Hearing with rubato

Hearing with rubato

A conversation lag

Processing the meaning

And feeling of the wag

Silently reciting 

Words and phrases with space

Then a hurried effort

To pick up the right pace

Purple like royalty

Purple like royalty

Harsh kingdom called cancer

Strange patches on the skin

No cure and no answer

A Gorbachev forehead

A Picasso drawn shape

The strangulation of

Life by a mutant rape

In these old-fashioned lines

In these old-fashioned lines

Is modern and abstract

The minimalist brush

The landscape of subtract

To see the dark night and

Know stars are hiding there

Or the depths of water

Behind the surface glare

Trees are surrendering

Trees are surrendering 

How easy they give in

In autumn still counting

And holding hopes within

Another season here

Steps becoming shuffle

Accepting the could haves

Behind in the ruffle

Pausing for this moment

Pausing for this moment 

Leaves rushing at my feet

I remember jumping

All alone in the street

Sycamore and pin oak

The occasional elm

A child’s heart in my heart

In this great Overwhelm

In need of more repairs

In need of more repairs

The spirit is broken

Wading in the wallows

To willow not oaken

Growth and change are messy

Not purchased goods or thrift

Work in navigation 

The choice to not just drift

The painted light is here

The painted light is here

Under leaves silver white

Shadows strolling in blue

The sun a stringless kite

Horizon curtains soon

Will close across the sky

The dipper stars will wink

As questions multiply