"HISTORY OF POETRY: THE DIVA CANON"

(Poems follow this brief preface.)

01. A Child's Faith (December, 1979) was written at home in Henderson, Kentucky, while I was a Junior in high school. This poem was inspired by the book and film, The Exorcist, which I had read and seen some years prior. It was my very first poem.

02. The Continuing Saga of Ba and Ta: Chapter One. Oops! They Went Too Far-An Ode to Barbie and Tod (April, 1981) was written in Henderson, while I was in the last semester of my senior year in high school. It was written to commemorate my and Barbie Drury's Spring '81 vow to lose weight for our Senior Prom.

03. The Continuing Saga of Ba and Ta: Chapter Two. Some Not Far Enough-The Ode Continues (August, 1984) was written in Henderson as an addendum to Chapter One. I thought Barbie might be amused by a continuation of the characters Ba and Ta.

04. We Please (February, 1985) was written in Henderson after I had moved back from a hectic several months in Lexington. This is the first of my two Angry-Young-Man poems.

05. A Better Way To Play (December, 1985) was written at a Burger King in Evansville, Indiana, in honor of my friend Roger Buchanan's January birthday. I had big crush on Roger at the time.

06. The Time Must Come (December, 1985) is the companion piece to A Better Way To Play, since I composed most of this poem while walking home from the above-mentioned Burger King. The rest of the poem I finished when I got home. This is the other Angry-Young-Man poem.

07. Walking With Yourself (February, 1986) was written while I was riding a Greyhound bus from Nashville to Clarksville, Tennessee. The initial inspiration for this poem was a failed relationship of my own in Nashville; but before the poem was finished, I was using Mother's relationships as inspiration. I gave her a copy of this for her forty-sixth birthday.

08. With Her Drink (June, 1986) was written while Mother, her third husband Loni, and I spent two weeks in Dubuque, Iowa. We were on our way back to Henderson from Denver. I gave Mother a copy of this, and she appreciated the message when she was sober, but didn't when she was drinking.

09. The Continuing Saga of Ba and Ta: Chapter Three. How Much Further To Go?-The Ode Marches On (December, 1986) was written in Henderson to be Barbie's twenty-third birthday present. I began to imagine this as a lifelong saga for Ba and Ta.

10. Either Path (January, 1987) was written while my friend Tim Larrick and I were visiting his parents in Ohio. This poem was another birthday gift for another friend, Steve Conia. I had a big infatuation with Steve at the time.

11. Some Thing Said (June, 1987) was written about my friend Kathy Welsh. We lived together in Denver at the time and had been arguing about a man named Dave. She had a crush on him, but didn't know that he was gay. I knew he was, since I'd seen him at the bars. She eventually found out the truth and then began to erroneously think that I was interested in him. We had a grand feud for a little while, hence this poem, but the three of us are still friends today.

12. Mommy's Little Soldier (April, 1988) was written for Ona for Mother's Day, 1988, in a hotel room in San Francisco. The first line is Mother's actual quote from that spring of '74, when she told me the news of her and Daddy's upcoming divorce. She loved this poem, and back in '93, I had the funeral home place a copy of it, together with the last photograph taken of her and me, inside the coffin with her.

13. Super Bowl Sunday Haiku Extravaganza (January, 1989) was written while I was working a brunch shift on Super Bowl Sunday at the Woods Resort in Guerneville, California. I had challenged my manager to a haiku writing contest that morning; at the end of the shift, he had written none, and I had written ten. The infamous Barbie, of Ba and Ta fame, used an edited version of this to teach haiku in one of her Junior High English classes in New Mexico. I was extremely flattered.

14. The Continuing Saga of Ba and Ta: Chapter Four. When Will They Ever Stop?-The Ode Goes Cross Country (November, 1990) was written in Guerneville, just before Ron and I temporarily moved to Atlanta, Georgia. We thought we'd give a new city a try. This was written because I was at a milestone marker in my life and also as a gift for Barbie's twenty-seventh birthday in December.

15. Alone-Not Alone (November, 1992) was written at home in San Francisco while Ron was in Denver with his ailing family. Sometimes he was gone for up to months at a time, and those were very lonely times for me.

