Building

I’m Building a fence that I want to keep straight.
I’ll need my line and my level
To set this against the impeccable gait
Of time. Pushed to drop up an entropic state.
The pusher, malign and malevol-
ent, never a-wait.
It pushes and pulls,
These angles it dulls,
Decaying from right to crude bevel.
I’d wish this: Stay plumb!
But I’m not all that dumb,
And by then, I’ll be through this one’s gate.

April/May

In and under, little ones.
In and under.
Carefully place you and wish
You all the best.
Days of sunshine,
Gentle rain,
And all the summer breezes.
This spring I’ll try
This once again
Between two winters’ freezes.
Press you in now
Tuck you under,
Cheers till later.
After summer
Then the harvest
When both we’ve changed.
When April/May seems
More months gone,
In dusty slanted autumn light
Then I’ll return to see you leave,
Hold you once to sift between
My palms and wish you well,
A thanks, and off.

The Warship and the Snowbird

Once there was a War Ship
Long ago in Ancient Greece
Ruler of azure Aegean waves
Men can have the shores and peace,
But it would take the seas as slaves.
There it ever undefeated floats
Strapped up to the harbour
Bobbing only ever up and down.
The Ship bides its time
Bowing to be admired
Mopped like a museum
Stale and stepped on
Slapped by the sea it beat
And always only up and down,
Retired and lashed to one place,
Sometimes it wishes to drown.
To end this wishing for the race
That with its mossy wood
Once sure to win now never could.

Once there was a Snowbird
Who exploded over Moose Jaw
And the country could not cushion
Him with either gasps or tears.
He left a life’s worth full of years,
That guy. They say he wanted
Only ever to be flying in formation,
Loved the wind so much
The ride was worth the riding’s end.
Then at his every apogee
A puff of errant breath to send
Him on his way mid wink
Mid glory mid stride and smile.
He tasted from the top a while.
But never knew the cruelness
That is time. Only the climb.
The sadness in this isn’t his.
It flows from those behind.