Celebrating Explorer 60 years ago

as we, the Americans, rose above the clouds towards darkness
past the Russians, as our sensors started detecting the small
explosions of micrometeoroids against the sides of our tiny satellite,
we, the Americans, breathed a sigh of relief
we could win the space race after all
along the way, we could observe the past rushing at us
from billions of years ago, the rising of stars and galaxies,
the roar of stars falling into the abyss of dark holes.
we, the Americans, saw it all in the end
and realized how tiny we are
what power we hold in our outstretched hands.

Ecrire en francais

J'ecris mon fils en francais
et ca me fait du grand plaisir.
J'ecris Iba, Badou et Baye en francais
et ca me fait du grand plaisir,
un qui a son certificat de droit,
l'autre etudie le biologie et le troisieme
travail, travail, travail, sans etre instruit.
je lui ecrit aussi.

birthday socks

birthday socks make me happy

with their colorful stripes and soft heels

my feet are happy and proud

prancing down sidewalks and

pedaling down the path

they shout out to the world

look at me in my new socks!

with a new pair of socks, the world

is fresh and new, one thinks fondly

of old friends and new, of birthday

parties and champagne.

if you feel down, get a new pair or

socks, or buy some for a friend.

I'd rather fly to France

I'd rather fly to France
than a small American town in the
middle of nowhere, a place I would
never choose to go, willingly
but for life's vagaries,
the ones which birth us into this
jangled world of color, sound and beauty
the same one of grief and lost loves.
this small jet flying to nowhere
it costs so much more than just the
ticket.

Mestre Lucas and Me

Mestre Lucas and me -

he just finished a series of handstands

flips and rolls,

I swung my leg over that same old folding chair

I'm sweating and he's not, but

we're both smiling 

it's my birthday roda

Crows

They caw angrily from the trees

as Bella swoops in to eat scraps of food

left behind on the frozen ground.

She knows that food awaits her if

she runs towards a group of crows, 

scattering them to the skies

they caw angrily, knowing that the

food they have found will leave

in the belly of Bella.

here's what 60 looks like

he may be a higher belt

and he may be able to duck but 

I swing my leg high and kick towards his

right shoulder.

I am so proud.  I am so strong

I am 60

let no one forget that we are not dead

at 60

we are not dumb or deaf, watch out world!

I am 60!