16. The Illustrious Saga of Ona in Ess-Eff: Or, The Party-Girl Escapes Kay-Why! (May, 1993) was written while working my one-day-a-week (Saturday) reservationist gig at Trader Vic's, and at home, in San Francisco to be Ona's Mother's Day gift. I made her a scrapbook of this poem together with various items I had collected during her visit to us one month prior. The whole presentation turned out very nicely. After Mother died-three months after I composed the poem-my cousin Patty and Granny told me how Ona had brought the poem-book down to Clarksville and how proudly she had shown it to everyone. It warmed my heart to hear them say that.

17. The Continuing Saga of Ba and Ta: Chapter Five. Stop Them, They're Out of Control!-The Ode That Just Won't Quit (October, 1995) was written at home in Aurora, Colorado, to be Barbie's thirty-second birthday present from me. By this point, the saga has definitely taken on an epic quality.

18. Jackie 0-Hero! (June, 1996) was written for a summer creative writing class at the University of Colorado at Denver. It was a found-poem project. I was to read an article and lift out certain words and phrases to form my resulting poem. The article was an editorial by Henry Allen, which appeared in the May 22nd, 1994, Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. I'd had it in my files the two years since her death.

19. Ode on a Renoir Triptych (June, 1996) was written for the same creative writing class, while Ron and I were visiting Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I mimicked a traditional ode, John Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn, except I used trochaic pentameter instead of iambic pentameter. I had gone to the Denver Art Museum the day prior and used as inspiration the following three August Renoir paintings: Portrait of Edmund Renoir, 1888; The Yellow Hat, 1894; and The Red Hat, 1894.

20. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Suicide (June, 1996) was written for the writing class. I was mimicking a poem the teacher had handed out to the class: "Thirteen Ways of Looking at . . . something"-I forget.

21. Ten Singular Moments of Norma: Haiku-Desmond Style (July, 1996) was written for the class haiku project. Just two days before writing this, I had seen a production of 'Sunset Boulevard-The Musical'. I modeled this poem, with its set of ten haiku, on my previous work, Super Bowl Sunday Haiku Extravaganza.

22. A Coming-Out Poem: Skipping From Text to Text (July, 1996) was written for the class cut-and-paste project. I was to lift a sentence from some of my favorite authors' works and arranged the sentences to create my own poem. The authors I chose and their works: Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind; Paul Monette, Last Watch of the Night; Toni Morrison, Beloved; Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin; Gore Vidal, Live From Golgotha; and, Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire.

23. Sestina Marilyna (July, 1996) was the last of my poems written for that writing class. A sestina is a six-stanza poem, with six lines per stanza, that ends with a three-line stanza called a tercet. Every line of the poem ends with one of six words. These six words are set into a pattern in the first stanza, and then they follow a set formula in the following five stanzas and tercet. This is definitely my most personal poem-and, if I had to choose one, it's my favorite.

24. The Vision Has Stopped-Diana is Gone (August, 1997) was written the day after Princess Diana was killed. It was a Sunday afternoon. I pulled up a chair to the refrigerator, and I sat there for two hours and composed this poem from my 400-word refrigerator magnet poetry kit. The only words in the poem not from the poetry kit comprise the poem's subtitle, 'Diana Is Gone'.

"A CHILD'S FAITH"

She used to laugh with innocence,

As she would shake her curls.

But, who would think this ugly 'thing'

Could be that little girl?

Her voice is chillingly raspy.

Her actions: stiff and still.

The demon now possesses her

To use at his own will.

Her mother has cried ev'ry tear.

Her father up and ran.

Each tried their hardest to do all-

All they possibly can.

The demon is inside of her.

The girl is almost dead.

It chooses not to leave the child,

But just stays on instead.

No one could help this little girl;

Nothing for them to do.

Even the little girl's mother

Had thrown away hope, too.

This girl's story baffled the world.

Trained experts were rushed in,

But no one could release this child

From her torture within.

A boy-child happened by one day,

Alarmed by all the rush.

But when the boy did ask them "Why?"

All he received was "Hush!"

He walked up to the lost girl's room

And slowly moved the door;

But when he caught a glimpse of her,

He moved inside no more.

Some force unseen attached the boy

Up to that ugly 'thing'.

He cried awhile. He knelt and prayed:

"From her, you demon, spring!"

Her tiny room was all-aglow,

And something shook the shelves;

And when the light was triumphant,

She was, again, herself.

