I've seen a few this time summer '99

Inspiration: dug up some '98 treasures, and found a few by the great waters

By the Great Waters (24/12/98)

I've seen a few this time.

Sun sparkling on Gatineau
ripples ice free. Mornings
from my lovers window -
she works there except this
time. And talks to me
how nature converses on
its shores.

A stiff wind not icy
glassy Kew Beach sand.
From my sister's house a
sheltered ravine descent to
come upon the open sea
Lake Ontario in blue
and green.

Remarking at the voyagers
without a map
slap of paddles
breaking air.
From my Mother's porch a
stroll a run a bike a
ski the wide Ottawa shores
hold us smiling stranger's
sunsets.

I'll be home soon though
when I'm old it may
not be so.
From another's window
I'll see the Georgia straight
ahead, and way behind.
I have been gone
a long long time.

Which is me? (05/08/99)

Paralized by beers, or fears,
Or at least disguised.
"Its not me."

I put it on myself
The defenseless side

It looks like me
From the underside

Like value village shorts
Worn with pride

Inspired to abstain or refrain -
Or to be desired.
"Which is me?"

I play upon myself
The senseless side

It hooks in me
Fans a riptide

Sports a sarong
Tied - Dyed.

Contented with the sun, or run
Or at least extended
Beyond me.

I push it thru myself
Pretences tried

It takes a week of me
The patient side

Subltes a heart
Not denied.

C'est que j'aime (08/08/99)
Nous restons deux semaines a quebec et puis ...

Je connais, pour les autres
Ils aiment le quatre vingt dix
Mais pour mois
C'est le soixante quinze
Parce que ca ce l'angle
Ou je pense, je joue
Je chante, je refleche
Toutes ensembles

A cette slope je trouve
Le tranquilite et le bruit
Le solitude et la camaraderie
Le concrete et le fluide
De quoi j'ai besoin

A la soixante quinze
Ou - si necessaire -
A la soixante seize

Une liste ou Une Poeme (08/07/99)

Est ce que possible
D'avoir les deux?

Les listes sont toujours
Plein des choises que
Faite les poemes
En jeapardy

Les poems se cachent
Sous (dans) les listes
Quand on ajoute un chose
A la liste
On perd un mot
De la poeme

C'est possible
D'avoir duex poemes.

Le chien currieuse. (08/07/99)

Les jeunes filles (JF) jouent aux baseball
Les jeunes hommes (JH) jouent aux crochets

Les JF lancent le ball comme un JH Les JH faisent virent le mallet comme une JF

Un chien les regarde currieusement

Les arbres n'aient aucun interest.

Les JF retournent les gaunts aur JH

Les JH sont touts occupes avec leurs match

No magic ab solution (09/08/99)
backroad gatineau wanderings while lewis played soccer

There seems to be
No magic
And it hurts.
Those expectations grew

Untested by some truths -
They're mine to hold
And measure by
To wisely use

And then discard
From time to time
There seems to be
No absolutes.

Faith in the signs (09/08/99)

Just go until
There is an intersection -

And make a choice.

You may choose
To inquire first
Or take a chance

Or steal a glance
At maps or signs

Or close your eyes
And trust the times

You've gone on faith
In some direction.

Paddadling (09/08/99)

I came across
A country road
Meandering back and forth
Across a stream
Of childhood canoe exploits.

Too shallow for a boat of boys.

If this was his father (30/08/99)
popped a few of something and then checked out the inflight movie without sound

Pig corpse across the shoulder
enters flashlite galley.
While widow taps the pane.
Uniformed teen smokers don't complain

One wants to track him down
thru poker alley.
Fortune teller claps the rain.
Anxious father feels no pain.

Ditch digger soils his suit
in cowpie valley.
Herder sweats red freckle smile.
Slippery cycle spins a mile.

Shadows smoother stonehedge bride
As pastor rails the tally.
Chickens scramble in ten speed wake.
Mother woes them with a cake.

Donkey respects the ride
While lovers dally.
Dance hall smokes along the tiles.
Father waltzes for a while.

Missed Calling (08/12/98)

got home heard
you called
and alexa too

"daddy i'm at X's house
wonderin' ?where are you"

one's in bed
the other
not yet tired

both are missed
both are love
inspired.

If Not - I Do (08/12/98)

I stepped out on the glacier -
invisible peaks miles above.
Calmly anticipating. Patient.
Next time it might melt -
?do i risk the step

Or stay home flower tender -
trimming, firming, mingling
among my green pets.
Someday they'll die -
?do i dare the cry

the sky has cleared
it might not rain
i'll venture shopping
staples starched ?say
where's the list -
?do i know the name

If not i'll take the blame

A MOON FOR EACH OF INFINITiES CASES (08/12/98)
discovered some yearsback sunset sketches from dharamsala - just enough info to bring back the memory

I numbered the sky
Gave it a page
Sketched some limits
Coded each space

I returned to that spot
To capture again
A few seconds more
Of infinities place

I compared one and two
I study them still
For reflections of wisdom
Two moons of my face

Humbly now - check!
My feet on the ground
But I get the best pictures
If I stand on a case.

Approved Dining (27/12/98)

"I can't believe I agree
to lunch with kids."
But she did
For him
And we approved.

For what its worth
There is a price
I put on approval
Like Mom of Meg

Alexa too, I'll have her say
How her mom and sibs
Have struck a deal
To split the work

Even Linnie though
They haven't met
She knows my joy
We dine with kids.

