Live a little

the first ingredient, sugar. 

Add vodka

the last, stevia,

add water.

Mix some grey with brown,

distinguished.

ignore the person laughing behind your back

live a little

even if it tastes bad

in the end.

it's worth taking the risk.

Multi-generational scientists

Blast-off!  

The Falcon 9 rocket lifts off - 

enveloped in smoke and fire, the roar

of its powerful Merlin engines propelling it into

blue skies

Rapt, we watched, even little Felix,

propping himself up to study every 

stage of the trajectory, Mimi

providing commentary on blanket billowing,

Mira doing the countdowns for first stage release

Mimi waiting for fairing deployment, all of us cheering 

at the successful landing of the first stage.

then rushing back to the table to

eat warm waffles drenched in 

syrup, covered in blueberries.

Mira and her Mom

As she rushes toward Mom,

the white polka dotted green skirt

flaring behind her, as if a breeze

were blowing her hair behind her,

Mom, tall and elegant, turns to 

face her, looking down sympathetically,

mid-stride, she will, no doubt,

squat down to eye-level and discuss

the major issues of Mira's moment,

immersing herself in a world far

from climate and war, from groceries

and lunch menus, the rain, everything

else will dissolve into meaninglessness

as she gazes into Mira's face

waiting to listen, listen very

carefully

Rutherford and Jupiter

Now that Mom is gone, they walk

side by side, Jupiter pulling Rutherford to

smell at this tree, and Rutherford asking Jupiter

to wait while he does his business. 

Amazing synchronicity and patience,

side by side, then being pulled back

towards each other,

if only we were tethered to one another

and forced to wait, we would learn to do it

with grace and understanding.

My friend, Cobus

his frame filled the door

muscles bulging after deadlifting 420 pounds

enormous thighs and, and dare I say,

a bit of a gut, 

bursting with friendliness 

we embraced, my smile buried

in the chest of his pink sweatshirt.

Saying good-bye

Lopsided and peeling

precious

what small hands carefully painted

only to endure rain and snow,

searing sun and heat

Yet

The unmade decision whether to save

or give

tired me

In the hope of a new home,

a steady hand securing the lopsided

tilt, a beautiful plant

reaching for the sun.

Peeling off the sticker

I did forget to peel off the sticker and 

she spotted the white sliver on the sliced apple.

The loss, in not peeling, was that

I did not see what was underneath,

the multi-colored streaks of red, orange and yellow,

that beauty was concealed, 

there was no admirer, 

I did not see the world reflected on

the shiny surface, the knife simply sliced

through the sticker, the slice tossed 

into the bowl.

I would never have noticed, or cared,

until I thought about what I had missed.

Missing Cali

it was the last walk for awhile with two black dogs.

The little one, nose to the ground, looking for food,

Cali, head up, looking ahead for squirrels!

The man holding the leashes, the one attached

to these two dogs, no stronger love or link,

I think

Dogs, bike, wife, in that order

and the big dog, Cali, she has gone

away for a bit,

Bella sulks as the house is empty 

without her cousin, Cali. 

Inspired by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, 

the woman who makes earthquakes 

by telling her truth, our truth, the betrayed,

the loved, the ignored, the alone

she inspires me to tell my real

stories that matter, the one about the husband 

finding his gun, but  no bullets, the one about 

the man in the park unbuttoning my blouse,

the one about being locked out of the lab, for

telling the truth, the science one,

and the story of today rising early to make an

apple galette, to make someone happy, someone

who I love.