The people knelt to praise the boy,

Was he their second Christ?

The boy, confused, just stared at them.

To do it just felt right.

The boy was asked about the great

Power on which he trod.

His answer was very simple:

"I merely turned to God."

WTG--December, 1979--Henderson, Kentucky

"THE CONTINUING SAGA OF BA & TA: CHAPTER 1

Oops! They Went Too Far (An Ode To Barbie and Tod)"

Once upon a time in the land of Thin,

Lived a boy and a girl who couldn't fit in.

They sadly watched, as they added each inch.

Their clothes, to some, looked like large tents.

Barbie and Tod, each in the round,

Promised the other to shed twenty pounds.

They had 'til Prom Night: Six weeks-no less!

They had to look great for dates, Linda and Les.

A tough course of starving they began to follow.

No more Mississippi Mud-full of marshmallow.

The first week went by with no noticeable change.

Ba and Ta got depressed; their weight was the same.

Weeks two through five? Oh, nothing to fear.

They each watched seventeen pounds disappear.

Three more pounds 'til their ideal weight.

"This last week we will abstinate!"

No food passed their mouths for a whole seven days.

Our two young friends would soon be amazed!

Prom Night came-forty pounds were shed.

But Barbie and Tod felt weak in the head.

A doctor was called in-his opinion was gross-a:

The two thin patients had anorexia nervosa!

Prom Night. Hospital room. Watching "One Day at a Time."

Oh, well, didn't matter; Linda and Les had a good time!

WTG--April, 1981--Henderson, Kentucky

"THE CONTINUING SAGA OF BA & TA: CHAPTER 2

Some Not Far Enough (The Ode Continues)"

Author's Note: When last seen, our hero and heroine had missed their prom due to a nasty bout with anorexia nervosa.

Once upon a time, in the same land of Thin,

Lived a boy and a girl still trying to fit in.

It's been three years since Prom Night-a long time ago.

Since then things have happened that makes one say "Oh!"

The summer post-Prom was spent preparing for college.

Ba and Ta opened their minds for an influx of knowledge.

August '81-Barbie hastened to Lex,

But her semester there left her nothing but vexed.

Tod left for Danville: "A good time for all!"

This good time, sadly, led to his downfall.

Back home the next summer. They each licked their wounds.

What hope for the future in their hometown of goons?

Fall arrived-time for school, as ev'ryone could see.

Our two young friends swallowed their pride and went to HCC.

Just one semester there sent Ta screaming back to Centre.

Ba lasted the entire year, making her our big winner.

Next summer came, and woes of school crept away.

But a new foe stepped in-unpaid bills left to pay.

The school year came fast. They'd made up their minds.

"This next school choice-that's it!-for all time."

Barb, off to Western, and Tod to U.K.

"Maybe," they thought, "we've found the right way."

Western was great-Ba had it in the hat.

"School?" asked Ta. "School, what's that?!"

The next summer spent, as usual, in Thin.

"This should be the last," they said with a grin.

Their fourth year of school loomed 'round the bend.

After that: 'adult jobs' in which to fit in.

Ba-to be a teacher-this was her dream.

Ta-the high priest of fashion-the crème de la crème.

Education done. Dreams achieved, or dreams shattered?

It had been a long while since our two friends had chattered.

They planned a small meeting to discuss the time passed.

And, on her way there, Barbie pulled over for gas.

"What'll it be?" asked the attendant, to her his voice odd.

"Fill 'er up," replied Barbie. "Oh, hi there!" said Tod.

WTG--August, 1984--Henderson, Kentucky

"we please"

we are born

we are raised

we are good

all-to please our parents

we learn to read

we learn to write

we learn to learn

all-to please our teachers

we dress as they

we speak as they

we act as they

all-to please our friends

we say "I do"

we try "I do"

we do "I do"

all-to please our spouses

we're told to work

we go to work

we work at work

all-to please our bosses

we tried to please

we try to please

we'll try to please

all-to please the others

all to please the others-

the others.

