no one's home

they don't live here,

just add the bill to the one for

their main house, their private jet and

private schools.  

the houses behind the signs are large,

well appointed and 

empty.  

one in front of every empty house

along this lovely dirt road, hidden up 

in the hills above Santa Fe.

beautiful and empty.

Learning the iPhone

I insisted that he get a bigger phone, and 

then I insisted that he learn to text.

I don't do phone calls anymore.

He demurred with a mumble about not 

"doing that", and I retorted, "You're being lazy"

No excuses.

On a Saturday, I picked him up for training,

with a nice young lady, volunteering her time,

and he fell in love,

and he learned how to text.

his name is Slav

I imagined a heavy set older man
sauntering into my office, extending his hand
I'm Slav.
he would sit down heavily onto my too small
guest chair and would gaze at me directly,
small, sharp eyes and a set jaw
he'd get right to the point, brusque in fact
I'd respond in kind and the meeting would end,
efficiently, items noted, a plan forward.
I was almost right.

Next Job

his next job will be walking Bella

through the long corridors of DIA,

her nose to the ground seeking bits of 

fallen food,  a welcoming smile 

as north is drawn to south, so Bella 

instinctively moves towards small children,

sure to be coated in sugar, dropping small

crumbs alongside.

they giggle, moving back and forth,

in terror so much as laughter 

and when they are thoroughly licked

clean, her nose drops to the ground, pulling

the leash, pulling him away from this 

one, and on to the next.

Reaching for the hummus

it's in the middle of the table
her hand, so delicate, refined natural nails
pounces
and retracts holding a toasted pita piece
dripping warm hummus
mmmm she murmurs
while he's reading he reaches absent
mindedly across the table, the long dark hairs
on his arms glisten under the overhead light
I watch all this
and when their hands are empty, they find
each other, clasping each other
without looking.

Numerical Computation

Indeed,
if the slope is steep and abruptly
changes sign, the solver skips merrily past,
pigtails swinging, a rock clanging in the bottom
of the red pail.
on the side of the road we wonder
how the hill disappeared, it was there 10 minutes
ago, and then 20, but now the plain is flat
and nothing will rise the grounds.
i discover this in my office chair
I am glad to know it.

zum zum capoeira mata um

we sing songs, we have names

she's the ant, the tiniest one, 

arisca, the one who moves quickly,

except when she's nursing an injured knee

and miravilla, the super woman, the ex-gymnast,

ski instructor and yoga master. and then

there's curiosa, the one who always is wondering

the one with the braid and the green T-shirt

I know her.