Before dawn

I think I hear someone on

the frozen river

and stop to listen

but it’s only the straining

ice that’s giving way

and shattering like

giant panes of glass as the

river moves it on

so I keep moving,

relieved, as if I might have –

could have – saved some soul

who’d gotten stuck there

without a branch or a hand

or hope to cling to

but that behind me

I’m down the trail again to

Washington, D.C.

on toward Washington

to beat the crowds and witness

the Inauguration

heading south toward where

a glow on the horizon

shows through bare branches

and this time in the

first rays of dawn I hear a

low soulful humming

and sense up ahead

the shadowed forms of people

walking toward the light

And see their breath

Rising up like jeweled veils

in the frosty air

walking and humming

with tools on their shoulders and

baskets at their sides

humming the world of

their frozen river, strained and

shattered, moving on

toward the break of day

toward the sun, Washington, and

Inauguration

by Creeker

stalwart icon of
my father’s generation
holding on like him

a symbol of dreams
for an anonymous house
some kids and a car

if only the world
could have kept up with your plans
things would be fine now

to ‘cover the world’
with your great vision of the
American Dream

Oh, Sherwin-Williams
your icon is dripping with
dreams of my father

the slow drive home from
the hospital, afraid to
stop, to turn, to speak

the house was empty
except for the dog who knew
her smell already

the steam from our cups
rose up and twirled together
as you nursed our child

my screaming teenage

daughter tests my willingness

to keep on giving

a taste of her own

medicine always seems to

cough back up on me

like the stuff I thought

I had finished cleaning up

all those years ago

no use telling me

that I should draw the line and

hold my ground with her

I’m no push-over

and still have my dignity

when it comes to that

betrayal and fear

conformity rejection

are her daily bread

I need to show her

how to refuse abuse by

standing up to hers

I need to show her

my unconditional love

so she can find hers

one word from the boy
“Sweet” confers on the doctor
the champion’s medal

he cocks his scrub cap
like a man who’s just stepped up
on the podium

my podium, my son -
I want to clutch the child and
hold him forever

Oh, the world rushes
in to laud new heros and
I strain for a view

thank you, my son, for
the time that I’ve known what it’s
like to be a god

Look at him up there
serious hormone issues
Woody’s ragin’, man

see that log right there
he did that, man, he did that
just demolished it

he can bang away
the dude’s got a need but he
best not touch my car

swimmers in the gorge below

nasty backflow there

I’m too far to yell

the falls are too loud

they must be new

 or stopping by for graduation

there goes another

sliding down the rocks

vanishing under

Where is she?

Ah, Thank God.

Fucking idiots. 

to burst the bubble of a moment in paradise

or just watch and pray?

Ah, they’re leaving now

snapping towels and beating hearts

laughter echos up

with the rising darkness

the dog’s been waiting to finish this walk

and find a squirrel to tree

I blow a few smoke rings off the bridge

and watch them drift over the gorge

In all a good day

with my dog, a nice cigar

and paradise won

koi ready to leap
and explode in a fury
amidst a blue sea

a sea of children
look up in awe as the koi
whisper their promise

each child prays to the
warm sun and mighty fish, come
come and rescue me

with a down and out
dude from New Orleans alone
on the train like me

cross country to spend
Christmas with my sister on
some Air Force base there

thought I knew how to
play the game but the dude played
me till I was broke

he spent my money
on beer in the dining car
and gave me a few

then showed me how to
think, to risk, and to play the
player not the board

until I won my
money back another day
Merry Christmas, kid