journey to reality
mine it seems
is the fate of travelers.
always so little time
to learn about
and get close to others,
but time
to reflect
and wonder.
the first
is my albatross
the second
my daily sustenance,
leading me to lush fields
that will
keep me strong
until reflection
becomes reality.
voyage
i departed years ago
on a voyage
for unknown destinations
met at times
by stormy seas,
blessed too infrequently
with friendly ports.
the sea is harsh on a man
witness the Sirens
luring men into mortality.
yet i returned each time
the call was heard,
aware that the sea
does not always permit
total peace of mind.
love’s enchantment and mystique
seem endlessly
out of reach.
Poseidon rules victorious
over Venus,
indifferent to demands
on a man’s soul.
on my last voyage
i entered a placid harbor
offering welcome rest
warmth and tranquility
companionship
and peace of mind,
fulfilling my wants.
it was unlike other harbors
so i wanted to stay,
to embrace the rapture
of your being,
but the call again came
producing an all too common refrain
an emotional plea
“i must go away,
but please grant my return.”
stinson beach
it’s good to see you again.
my mind floods with memories
of you, she, and myself.
you haven’t changed much.
still the little rustic houses
climbing
up the sides
of your hovering mountains.
and small beach houses
on sticks
staring out to sea.
the crashing surf
and old men with fish lines
reaching into the secrets
of your blue waters.
your sand is hot to the feet,
so i must dash around!
nothing new.
7-11 has found you, stinson beach,
i wonder if IBM will too.
i hope not.
i’ve changed.
i’m a bit more cautious now –
you name it.
i remember like yesterday when
the three of us were together.
on tiny towels necessitating closeness
she and i lay,
tan oiled body to tan oiled body.
she’s gone now – but I’ve returned.
next time i’ll bring a close friend of mine.
i know that you would like her.
i’ll try to bring her soon.
i’ve missed you.
olema
i’m here again.
i wonder if you noticed me.
of course, i haven’t always been
very friendly.
stinson beach was on my mind
when i traversed your streets.
how despicable.
i have stopped to say hello
a few times though.
you remember
she and i stopped at your
restaurant and bar one time
on our way back from pt. reyes.
other times it’s been different.
i’ve driven on your
sleepy streets,
guilty that i am
sneaking through.
the corner grocery
saw me once,
i saw it wink
as i passed by.
i’ll try to be more friendly
in the future.
and one more thing.
please don’t change.
i like you
the way you are.
sausilito
i didn’t know you
until
the second time
i loved.
she and i strolled often
along the bridgeway
pushing our way up
little lombard
in the village fair
and stepping inside every shop
that begged entry.
we never tired
of your graciousness
and pleasures.
i’ve brought someone new
that is special to me.
we marveled at the jewelry
in eaton’s
and sat on the wharf
with the city
the bay
angel island
and twisting sailboats
set out before us.
if only i had a bankroll
i’d buy something more
than
lunch at the kettle
and flowers for my friend.
sitting on a ramp
at the boat harbor
gazing at the symmetry
of masts
and gleaming wood,
and being mesmerized
by the sound
of lapping water
against the hulls.
arm in arm
it was easy
to drift
into incalculable depths
of tranquility.
i told her so,
and she responded
with a touch
that spoke of her thoughtfulness
and appreciation.
i was drawing
tri-masters
on the jeans of her thigh,
when i returned
from tahiti
met her gaze
and touched her warm lips.
home again, and safe.
sausilito
you will never be the same
to me.
lincoln villa
it wasn’t always this way.
it used to be different.
walking along the street
looking into windows reflecting
a singular figure – i didn’t see
too many
Smiles.
a coke with one straw.
a passenger seat that became dusty
with non-use.
one dirty glass.
and sitting in a bar
using the quarters
on beers for one.
i felt for sure that you were just around
the corner.
you came into my life just in time –
i had been wondering what it
was like to
Love.
it had been a long time –
Love
doesn’t surface when it can’t find you
from one room to the next.
i now see the blue of sky –
the green of grass.
butterflies don’t just wing around –
they whisper to the air as they float by
on wings of silk.
and every pebble in the stream
holds a story of life
searching for eager ears.
each new day brings visions
of wonderful things to behold.
there are more Smiles around
and i like to think i initiate
many of them.
He’s been holding an ace up his sleeve –
He works in strange ways
you know.
i’m a very lucky person.
i have you.