Spies

Two young spies wearing checkered blazers
and thick-rimmed glasses
trip over beige, improvised obstacles.

They sit behind their super-computer.
One of the spies has dark ringlets of hair
that sweep over his skull like clouds.

The other spy keeps extra supplies
inside an old fashioned doctor bag
but is still light on her feet.

No one, everyone sees them.
They gather information to send off
to someone they don't know and will never meet.

Their lives are full of danger, intrigue, drama.
They wait for no one to assist them and
see only enemies at every turn.

Care-free and inconspicuous,
these two gray-looking spies
cover the world in foot tracks.

La Playa

Let's go to the beach
and play in the white sand.
The pelicans, miracles of paleontology,
circle overhead looking for belly-food.
The smell of salt and sulfur mix together
and cause children to crinkle their noses.
The sea, calm, voluptuous, angry,
likes to take care of the earth and sky.

Let's go to the beach
and eat sandwiches made by the babysitter.
The sun, round and free,
lays paint down that gets under the skin.
We swim in water meant for other animals
and wonder why we left it so many years ago.
People walk around in special suits
to cover and uncover themselves.

Let's go to the beach
and watch the sun hit the sea in the face.
Boats circle the Earth with sails
housing explorers and drinkers.
Doldrums make us spit sand
and shake it from our hair.
Parasols and towels cover the sand
distracting crabs and centipedes.

Let's go the beach
and understand the edge of the world.
Underwater volcanoes and sharks
provide calamity and legends.
Little children make castles
out of moisture and rock.
We need buckets and balls
to keep us occupied.

Babaloo

The search for peace is over.
Vortexes and suffixes combine
with the valence of love and electrons.

I see circles instead of the sharp rigidity of squares.
This is excellent.

Circumstances cause anger to escape
through the floor instead of the head.
I let it escape because I have better things to worry about.

I see the trail it leaves and wonder
if I will slip on it later on, so I mop it up.

The intensity I felt before is gone
not because I feel less but because I
no longer think it is deserved.

Peace has come to Kubla Khan
and I do not fear the tranquility.

Mythology Haiku

Sun gods always charm.
Greeks created mankind's code
with oracle love.

Saloon Sally

Two old dingy doors
swing back and forth
creak
creak
creak

The sunlight is stabbed with sound.

Vultures or some other fowl
forecast the news
extra
extra
extra

Omens fly over a dusty saloon.

Entering, the stillness is broken
by whiskey being poured
glug
glug
glug

The pianola tinkers on.

Someone is cheating
and when I find out
bang
bang
bang

You’re not invited here anymore.

Stylish fellows overthrow
hearts of women
swoon
swoon
swoon

What are you, yeller?

The dust settles as the
sun drones on
blah
blah
blah

Silence is Golden

Sometimes it is so loud that
things fall out of my eyes.
That’s when I have to breathe deeper
and look at the colors in the air.

Then sometimes,
It’s so quiet and fair and soft.
And the memory matches the pitch,
And I don’t have to worry.

I like those times more.