WTG--february 15, 1985--henderson, kentucky

"a better way to play"

we met in this place

where charades slowly burn

we play by the rules

and each wait for our turn

the thing we all want

is to win at the Game

'be best' is the goal

you and i think the same

the game is a hard one

especially alone

we each stake a corner

and we call it our own

the quest can be quite ruthless

pitting friend against friend

but we all keep on playing

with our hearts that we mend

there must be something

in this game we call Life

to buffer our pain

and to ease all our strife

i've searched and i've searched

for the ultimate Way

a right way to win

a better way to play

in you i have found it

a partner in the game

and in me i can hope

that with you it's the same

we'll play this game together

as one until the end

for i have found a teammate

and he is called my friend

WTG--december 9, 1985--evansville, indiana

"the time must come"

we all are told that there must come

that frightening time inside

when all good boys become good men

and their feelings they must hide

this time must come, as they all say,

it's a metamorphic stage

it seeks not for maturity

neither strength nor need nor age

this phase proves to be most brutal

it will crush the weaker souls

his mind will turn quite complacent

since a numbness is the goal

carefree smiles and innocent sleep

is the price he's asked to pay

this: the sacrifice he must give

if the boy intends to play

where once was boy-now stands a man

his thoughts are shallow and grim

a life once dwelled there in his eyes

and hope was instilled in him

i see the man-i see the shell

this Man the world created

he has indeed become the thing

he would have surely hated

this change i see from boy to man

to me seems oh so senseless

it causes pain and causes strife

and in all sense is useless

so let me live as I see fit

i've no need for your lectures

my life is mine-so let it be

and spare me your conjectures.

WTG--december 9, 1985--evansville, indiana

"WALKING WITH YOURSELF"

To be in love was to me

Like a requisite supreme.

But now that state is foreign;

To be found in others' dreams.

This time I thought I'd found it:

A true love, for once, for real.

But I was soon mistaken

Since that you refused to feel.

At first when I had noticed

That you were not there with me,

Back again that dread feeling;

Empty love had come to me.

'My fault' was my reaction

Since you are the perfect one.

I'm to blame for this failed love

Since you were the perfect one

I downed myself, once again,

As I sometimes tend to do.

But this time something told me

The fault, my friend, was in you.

My heart, cliched, is broken;

That love I've misplaced again.

But, at least, this time I've learned,

And with this I shall begin:

When there's fault, I won't assume

So readily that it's mine.

To it I'm not beholden,

At least, not all of the time.

Also, I've seen that Perfect

Is a state where no one dwells.

It is but a paradox-

One in which ev'ryone fails.

Looking for love is to me

Just like walking up some stairs

Know yourself at ev'ry step,

And quite soon you will be there.

WTG--February 10, 1986--Nashville, Tennessee

"WITH HER DRINK"

Liquid finds its way to her glass

As usually it tends to do.

Ice cubes clink-a stirrer is stirred:

"With my drink, my thoughts can come through."

Much maligned feet find way to chair

As usually they tend to do.

Cigarette lit-a puff inhaled:

With her drink, her thoughts can come through

Cruel words find way straight to her tongue

As usually they tend to do.

Bitterness here-sarcasm there:

With her drink, her thoughts can come through

Barbs find targets, then sleep lends a hand

As usually it tends to do.

Cigarette put out-glass turned up:

With her drink, her thoughts can come through

New sun finds sky-new day has come

As usually it tends to do.

She rises fresh-last night a dream:

"With my drink, my thoughts can come through."

WTG--June, 1986--Dubuque, Iowa

"THE CONTINUING SAGA OF BA & TA: CHAPTER 3

How Much Farther To Go? (The Ode Marches On)"

Author's Note: When last seen, our young hero was pumping gas-yes, pumping gas-into our young heroine's gas tank.

Once upon a time, in the little land of Thin,

Lived that same boy and girl who refused to fit in.

High School was nice; they made each happening funny.

They laughed at the fact that Todd County had no money.

They each attended college-not one, but three!

Colleges, to them, surely grew on large trees.

That last year of school-it had to be the end.

Again, Ba to Western, and nowhere did Ta attend.

Barbie, home for the weekend, her mind full of joy.

As Tod finished his stint as Gas Station Boy.

With Ba at Western, her mind on her studies,

Ta moved to Lex, to work and live with his buddies.

Bowling Green was not all she had hoped.

The best thing to do? She and Dion eloped.

Life in Lex was full. All-Tod had to try it!

And this was afforded by his job at the Hyatt.

