Ambers and muted blues
Islands adrift in calm seas
And I in deep repose
Enjoy the gentlest of scenes
Bask in this moment of succulent nothings
And I in deep repose
Enjoy the gentlest of scenes
Bask in this moment of succulent nothings
In a complex
Of rectangle and square
Though rich with gardens
Water flowing through fountains
This space of rounded stone
Softened only by circular curves
Is the place of peace for me
Unmoved by the tides
Steadfast in the currents
An oasis of calm in the tumult
The waves break upon me
Then slide back to the ocean
Their energy dissipated
Until the sea itself
Is becalmed
Storm abates
Combatants retire
Skies clear
Calm returns
Inside my little cockpit of calm and warmth
I sing “Wassiye! Wassiye!”
With Habib Koite
A song of mirth and joy and love
Just as is the song within me
As I navigate existence
Across the expanse of being
And all its many storms
That’s all there is
Within my mind
Naught but the sound
Of wheels on pavement
As my body cleaves
The warm still air
The undulations
Of the path
The gentle song
My spirit sings
What else could I need
I remember days long past
Of sunshine and calm
Depths still clear
At forty feet
The rod held
Expectantly
In your son’s hands
Paddle in yours
The strokes
A gentle
Powerful
Grace
You didn’t care for fishing
But I did
So out we went
My youth
A stream of summer memories
New England lakes
Bass and wallabies
A pickerel here and there
The perch and sunnies
Disdainfully thrown back
Paddling today
On a perfect day
I reflect on those times
And the times that would follow
Times of storms and dark clouds
Murky shallows
When we were not always
So gentle with each other
Awkward
Sometimes graceless
The depth of you
Forever unreachable
But still I knew you
As the father who’d take me out
For no more than the pleasure
Of my pleasure
That is
I knew
Always
That you loved me
You’ve been gone now
For longer than I ever had you
For your eulogy
I used the metaphor
Of the missing wingman
A natural for the pilot father
But on this day
Of sunshine and calm
Of depth and clarity
I notice a second paddle
Laying against the empty seat
Wishing your hands were upon it
So that once again
We could take on this task of living
With the harmony of paddling
Together
In a whir of calm
And failing light
The river
Never stops
Splish splash
Boat at anchor
On the sea
Roly poly
Float the logs
Storms set free