George Washington in profile (06/08/98)

Hot curry stomach resting
Fuzzy antlered baby deer
Lupin inhaling marmots
Two from the geologists mold
Patience isn't my virtue hiker.

Nalgene bouquet
Strawberry boots
Sponge incense holder
Starting over fears

Closing time (07/08/98) - thanks gail

There's always tears at closing time
And pain behind the door
All the cheers we had together
Now the promise of no more.

Respect those tears
Embrace that pain
Fire that anger
Neglect to aim

Stand naked in the rain …

Close that door together now
Quiet, wonder, remember how
Life loved our brighter days
Better guide our parted ways.

Subduing ticket angst in the phil zone (21/09/99)
For vancouer sun city editor and big grateful dead fan graham rockingham ... who expressed some anxiety about the security of our just procurred tickets to see the san francisco phil lesh and friends shows in october '99 - he left toronto '76 "Who are you" tickets on a restaurent table and still shivers.

A LARGE valium
might be the one

or a touch a whiskey
could get it done

a little grapefruit
diet spun

or sip a bean

or just be seen

in the phil zone

Wakefield Mute (meg barker)

Nudging mists, spin half moon around
main street right in the river, left in the town
What new antique did James dig up?
O'Corcoran's fruit wagon...? Or Lemay's tire rack?
Sandy's long asleep, pepperoni ordered for Thursday,
Poet's corner moving across the water.
The lanterns twinkle.
Martin catches "the chaser", red-blue sirens scream light but no noise on the bridge.
A new silver roof catches the moonbeams from the curve of the driveway.
Fluffy fleabane lines the curve. Even Oliver is silent as he jumps in glee.

The Habit of my Drinking (22/09/99)

Its been a month since summer
and still I'm sipping beer.
Though then I slurped from time to time
it helps to quench the thirst i find.

And then forget it puts to sleep
my dick my brain don't look to far
Though then I moved from place to place
It helps to tame the hounds I face

Soon I'll be dryer
as I aspire
Though I'll need to wire
up somehow.
Some other diet may inspire
May help me watch my mind inquire

Sometimes it's hard to hear (mb)

"Some other diet may inspire
May help me watch my mind inquire"

Or my mind may inquire which does to diet thus inquire.
Thus my diet may inquire fish and tea and grassy things.
To ease the flow twixt query and rings.
And such rings as there may be
Will make facile the thoughts that be.
Summoned thoughts fill the soul
Filling up the wells (and hole)
Where once so happily did freely pour
the booze now so hard to get down there.
tags and frames are not to blame (25/09/99)

sent this inqiury to my three computer resource people

it came to me in a bad dream -
"frames generally don't get metataged.
its just the master page - the frame set
- what was it that larry said ...???... I tried ..."

anyway - estimados senores - is it true?
it seems to me that in order to tag each frame
- say a set of different product specs, or project reports -
a unique frame set for each would be required ... Or so they claim.

i know i'm letting this erupt on the weekend - but summer had no such stain.

Contemplating a pill (09/29/99)

i'm getting a message from my brain
about my dick
its time to pick
up
the place i'm in
and sport another pair of shorts

if i turn them
inside out
or just rotate
that's four new roles
to contemplate

you may not be with me
until you're fifty
likely never
but if you call
I'll tell you all
i know
about N.O.

sitting from time to door (09/30/99)
last nite another of my homelessness dreams - later in my mind to the possibilities of "home" ...

i've got a chance to move -
as always -
but with the big twist -
love and work together.

i'll plan to house sit -
as before -
move in and out from time
to time from door to door

I don't want to choose -
as expected.
Still believe "here and there"
are both workable.

I'll put up the ads nonetheless -
as insurance
that i get myself
the best view.

ACT II (meg barker 09/10/99)

Last year's fashion show didn't go unnoticed;
Petticoats tranced in red, gold, green;
Gauzy drapes of misted grey, night mysteries being laid to rest, before
Lifting at sun-up for the marching of the Birch: a glitter of loud white posts,
Yelling for attention from the crowded audience; the pines can afford to be patient.

Have I failed, this year, to see a drama?
A shadow in the darkness, an ache in the heart,
A wolf in the woods? Owls perch far from their roosts, peering silently,
expecting me to hear. The lamb bites.

Heedless, soundless, sun and water scheme the next show. Lights, curtain, ACTION.

events for another week (meg barker 99/10/14)

Muse or goblin,
I don't know,
what does it matter,
they've got me low.

Mess in the kitchen
mess in the hall,
today was the day,
to clean them all.

But down in the basement,
nary on but a pump,
fuse box exploded,
gave me a THUMP.

Now no water,
now no heat,
what did I do,
to deserve this treat?

Tears in the first place,
kleenex came next,
lists after that
so..no longer perplex't.

So lists have their uses,
and I could be quite wrong,
poems come at any time,
but best when I'm strong.

Two tunes penned in for Thursday (110999), Wahl

The commander wrote me
>a poetic invite to coffee
and I had to reply

>Come for breakfast
and eat alot
>Stay for lunch
and get real hot
>or meet half-way
and smoke some pot
>and drink a bunch
or maybe not

>sometimes it's hot
when its raining
>and others cold
but refraining from
>coffee any way
at the end of the day
>just not old
just not in the way

either
>whiskey aye
verted
>or whiskey nay
bourly imparted
>it's up to you
or me
or we
>wha-d-ya-say

Copyright Notice © 1999 Meg Barker, Wahl and Peter Gillies