The Child In You 


At times when you are sleeping 
I see the child you once were
Dreaming on the mattress 
In the space next to me.

If we had a daughter
She might have looked 
Much like you do now
If I cracked the door to her room 
And checked on her slumber.

What we are does not go away. 
It remains, buried under
Added flesh. Dormant. Waiting 
For the right moment.
A twinkle appears in old eyes.
The child is there, laughing,
Waiting to come out and play. 




Catching What You Can

- for Daniel Lange

Morning on the Willamette,
Many boats are out there in the nice weather. 
You see two fish caught, none by you.

You may or may not 
bring home dinner tonight.
It's too soon to tell.
Even without a salmon yet,
You find the day well spent.

"It's been a beautiful morning."
"A glorious day."

You can take that much 
back with you at the end of a hook;
Let it leap into your net
Of its own accord.

"A beautiful morning."
"A glorious day."




Initial Offering 

Some people got rich
On Wall Street today,
But the poor in Kensington 
Are still poor,
And the addicts still need
To fight for every quarter 
They can get
In order to stick 
The next needle in their neck.