Mediocre

Here you are
not too many hangovers
not too many fights with women
not too many flat tires
never, no never a thought of suicide

not more than two job changes
never a chipped tooth, three decades and
not more than three tooth aches
never missed a meal
never in jail, never in love

five pairs of shoes
trousers and shirts stacked together
oh to live your closeted life on the edge
car loans, insurance policies
passion reserved for weekends
your technology on auto update

so easily amused, its a miracle
our madhouses are rarely on display.

Betrayal

Today I saw a woman flirting with a man, a man who is not her husband. I say to myself: She ought not have improper relationships with this man, this is absolutely incorrect, JUST NOT RIGHT. I say this woman should not be seeing this man in an inappropriate way when her husband is picking raw from ripe tomatoes in the back aisle.  But I do tend to confuse an old reality with a new one. This woman is close to being 80 years old, her husband instead of picking tomatoes is pushing daisies. Yet, How can there be improper relations with a woman of 80? My confusion must be this: though her body is old, her capacity for betrayal is still young and fresh. 

Five Senses

My dearest one every once in awhile you ask me 

Why do we have to go to the art gallery?

why do we have to go see a play every other weekend?

why do we have to go a concert?

why go to the restaurant and try new cuisines?

   I could tell you, "I just feel like it" and leave it at that and you would resent me label me extravagant and never understand my curiosity or intent. 

    My darling child, just like I have you too will learn over the years to treat your five senses with respect and consideration. you will take your eyes to the museum, your nose to a flower show, your hands to the fabric store for the velvet and silk; you will surprise your ears with a concert , and excite your mouth with a restaurant meal. You will also meet people who make their senses work hard for them day after day: Read me this newspaper! Pay attention, nose, in case the food is burning! Ears!- get together now and listen for a knock on the door! their senses have jobs to do and they do them, mostly-the ears of the deaf won't, and eyes of the blind won't . soon you will see their senses get tired. Sometimes long before the end they will say, "I am quitting, I am getting out of this NOW"! those persons are less prepared to meet the world, they will stay at home more, waiting for that knock which they might miss, letting milk spill over, the eyes and hands sore from scrubing clean a kitchen. My love, when one day if it all quits on them, they are really alone...in the dark, in silence, numb hands, nothing in the mouth, nothing in the nostrils and you will hear them ask themselves this "Did I treat them wrong?" "Didn't I show them a good time?" and no, you don't want to be that person. Go ahead, drive three hours to watch that play, camp overnight for those concert tickets, spend a tad extra on fine wine, do whatever you can and show them a good time.