Water Ladder

Up On A Ladder
Something Sad
Upon The Waters
Atomic Clark
Cobbler’s Nail
Open Up
A Flower Pattern
Super-8 Stars
Spend Saturday
Old Edith

Up On A Ladder

Up on a ladder
out in the rain
tossing down
mud and leaves

Another season
stuck in the gutter
daredevil balance
work in the weather
cold hands
pulling free
the water
just rushing
past me

Something Sad

Something sad
in our land
where cars go by
signs of the past
driving with the old
hard to stop

Lost the ability
to change the dream

The grace is gone
left with holding on
to each other
and broken
in the road


Upon The Waters

If we were
a sailing ship

We’d be
upon the waters

We’d be
A crew of two

Upon the sea
with the wind
to marry us

We’d need
the shore no more

Atomic Clark

Making sure he’s ready
they dress him warm
with boots and hat
woolen coat and
Atomic Pack

Over and out
he leaves home

There’s no cause
to worry
even underneath
the clouds
he glows

Cobbler’s Nail

Would it stop a bullet
like a pocket Bible
or a silver coin?

What’s the reason
I put up with it?

Walking with it
recall Achilles
he had his tendon
I have my reason
for carrying it

I found this shoe
in a box in Maine
forgotten like
violets in a bucket

I walk in Washington
I should have known
the years have torn
the cobbler’s nail
reminding me
with a little pain
wherever I go

Open Up

Cast no shadow
make it matter
get it down in
Broadway letters

Find a window
open up
when it happens
open up


A Flower Pattern

From our wooden fence
we watched the sky
four spotlights sweep
spread out and spin
and come back in
to a flower pattern

Unlatching the gate
we got in doors
and went out driving

By happenstance
led downtown
the car took us
to the source
planted in
a parking lot
a garden of light


Super-8 Stars

When you walk
with a Super-8
you look for movies
happening
everywhere

Everything
is the star
attraction


Spend Saturday

All that wind
left the yard
littered

Fir cones, branches
leaves from maples

Spend Saturday
raking
making piles
jumping size

Old Edith

Old Edith
Peterson
may be gone
but her fence
blew down
in the wind

We remember her
in the weather

The neighbor
says the wood
was rotten
even then




illustrations: rustle frost
writing: allen frost
written: November 12—November 18, 2006