Air*

air

still air

need new air 

blow winds blow

freshen up this stale air

bring me new air from afar

air that has touched many faces

air full of ghosts from forgotten times

air that was exhaled by giant whales in the ocean

air that kept aloft majestic eagles soaring over mountains

air that once filled hot air balloons drifting silently at sunrise

air that was used to speak the most famous speeches

air that pushed sailing ships to new discoveries

air from the first breath of a baby

mysterious air

silent air

air

Double stubble trouble

I have never grown a beard

Often daydreaming of having one

Being released from the daily chore of shaving

No more razor nicks and bloody faces

I want a long flowing beard

Like a ZZ Top rock star

It will be my manly badge of honor

Opening new doors for me

Acting in craft beer commercials

Hired for Santa jobs at Christmas

I will bond with other bearded men

Get some ugly massive tattoos

Buy a Harley Davidson

But what about my balding head

Should I still shave that daily

Or let the non-balding parts grow wild

To match my grizzly facial hair

Perhaps a braided pony tail

The possibilities are endless

There is however one big obstacle

Something of a major beard roadblock

If I skip shaving for a single day

My stubble feels incredibly irritating

I have on a very few occasions

Reached a second day without shaving

That double stubble becomes unbearably itchy

It inevitably never gets grown into a third day

Nothing like a smooth shaved face

I guess I will never be a craft beer TV star

ZZ Top will never ask me to join their band

I will not be wearing a red suit and frightening children at Christmas

Harley Davidson sales will plummet

Tattoo parlors will go out of business

Now is the time to buy stock in razor blade manufacturers

No more double stubble trouble

Woodpecker headache*

I heard the woodpecker tapping the tree

his rhythmic drumming rang through the forest

I stealthily walked towards the noise

pausing every time he took a break from hammering

I knew he was close by when the noise got louder

struggling to get a visual location on him

I searched higher in the trees and eventually spotted him

dressed in his best tuxedo outfit

sporting a ridiculous bright red Mahican haircut

clinging firmly to the tree bark

jack hammering a hole into the trunk in search of a tasty grub 

all that hammering must be damaging his woodpecker brain

I tried to imagine what his life was like

he probably goes to the woodpecker doctor

complaining about persistent woodpecker headaches

the doctor lectures him about limiting his woodpecker pecking time 

no more than forty woodpecker minutes a day

or you will end up with permanent woodpecker brain damage

try foraging on the ground like all the other birds

and you should give up smoking too

the woodpecker nods a fake approval as the doctor writes a woodpecker prescription

he pops a few woodpecker headache pills and flies back to a tree trunk

he spends the rest of the day hammering holes in search of a snack

then goes out drinking that evening with his woodpecker buddies

telling tall woodpecker tales of the enormous grubs he uncovered today

he rejects a woodpecker cigarette saying he has quit smoking

his woodpecker buddies make fun of him

he orders another woodpecker beer and then starts smoking again

the next morning he wakes up with a huge woodpecker hangover

he lays in bed smoking a woodpecker cigarette while checking his woodpecker emails

swallowing a double dose of woodpecker headache pills before flying to the nearest tree

his woodpecker brain rattles as he hammers away in search of his woodpecker breakfast

So I figured out how this woodpecker lives his life

I am getting a woodpecker headache just watching him

Bus stop romance (2)

Bus stop shady

 Sexy lady

Adult conversation

Gentle persuasion 

London life

Future wife?

Marry me baby?

She says maybe

He says its got to be us

She gets on the bus

she waves call me

He nods maybe

Jilted man walks home alone

Empty bus stop advertises mobile phone

cold beer memories(2)

a hot summer

Working outside all day

finally home tired and weary

time to relax and unwind

slowly opening the fridge door

fully stacked with cold beer

reaching for his favorite

gazing at the label like a long lost friend

the ice cold bottle melting the sweat from his hand

unscrewing the top like champ

that whooshing sound is music to his ears

wakening his anticipating taste buds

lifting the bottle to drink

catching the sweet smell of the beer

instantly recognizing that aroma

old memories flashing across his mind

as the bottle met his lips

thoughts of sweet kisses from his first love

the cold beer flooding his mouth

cooling his baked neck from within

sinking half the bottle in one go

slumping into a porch chair

catching a breath of the hot humid air

his closing eyes instantly raising the theater curtain in his mind

seeing again the birth of his first child

watching him playing outside

teaching him to ride a bike

taking him on fishing trips

more thoughts of his young son flashed in

hearing young running footsteps approaching

the theater curtain in his mind closing as he opens his eyes

the young boy beamed I missed you grandpa 

Nostalgia on a plate (2)

freshly baked scones

straight from the oven

slice one open

steam rises

distinctive aroma

add a little butter

watch it melt

add a dab of raspberry jam

be a devil

add more jam

pour a cup of hot tea

find a comfortable chair

bite into the scone

taste sensations

the sweetness of the jam

the soft buttery scone

take a sip of tea

eyes closing

taste memories flood in

early childhood

family gatherings

Sunday afternoon tea

fresh scones

lively conversations

fighting over the last scone

parents intervened

last scone shared

eyes opening

flash back to today

parents long gone

siblings live far away

eat more scone

sip more tea

eat more scone

eyes closing again

nostalgia on a plate

the lonely pebble(2)

the rough rock bounced around

one of many living in the river bed

bumping and grinding

rolling and tumbling for centuries

transformed into a smooth pebble

chatting constantly with the other pebbles

he dreamed about adventures

exploring life outside the river

his friends told him to be careful

maneuvering himself to the shallows

hoping to leave the water

he saw people collecting pebbles

please pick me he whispered

one day he was picked up

taken away as a trophy

gently caressed and loved

at first he was very happy

until he was discarded in a drawer

laying abandoned in the dark

the pebble was sad

he stayed there for many years

until a boy discovered him

he took the pebble everywhere he went

sleeping under his pillow

on his desk at school

but the pebble was still sad

he missed being with all the other pebbles

the boy sensed that the pebble was unhappy

he took the pebble down to the river bank

asking if he wanted to go home

feeling the pebble glowing warm in his hands

the boy knew what he had to do

he tossed the pebble in the river

bumping and grinding again

trying to stay deep in the river

the pebble was happy again

better to be in a crowd of friends 

than a lonely trophy pebble

you and me

you and me

back in 1963

like pods in a pea

we would always agree

you and me

we climbed a tree

just to see

how far we see

you and me

so carefree

splashing with glee

in the Irish Sea

you and me

now I’m a retiree

you are a divorcee

I often think of thee

you and me

feeling blessed

The skies may be cloudy

But the sun shines in my eyes

It may be cold outside this morning

But a fire burns strong in my heart

The busy rush hour traffic is noisy

But I can still hear the birds singing

People are all rushing to get somewhere

But I took a three mile walk to nowhere just for fun

Commuters are all glued to their smartphones

But I pause to admire the bay views

People seem too busy to take a break

But I make time to check in with myself

Everybody seems preoccupied with something

But I make sure to spend some time doing nothing

I fear for those who appear to be over stressed

But I am in a good place and feeling blessed