ARGOS

(I published this earlier with a picture of my good dog Sam, and a dedication to him as well.  A couple friends got worried that something was amiss with the old dog.  I can see how that happened, but not to worry, all is well.)

ARGOS
contemplating time
thinking of Ulysses

I knew

you were gone

and so

I waited…I waited

I sensed you

ephemeral/ethereal

here     there

gone

I tuned myself

to the air

as if

air were memory

and

you were the air.

I leaned

against

air

I

nuzzled

air

I

ran behind

herds

of

air

I waited
listening for you

until

forever became

a memory

of a memory

and

until

there was

less.

And, still –

I waited           I wait

.

ARGOS

RW

Seattle

02.26.2017

CALAVERAS

(attribution unknown)

SKULLS

Behatted Dandies

derbies & fedoras

with

Bonita Katerinas

in bonnets

and

fabulous French fashions


Skulls

grinning

teeth clacking

 cigarette chomping
and

biting necks off bottles

Skulls

connected

to

skeletons

by

scrawny

neck-bones

connected

to

all

the

bones

down

the

line

‘cause

that's 

the way

of the Lord.

Skulls

rattling parts

cutting rugs

eating flowers­­­

ripping down

country roads

on

antique Harleys

or

astride

bare-boned

long-toothed

long-gone

nags

(Rocinantes all)

trailed

by boney-assed

jewel-eyed

dogs.

Ain’t life

or

in this case

death

grand

and

ain’t you sportin’

in your top hat and tails

twirling that silver handled cane

cause

you know

ain’t no grave

gonna hold

your

old skull

down.

(spectre - james bond)

RW

Seattle

02.25.2018

SHELTER IN PLACE

In the shelter

shelter of a thought

In the shelter

of a gaze

Who watches?

In the shelter

shelter of your arms

In the shelter

of your heart

Who watches?

In the shelter

rooms & shadows

In the shelter

doorways

alleys

Who watches

watches over you?

In the shelter

words & phrases

In the shelter

silence

breath

In the shelter

life & death

Who watches

who watches

who watches

over you?

RW

Seattle

2/23/2018

Last Post from Guanajuato

HACIENDA SAN GABRIEL DE BARRERA

(construction completed in the late 1600’s by the owner of the Valenciana Mine)

Ground Floor

Resident shadows

sombras residentes

Rooms where even the young are old

Rooms haunted by martyrs and the ever suffering Christ

Sex haunted

Haunted by whimpering

And all the secrets money could buy.

Family Quarters

second floor

Windows

dust motes in slanted light

Opulence

gold & silver & lace

Unbloodied portraits

la familia

Bright footsteps and chatter

All the comfort money could buy.

The Grounds

Ablaze

sun and color

exotica

Sparrows Doves

Fountains

Saint Francis and The Virgin

forgiving sins

All the garden money could buy.

The Chapel

The sad and private chapel

Miners

trapped

in the gold

encrusted

on the altar

and

all the dark voices

voces oscuras

money

couldn”t

buy.

RW

Guanajuato, Mex.

14 February 2018

THE INCONSISTENCY OF STARS

THE INCONSISTENCY OF STARS

     (for our friend Chris Holmes)

It’s not uncommon to think of someone you haven’t seen or heard from in awhile.

It’s not unusual to wonder about their mortality, especially if their health was known to be fragile.

It’s not even uncommon to find out the person had died on or about the time he or she had been in your thoughts.

It’s that moment of knowing a phone call is coming, and who is calling, just before the ring.

It’s easy to make up reasons for the so-called coincidence, or call it enlightened guess-work, but we like best to imagine we are connected in ways beyond happenstance.

We like to think blood is electric

That love and friendship are currents in the continuum

That the ocean of time bathes us in common

And that our humanity is the great connector.

We’d like to believe candles make a difference, prayers are answered, wishes were horses, and our loved ones reach to us through the galaxies.

Believe

what we will

We are

Temporal

&

Forever

&

know

very

little.

RW

Guanajuato City

February 4, 2018

PLAZA MEXIAMORA

Guanajuato City

After days

of clouds

wind & cold

Sun, by gum!

And

The Old Gringo

on a bench

catching rays.

Lunch time for the escuela

Mexiamora chock full of kids

padres

y abuelos

sharing tortas

and tossing crumbs

to the ever-famished-feathered.

This

is

Heaven

Around & Within

Cielo en la Tierra

Tranquil

y

Feliz

until

BANG - SUGAR TIME

La Fiesta de Azucar

The

air

is

a

piñata

!!!

Heaven

in

high-gear

!!

¿ Y Como No ?

¿ Como No ?

This too shall pass.

RW

2 Feb 2018

Guanajuato