This life was too fast. By Christmas, it was over.

Back to Thin for little Ta-in Thin to recover.

Now moved, our heroine was settling her roost.

It seems that California was to her a big boost.

Thin proved too dull, so the town of E'vil was next,

But the troubles he had there left Ta tres perplexed.

Barb found a job 'snapping' cute kiddies,

But their mothers, no doubt, were a big pack of biddies!

E'vil was exhausting, so he took to the skies.

It was off to Carrington-Land to open Ta's eyes.

His job there was temporary, so back to Thin again.

Back to lovely Thin-back to fitting in.

So, comes the end of story, dear. Do try and contain your laughter.

And never fret, and never fear-just 'weight' for our next chapter.

WTG--December, 1986--Henderson, Kentucky

"EITHER PATH"

Around the smoke I glanced

To see you standing there.

Across the room I moved-

With you, I was somewhere.

I paused for words to say,

Hoping you'd want to hear.

My guard went down, I spoke;

To me you turned deaf ear.

That was then. This is now.

I do not think of then.

Times have changed. So have we,

And, now, I call you friend.

A complex word at best.

Who knows just what it means?

To me, a friend is he

Who loves me sight unseen.

I love you. You love me.

There's no way we can lose.

Either path is for us-

No matter which we choose.

One path is romantic;

The other: close as kin.

No matter which we take,

Regardless, we are friends.

Both paths make me happy;

The road on both is smooth.

Either one I will take

Because I'll be with you.

WTG--January 8, 1987--Lee's Creek, Ohio

"some thing said"

some thing said

said thing twisted

some thing repeated

repeated till heard

some thing heard

heard thing believed

some thing repeated

repeated till accused

silence is spoken

spoken things unheard

silence is repeated

repeated till deafened

more things said

said things hurt

hurtful things repeated

repeated till damaged

something said

something heard

something believed

something damaged

"some thing said"

WTG--june 18, 1987--denver, colorado

"MOMMY'S LITTLE SOLDIER"

"Be Mommy's little soldier,"

She said to me that day.

"Our family will be changed;"

"Daddy's going away."

Too young to know the diff'rence.

Too young to really care.

One thing I knew for certain:

Our home he wouldn't share.

I was, since birth, Mommy's boy;

Brother was Daddy's son.

And in that, her time of need,

Mother and I were one.

I shared her troubles always.

I had to grow up fast.

My mother needed someone

To lead her from her past.

Mother's rock I learned to be;

It made me strong and sure.

This is a gift she gave me:

A love that is so pure.

We have seen both ups and downs.

To this we can attest.

We've loved through all the rough times,

And loved through all the best.

My mother is the greatest,

As all good sons would say.

But mine is my friend as well.

I love her more each day.

WTG--April 28, 1988--San Francisco, California

"SUPERBOWL SUNDAY HAIKU EXTRAVAGANZA"

(A 10-Spot On Super Bowl Sunday: 2 Hours & 50 Minutes of Haiku)

10:25 AM

Television set

Overpowers ev'ryone.

Football sucks mules' dicks.

10:45 AM

0, Hallelujah!

Super Bowl Sunday is here.

Good luck to my team.

11:10 AM

Throw my man the ball!

He really wants to catch it;

We so need the points.

11:35 AM

Many men smashing,

Crushing, crunching, and crashing;

Grown men love it so.

12:05 PM

Who's got the tickets?

I thought you had the tickets.

Hell no! No tickets!

12:10 PM

Miami's calling:

"Come, come to our city."

So, the Niners went.

12:25 PM

People getting psyched,

Gathering munchies galore.

Caloric O.D.

12:45 PM

I don't see the game.

I upstairs making-like work.

We sure are real slow.

12:50 PM

Super Bowl Sunday-

Yea, Super Bowl Sunday, yea!!

Super Bowl Sunday!

1:15 PM

Haiku verse is done.

It has done its job quite well.

All done till next year.

WTG--January 22, 1989--Guerneville, California

"THE CONTINUING SAGA OF BA & TA: CHAPTER 4

When Will They Ever Stop? (The Ode Goes Cross Country)"

Author's Note: When last seen, our heroine was living it up in the Golden State and our hero was living it up in a Mental State.

Once upon a time in a land they called Thin,

Were a boy and a girl who didn't like fitting in

They were the dearest of friends and sure loved to chatter.

