54 years after his assassination.
Where were YOU? Oh, you weren't born yet?
WHAT WILL THE SPARROWS DRINK?
The bird bath outside my
living room window
is frozen.
Inside I sit sipping
yesterday's coffee
I ordered at
Cheesecake Factory.
Delicious, fragrant
and life-affirming.
The Internet, which is
the closest thing to
God I know, tells me
the birds
must drink water
every single day.
The little darlings
will find it! There
must be a biblical
quote about birds.
Then God said,
“Let the waters swarm with fish and other life.
Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”
Our compost heap is a favorite with the
avian set. Moist pear cores, slices of
lemon rind, egg shells. If I had wings
I'd join them in a tea party.
PRESENTING OUR
NEW DIRECTIONS
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Norman Cotterell
Clinical Coordinator
of the Beck Institute,
I say, belying my fear
that words will fail me
and I would look foolish
to our assembled well-dressed guests.
Give the man an
eraser board and his
words will fill the
space like the 13th
amendment that freed
the slaves.
Our new gal "Keisha"
wearing dreadlocks
and smiles, copied
the eraser board with
her smartphone.
So many words
So many acronyms
AWARE
So many pliees
leaps, jumps,
arabesques
by Dr. Norman.
His daddy was a fireman,
a survivor of the attack
on Pearl Harbor.
Danger attracted him
and he went aboard
the burning ship
easy as eating
mama's pancakes
with butter and syrup.
His special word for
"anxiety" was "excitement"
Let's hear it for
excitement! as the
band Queen roars
in the distance
from the YouTube stage.
Everything's fodder
for discussion.
Charlie Rose's
inability to keep
his adrenaline urges
to himself.
Dr Norman's LA childhood
kind of a shock!
His bike was jumped in
an alley by young thugs.
After his post-concussion
syndrome, he awoke sans tooth
but - surprise! - his grades
improved. His unknown path
meandered to the University
of Delaware and then
The Beck!
When finally he erased the board
- o please, teacher, can't I help? -
it looked like a garden of
roses and late-blooming hostas
with a sprinkling of feathers
from a newly hawk-killed sparrow
with the expression exploding
across the screen of
EXPECT THE BEST!
***
Company for dinner! My living room is cleaned up!
PRESENTING OUR
NEW DIRECTIONS
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Norman Cotterell
Clinical Coordinator
of the Beck Institute,
I say, belying my fear
that words will fail me
and I would look foolish
to our assembled well-dressed guests
Give the man an
eraser board and his
words will fill the
space like the 13th
amendment that freed
the slaves
Our new gal "Keisha"
wearing dreadlocks
and smiles, copied
the eraser board with
her smartphone
So many words
So many acronyms
AWARE
So many pliees
leaps, jumps,
arabesques
by Dr. Norman.
His daddy was a fireman,
a survivor of the attack
on Pearl Harbor
Danger attracted him
and he went aboard
the burning ship
easy as eating
mama's pancakes
with butter and syrup
His special word for
"anxiety" was "excitement"
Let's hear it for
excitement! as the
band Queen roars
in the distance
on YouTube
Everything's fodder
for discussion.
Charlie Rose's
inability to keep
his adrenaline urges
to himself.
Dr Norman's LA childhood
where his bike was jumped
by young thugs and Dr Norman
woke up in the ICU
For godssakes, say it isn't so!
When finally he erased the board
- o please, teacher, can't I help you? -
it looked like a garden of
roses and late-blooming hastas
with a sprinkling of feathers
from a newly hawk-killed sparrow
with the expression exploding
across the screen of
EXPECT THE BEST
***
MASHED POTATOES AND CHARLIE ROSE
"Mashed potatoes are still the simplest
and most satisfying potato dish for many meals."
So writes the New York Times, as I watch
gentle fingers add butter, milk and
plenty of salt and pepper to the mix,
and wonder how Charlie is bearing
his shame and the toppling of his
kingdom.
Who does he run to,
whose shoulders does he weep
on? Do they avoid him
on the golf course? Doubtful.
See the shy embarrassed smiles
the nodding of heads under
the bluest of skies?
O, ruination is mine,
no comfort found
When will my anguish
end, fool that I am.
Burn the robe. My
steward will boil me
some mashed potatoes
and gravy to fill my
aching belly.
Charlie with sometime GF Amanda Burden
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