All I need

my feet to travel the distance,

socks and sandals to protect them.

a blouse to cover my torso

and a sweater to cover my blouse

when the wind blows or the temperature drops.

a swimsuit, in case, and a scarf or two,

because we may want to look fancy.

a couple of summer dresses, in case,

and some pajamas for the certainty of sleep.

my feet, a few clothes,

that's all I need to travel the world.

In trouble with the Beefeater at London Tower

he hates when people say how cute he is in his costume,

this stern, yet rotund, smiling, yet commanding figure

in his military uniform in his role as one of Yeoman Warders,

a Sovereign Guard, a Beefeater, for those who drink gin.

Many times medalled, Afghanistan, Iraq, 

not one to mess with, and I did, leaning in a bit

too close, inside the allowable circle

knowing he could have knocked my head off,

all for a goofy photo for my love. 

Vacation is exhausting

vacation is exhausting

cycling along on an electric bike,

stopping for a lunch of confit de canard,

followed by creme brulee, un élonge, or 

perhaps allonge, but that means dead.

I'm not dead, just tired, relaxed, 

the bikes are behind me 

taking their rest.

our house seems so small

I was perfectly happy until I laid eyes on the chateau

in distance, up on the hill, they looked down

onto their fields of wheat and pasture.

clouds drifted by overhead, a cool shadow

occasionally protected the farmers from the heat

of the sun.

my life, all of a sudden, seemed so constrained

in that tiny little house where a small dog seems

to take up all the space and breathes all the fresh air.

there is limitless fresh air here, sun, wind, grapes 

ripening in the sun, the people up there are holding

large glasses of sumptuous red wine and eating

freshly baked baguettes and pungent cheeses.

my life seems so small, so constrained, working in 

small boxy office buildings looking at computer screens.

I'm sure I was meant to be here, dressed in fantastic dresses

and elegant shoes, drinking wine and eating pungent cheeses,

what did I do wrong to live with dog who breathes all the

fresh air and where I have to shop for my own food.

once and for all

equal pay for equal work,

not just for women and men,

but gay and straight,

black and white and brown,

for native Americans and Maori

for the straight white man

who set the scales.

So says the Communist Party 

in the village of Cyrano de Bergerac,

this poster hovers over hoardes of tourists

speaking all languages, we are all one,

le chef

we wandered into a Michelin restaurant

and dined like a king and queen at the table of 

le grand chef, Stéphane Cevin, the large fellow

behind the glass, the one on page 42 of the cookbook

celebrating the grand chefs of Perigord.

He smiles alot and expertly handles a myriad of 

saucepans and platters.

Anyone who claims a large kitchen is needed to cook

a grand meal should visit this grand homme de cuisine.

Il vous montera comme cuire dans une petite cuisine!

les kilometres de vignobles

en route

des kilomètres de vignobles

tout droit, le ciel bleu, du soleil

c'est ce qui nous accueille ici en France, 

a la fin de notre journée de vélo, nous

passerons a un restaurant pour boire le 

jus de ces vignobles avec plaisir.