Exorbitant phone bills: "So what?! What's the matter?!"

Their lives since High School, ten years away,

-Have shocked and scandal-ed and kept some at bay.

Barb, in La-La Land, then back to Kentucky.

Tod went to Denver, with hopes of getting lucky.

Ta found a husband. And Ba? She ditched hers.

She'd had enough of that 'for better or worse'.

Tod, in California, begins building his nest.

Babs, back at Western, performs at her best.

Ba gets her degree. Everyone was so proud!

"Hip, hip, hurray!" the crowd said, and they said it quite loud.

Tod and Ron, in the meantime, loved one another.

-Going down Life's highway, further and further.

Barbie, the teacher; this was the dream!

Teachin' those kids on the New Mexico Scene.

Tod, up in Guerneville, managing that food.

He did it so fine, and he did it so good!

Barb up and moves over t' Arizona way,

Managing those apartments each and ev'ry day.

Now, we're back to Thin; Thin all over again.

Back to Thin again; in Thin to again begin.

Ba, in Thin to teach-just what she wanted to do.

Ta, in Thin to rest-for he was just passin' through.

Off to May-Retta for Tod and Ron, but first the Holidays.

At home with Ona, just like when-all happy in ev'ry way.

Ba and Ta in Thin together-lots to say and do.

Throughout these years they've been great friends-always tried and true.

WTG--November 11, 1990--Guerneville, California

"ALONE-NOT ALONE"

I wander 'round these empty rooms,

Your face I long to see.

It's been a week; it's been a month.

Yes, time stands still for me.

I miss you all through the morning,

And, too, when it is night.

It's you that gives me strength to live.

I'll love you all my life.

I know that I will never be

Without you by my side.

It's you and me and me and you-

Together for all time.

The miles are many between us.

You seem so far away,

But when I'm sad and all alone,

You'll still light up my day.

The two of us we are as one.

Always you are with me.

I close my eyes, and you are here.

True lovers-you and me.

So, although we are apart, dear,

We mustn't give up heart.

Together we'll be-soon, you'll see,

And never will we part.

WTG--November 29, 1992--San Francisco, California

"THE ILLUSTRIOUS SAGA OF ONA IN ESS-EFF"

(OR, THE PARTY-GIRL ESCAPES KAY-WHY)

There was a young lady named Ona,

Who had a little boy named Tod.

She had a yen for to visit him,

And nothing would stop her, by god!

To San Francisco-Land she flew

To see her baby lad;

But, first, a visit with some folks

She used to call Mom and Dad.

The Berreths kept her on the run,

-So much to do and see.

Food and drink, Winchester house,

And, yes-sir, Fi-Lo-Li!

The visit with her ex-kin done.

Her emotions had her choking.

Tod picked her up in a luxury sedan

And informed her about the no-smoking.

Thus began her visit with the boys:

Her schedule was set in stone.

"Get a good night's sleep, for tomorrow we walk!"

And onto the couch she was thrown.

The first day brought lunch at "Mama's"-

And, Ona simply had to treat.

Much to the chagrin of the two boys,

This was a habit she'd often repeat.

They window-shopped at Union Square

And saw art at the Meyerovich Gallery.

They could've bought a Matisse or Haring

For only a hundred-times their salaries.

With their Tod nestled away at work,

Ron and Ona went to play.

They stopped for drinks at the Twin Peaks

And stayed for the rest of the day.

Day two came along, as only it could,

With noisy construction sounds.

Then off to lunch at "Tommy's Joynt"-

The neatest restaurant around.

They went to the Museum of the City

And learned about all her quakes.

Then to the Palace of Fine Arts-

-One of the prettiest sights in the state.

That night they saw "The Crying Game"-

The movie that had all in a whirl.

Ona dear was shocked to learn

That Dil was a boy, not a girl!

Day three rolled around, as we knew it would,

And the three of them would like to have slept.

But the first early stop on the agenda that day

Was where the AIDS Quilt was kept.

Back to Union Square they went

To do a little prowling.

Into the Chanel Boutique they traipsed,

Where the prices had them howling.

After a fab lunch at Macys,

It was time for browsing the Haight.

Ona had need for knee-boots, you know,

And Ron went along as a date.

