beauty in ice

I went looking for flowers

to go with the ice,

to thread the stems delicately 

through a weave of dendrites 

I imagined them shooting across

the chasm of supercooled water

yes, I studied such things 

a long time ago.

the ice, how much ice I have frozen

for my love, how many dendrites

have I seen, so many fractures and 

ice so crystal clear.

I went looking for flowers to 

celebrate ice.

The Poetry of Thanks

I forgot the nice bottle of wine,

The beautiful card, a nice piece of artisanal cheese,

All of the niceties that good guests leave behind

The ones with good manners and a full head of hair,

We are the bald and the crippled, the overworked nurse who still needs to

Write a presentation for a week from today and gets interrupted for

Another glass of Root, with ice, after a shower and a shave

I meant to do better, but I didn’t, having destroyed two plastic containers

As water expanded to ice, I meant to be a better guest

With excellent manners.

We thank you, Al and Sharon, for a break from looking out the

Same windows, for a comfy bed, for the challenge of finding anything in

Your beautiful kitchen, for your friendship.

!

QQN- 064 Love in America

Nothing like the warm hug of cold steel,

the smooth butt of a handgun or round 

barrel of a .45

it's all love, isn't it, love of country and each other,

standing proud over the American flag,

I wanted to go hug you, QQN-064, but you 

looked preoccupied as you awaited the final number

from the Geico adjuster,

how many was it in Sandy Hook, or the nightclub

in Florida, how is Ms. Giffords fairing these days,

somehow the warm hug turned into warm blood.

the invalid and his nurse

he snores at night, unable to roll onto his side,
waking himself up, realizing he needs to use the bathroom,
and reaching down to grasp the yogurt container for such
emergencies.
she sleeps upstairs, restless, then falling into the deep sleep
only exhaustion brings
the tasks of emptying yogurt containers, hefting ice buckets,
cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, administering medications,
she snores at night, waking herself and realizing she needs to use the bathroom
and her small feet pad across the cool wooden floor,
hoping she is not waking the invalid, who may call out to
her for something
she wants to turn off her phone
but she doesn't.
she loves him,
after all.