'Sentimental journey' or 'My girls and boys'**

'Sentimental journey' or 'My girls and boys'** t r gates,9/27/10

My girls:

dancing on my feet,
'daddy, one more time!'
she was, still, too tired to walk.

Swift carrying David the Gnome,
keeping her afloat, making sure
it feels like flying through the forest.

my little flower,
not so delicate, yet this impish
head upon my shoulder heals.

My boys:

worn out bikes, torn apart twenty speeds,
football and tumbling soccer moves,
after it all – fell asleep against me (a heavy-weight wrestler).

worn out BMX, skateboards,
and the ever desired DC's,
he first could balance glass slippers at ten months.

**Every day as I intone their names for daily blessings, I recall so many specifics of their growing up. It is herein that I find a faith, hope and love that otherwise often makes little sense in any world, but especially this one. I am grateful every day for each of them. Heart and soul, indeed.

'Eyes praying'

'Eyes praying' timothy r gates, 9/25/2010

Eyes filled to the brim,
little ones asking,
'why's daddy have a different home?'

Presidents sign on the dotted line,
war exponentially, saying under their breaths,
'It's just business.'

Eyes no longer fill,
dry socketed by missed hugs, told,
'daddy's a hero, he's a patriot.'

Mommy not allowed to carry that gun,
comes home to soaked cheeks, they've learned
not to ask.

Eyes praying for an I,
worlds collide in every child left behind,
Presidents giving them a folded flag.

Round and round the mulberry bush,
ashes, ashes, all fall down, wish they didn't need a reminder,
'Never forget!'

'Easy to be pissed off' or 'bullshit walks'

'Easy to be pissed off' or 'bullshit walks' timothy r gates, 9/23/2010

Easy to be pissed off
when you're not willing to see
beyond the being pissed on.
You do the same,
not noticing your own stink,
calling attention to your neighbors'.

Easy to pronounce hell
when you're going to heaven,
not seeing either here.
If we could just get rid of those –
gays, NRA folk, evangelicals, Muslims, Jews, atheists, straights...
it'd be the way it used to be (?)

Easy to curse another's music
when you're unable to hear tones,
thinking your shower singing is award-winning.
One friend observes, 'If god's everywhere
I'd rather go to hell where I understand better.' –
Maybe the left behind will finally find their heaven.

Difficult to damn those you disagree with
when you've agreed with them at another time,
like pissing in the wind.
If you smell your own bad breath,
do you think others have noticed it?
If you tell others what to believe,
do you think they notice your lack of living your belief?

Easy to know the truth
when yours is all you see, hear, speak,
like the monkey it's followed by a, 'no evil.'
Step in a cow paddy,
if you don't puke right up
you'll get used to it.

...bullshit walks, bullshit talks.

'Jesus Buddhas'

‘Jesus Buddhas’ timothy r gates, 9/20/2010

Hanging from my rear view mirror,
a pink Buddha
signing, ‘Peace.’
Love ironies,
if it pisses folks off –
all the better.
More,
Sweet-kissing Icon,
his Mother, my Queen too.
Listening to:
Shel Silverstein tribute,
Tom Waits Mule Variations
Tommy Dorsey
Lennon’s Acoustic
Iris DeMent.
God’s Mother smiles,
under Jesus Buddhas.

'screw the reasons' or 'times and seasons'

‘times and seasons’ or ‘screw the reasons’ timothy r gates, 9/20/2010

There are times and seasons
for all,
quoting an ancient foe.
Sometimes heaven rains
like hell’s fury –
the good die young
the bad don’t lie.
There are times and seasons,
just because.
There are times and seasons
for all,
quoting an ancient soul.
Sometimes hell pours
like heaven’s glory –
innocents are violated
pathologicals never cry.
There are times and seasons
just because.
Swear or pray,
only changes – the Cantor
The enemy and friend
change partners
to a two-step skip
doesn’t matter who’ll hold them.
Still,
time and seasons are for all –
Just the way it is.
Just because.

'Minsky’s’ (genesis of the strip tease)

'Minsky’s’ timothy r gates, 9/07/2010

Nudity

Lovely, grotesque

Perception –

In the beginning, just was.

Hisses clothed shame

‘it’s dirty,’

A tease whispers –

Some see

Some peek through their fingers

Few behold

Original innocence,

Doesn’t look up

Doesn’t cover it all

Does grin between smiles

g-d tolerates intolerable prudes,

flipside of voyeur predators

raider of this ark

lurk to accuse,

wanting no tease.

She grins.

'Labour'

'Labour' tr gates, 9/07/2010



labour for me on Labour Day



labor, i refuse to adjust the spelling



(save for this note)



colour, another word i do the same



also, though i rarely find myself skipping these days -



i do in my mind's eye.

'Water's baptism'

'Water's baptism' timothy r gates, 9/03/2010

conceived, birthed
entombed by this mystery
threatens every breath,
awaiting one outside this crypt

delivery, birthing
catch me if you can
first breath, precarious
ready for presumed independence

water's baptism
now inside as was outside
atmosphere recalls our birth
an illusion, a desert

diving, walking
hold your breath,
reptilian latency – like our
tail bone –
lingering science, theology polemics

buried in the womb
then in a tomb
cleansed by washing
sixth day's deluge
angels and fairies look on
lions and lambs skip

water's baptism
catch me if you can
last breath, swallowed
ready for a dive into, 'next?'