Straight out of the notebook that stays at my side, including last week’s road trip. It’s not so much poetry as stream-of-consciousness writing, with little to no editing.
Texting in the park About toys, gifts, strangers, and drinks Smiling by myself Sitting on a bench Listening to the birds And the clop of the horse’s hooves Talking to strangers in the courtyard -- The secret garden Lights crisscrossing the sky Palmettos dropping their fronds Coconut, strawberry, lemonade and rum How can I go wrong? Counting my blessings But I don’t have enough fingers and toes The sun is starting to go down And the stranger makes his retreat Is she approachable, he wonders, And finds another place to sit Wearing his favorite blue suit He’s sweating in the sun But it might be a safer spot Where he won’t be rebuffed And what about her? What does she want? A relationship, or a fling? Someone to eat with, clink glasses And share some laughs Snuggled in a corner booth Swaying to the rhythm and blues And what about the other Or the one even farther away Who helped her get over the hump Showing her she still held some charm.
Hello, old friend, it’s been a long while Last time we saw each other I was in a different place My mind was still reeling then And the wind was cold and bitter But even then, I could feel the Sunshine warming my face Today I come to you with a Still-healing heart This journey’s been more than A little tough Many times I wasn’t sure I was up To the challenge But here I am, coming to find you Today with an open heart I’ve been doing my homework And looking within My camera is with me, once again at my side It’s been my most faithful companion It’s surprisingly quiet out here Just a few whispered voices Carried by the waves and the wind Mostly I hear the water, pounding on the beach With the seagulls calling to each other as they Float and fly above their prey The umbrellas are lined up, side by side But maintaining six feet Clusters of sun worshippers With their offerings on display
Can’t imagine how crowded this must get on a nice summer’s day The sidewalks teeming with tourists, groups of families taking in the sights Retired couples and snowbirds flitting from one hot spot to the next Myself, I’m sitting on a wall, warming in the sun and waiting my turn Not sure what happened yesterday, Or why I couldn’t resist the pull I know it was the third one that did it, Even though they were spaced several hours apart I know that I felt disrespected and somehow that resonated More after a couple of drinks An old-fashioned girl like me likes to be treated a certain way.