

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassoulet

five meats stewed in fat
molesting lazy legumes
climax on the tongue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

christmas lights reflect
fond memories of elsie
she's with Jesus now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

christmas cards arrive
but only from the living
ghost quills whisper love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

christmas bells announce
the arrival of our Lord
sweet silence fills me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God gave me a gift
entwined within my heartstrings
dares me to unwrap

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~