Then over to the wharf via cable car-;

Its bells they loved to hear ring.

To "The Grotto" for dinner, where they enjoyed

Richard and his 'Little Pink Things'.

Day four was Thursday and they were off

To "Chevy's" for a wonderful lunch.

They celebrated Ona's birthday there,

And the waiters all sang in a bunch!

Tod had a friend who owned a boutique

In the Embarcadero Center.

They visited her, and she told them that

She was having a baby that winter.

Ona and Ron-a shoppin' they went,

All up and down Union Street.

Then, the "Cliff House" there on the shore

For Irish coffees, what a great treat!

At night they were hungry, so they hopped off the train

At a place known around as "P.J.'s";

Oysters on half-shell, crawdads galore,

And a waitress who'd give you no leeway.

Day five zoomed on in; her time almost gone.

They went atop the Transamerica Building.

The tallest in town; they looked all around,

And at the bottom, a park quite fulfilling.

They scoured Chinatown to look for some trinkets.

Since Ona had people to buy for.

Then dinner at Tod's work, "Pasta Bella" by name,

And the food she had there was to die for.

Saturday came and it was day six.

She went off to see Sue and Michael.

Sue is quite round-she's pregnant, you know.

And the visit was all quite delightful.

At eveningtime they went off to see

A musical, quite entertaining.

"Dolls" it was called, and boys played the girls;

"But it's too long!" work-bound Ron kept complaining.

After the play, Tod and Ona raced

To "Pasta Bella" to meet with some buddies.

Christy and Woody they were, these were their names,

And you can bet they weren't fuddy-duddies!

The four of them went to a hot discotheque;

They were given the VIP treatment.

The place was jam-packed-2000 people or more.

And drunk Woody threw up on the pavement.

Sunday came-her last full day there.

To shop! Downtown, on the double!

The bus came quite late-it made them both mad,

But MUNI sent tokens for their troubles.

They sauntered on in to "Ross Dress For Less"

To look for little Ona some clothes.

They found there instead Cher's 'Uninhibited'

And bought gobs just to fancy their nose.

Monday crept up-her last day in town.

There were sobs and boo-hoo's everywhere.

A shuttle bus came to the front door

To put the little lady in the air.

Back home in Kay-Why, her fun-filled trip done,

There was a question that everyone kept:

"Pick, if you would, your most favorite thing."

"Why, of course, the Pemberton Steps!!"

WTG--May 8-9, 1993--San Francisco, CA

"THE CONTINUING SAGA OF BA AND TA: CHAPTER 5

STOP THEM, THEY'RE OUT OF CONTROL! (THE ODE THAT JUST WON'T QUIT)"

Author's note: When we last saw the illustrious title pair, they were in, of all places, Thin. Ba was teaching at a Junior High School, and Ta was about to move to Hot-Lanta with his husband Ron.

Y'all remember thin, folks. Yes, lovely thin again.

Thin is very 'in'. In is 'very thin'.

Our heroes lives? On the move-chapters one through four won't belie.

This chapter five will be no diff'rent, so hang on for the ride!

To Hot-Lanta Land the two boys went-their excitement brimming over.

Three months there were enough for them, so back to Cee-A for cover.

Ba attended their ten-year reunion with little red Metro in tow,

Balding heads here and potbellies there-Ba could just screech "Oh No!"

In Cali Land, Ta's new job was counting money-what a trip!

Also there, he paid two visits to dear old Marilyn's crypt.

Summer '91-Ba switched jobs; she moved from Thin to E'vil.

But speech coaching those kids soon proved to be definitely quite deceitful.

That very same summer back in Cee-A, Ta had reason to frown:

His favorite place, the Woods Resort, had recently burned to the ground.

Also that summer, Ba was a star. Fame had thrown her a bone.

You see, my friends, Ba had the lead in Penny's "A League of Their Own."

Christmas-time came, and Ta came to Thin for a visit, oh, so fleeting

Ba threw a party, invited some kids, and Ta issued forth with a reading.

Spring '92 brought Tod the reason to leave the land of redwood.

Down to San Fran to manage a place with waiters with heads of deadwood.

At the same time, Ba had an urge: up to New York she whizzed.

She had to see, for the first of many, Broadway's stint of "Les Miz."

