the forgiving plant

this one for Maria, who can write poems about food and prose about other important aspects of life

Basil
the emperor herb
spreads generously
aroma when touched

basil
too proud to ask
for much care
shines in the sun as much as it can

basil
when left unattended
in the scorcher heat
wrinkles and wilts

basil
will never complain
(in fact it is but a plant)
and will try to survive for as long as it can

basil
when finally remembered
and throughly watered
will come back to life with majestic power

when watered
and appreciated
will reward you with its wonderful smell
(and let you make good pesto as well)

disregarding

disregarding
the fact that is summer
sunny and 90 degrees in the shade
we dress with long sleeved shirts
hard pressed collars
heels and black pants.
because today it looks good
and it makes us look cool.
all it takes is turning the AC on.

we've learned to make our day
relatively comfortable.
who cares if outside
of our little enclave
the world burns a little bit faster
the river flows
a little bit slower
the ice melts a little bit faster
and seasons have forgotten
how to time their rule.
maybe, if given another chance
our kids will.

the poem

she loves poems
and she requests
to hear one every day
it has to have rhymes
and an image
to dance with it.

she loves poems
but they should be
always the same
- one of those who became
a good friends of hers;
one of those who she knows rather well

it takes time
to befriend truly and deeply
a new poem
and you know by now
that she is not
the kind who falls in love easily

tea

I suggest
you share
a cup of green tea
with a friend

sweeten it
with a cookie
made by your friend's
hands; or yours

relax
this day shall pass
good or bad
as others have

what you have
is this cup of tea
and the option to stirr it
gently

the way you want it
elegantly
if you will only relax
it is 'bout tea

heat

photo courtesy Melinama - http://pratie.blogspot.com/
this one for River Dave and Josie

a day on the Eno
we passed
where the river talks
his stories in a low voice
under the elm trees
where the river goes
in invisible swirls up to the sky
because it evaporates
while we somehow manage
to gently slide our boats
on its mirror like surface.
is it still water or is it still running?
almost effortlessly the grass sweats
blue sweat
while the strings play
along side a tuba
old music of the Carolina.

now that is monday and cloudy
we wait for another day
to go on the Eno
even if the newspapers say
it's gonna be cloudy we know
it might well be cloudy
with a chance of rainbow

sweet love

her love is so sweet
if you only could get
enough of it
sometimes it feels
like there is
more need for it
for her being sweet
so sweet

song of the day - summertime (lyrics- DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin; music -G. Gershwin)

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

summer days, water days

these are the days
when the kids move swiftly
from one stage to another
as they jump in the middle of summer

these are the days
when they still give their parents
kisses and hugs
without being afraid of their peers

these are the days when
light lingers longer and sleep
does not want to come to the eyes
cause it must be afraid of the heat

these are the days of splashes
and swimming fins
and floats and other sorts of devices
to keep them afloat

until they have really learned to swim
until they have grown wings
and the will to go away from home
and learn on their own

these are the days to cherish
and write about in our diaries of love,
save their pictures in albums of photos
and put into songs