'93 came and it proved to be very sad for our two boys out in Cee-A.

Ron's Ma, Pa, and Li'l Bro' too, and Ta's Ma, up and passed away.

Ba, meanwhile, had her hands full planning her next trip to the 'Apple'.

Afterwards, though, her tonsils required for her with a surgeon to grapple.

At Ta's ma's death, he made the choice to move to her house in Thin.

For it seems all roads lead to Thin, for thin is very 'in'.

Knowing that thin is very 'in', Ba made this clever decision:

She became the Queen of Thin, after a 'thin' incision.

Even though thin is in, to Loo-Vul Ta made his way.

To school again, for the hundredth time, to work again on his B.A.

Wanderlust again touched Ba: she moved from Thin to Mayfield.

Would she remain? Who could tell? The town was the size of a hayfield.

Spring '94-near Valentine's Day. Our heroes came close to Thin.

Cute Garth Brooks serenaded them with his "Candle in the Wind."

The angel of death wasn't through with the boys: that May, Ron lost his mother.

At the start of the year they decided to move to Denver to Ron's other brother.

Ba went to see-she was very excited!-Sinatra, complete with his walker.

Tony, her date, was less than a dream, since soon he became her stalker.

Early '95 in Carrington Land our two boys there were unhappy.

Ron's brother left this world to join his bro', mammy and pappy.

As we surmised, Mayfield wasn't exactly what Ba had in mind.

A new job in Thin beckoned her there. "I'll like North!" Ba opined.

Which brings us now to Fall '95. Our heroes are miles apart.

But never fear, you sweet readers, they stay in each other's heart.

WTG--October 22, 1995--Denver, Colorado

"JACKIE O-HERO"

Celebrity in Hermes scarf and sunglasses.

Prophet of the European idea of knowing how to live.

A beauty-a mother;

Wife of the wandering Jack Kennedy.

How could she die?

Her: a goddess who was forever.

Thin, young, rich.

And like all useful goddesses,

She was a mystery.

Jackie was your creation.

She: with those cheekbones,

The clothes that were so simple.

She never took a bad picture-how many women can say that?

America-she symbolized it; hence the grief.

Jackie was a woman

Who was fire

And who set things on fire

Like all saints, she was a cipher.

After the assassination, she said

"How could this have happened?"

Her: behind the veil at Arlington cemetery,

A woman with Mr. Kenneth hair.

The pink dress, with its bloodstains from her husband,

A dress that every woman remembers.

She was nothing but meaning:

Mother, Martyr, Recluse, Queen.

Archetype.

She: arguably the most famous woman in the world,

And Jackie showed us nothing but a public life.

In 1962 (the year of this man's birth),

On a televised tour of the White House,

The little heels on her pumps

Knocked on the floor, and

Her tiny, careful shyness of a voice

Provoked countless party imitations.

She rose above politics and the White House itself,

And she would rise above

The squalor and tragedy

Of the Kennedy family troubles.

Photographers,

Following her around

Like a skin condition.

Her children:

In good condition

And without the failings of other

Kennedys of their generation.

She rose above.

She was silent.

She was beautiful.

Jackie 0--Hero.

WTG--Denver, Colorado--June 7, 1996

"ODE ON A RENOIR TRIPTYCH"

Lo! The wall there, where the three lovelies dwell.

Each one captured is, then frozen in time.

Of their settings only each could tell me.

Though surmise I might, with Renoir's great eyes.

'Sir Pink Cheeks' at left is Edmund by name:

Sat he there-impressionist's small nephew.

With his shirt of blue and his long hair blond,

He of impish pout is staring left-frame.

Did he truly see the genius I do?

It's of artist's light and color I'm fond.

Edmund blends in with his background-streaked mauve.

Master 'sees' his subjects and paints them thus.

**

The next sweet, young beauty there on the wall:

Pale-skinned Venus, yes, if ever there was.

She of yellow hat is gazing to right.

On chapeau sit roses, thickened by paint;

Black her dress is; white lace is at her neck.

Renoir bathed her with his beauty of light.

Her mouth, slightly open. Her lips, a saint's.

Chin in left palm, gently does it there rest.

**

Third and final precious there on the wall:

Her of red hat, though it's mainly most white.

Auburn long hair, down her back it does fall.

Background, floral; outside this girl resides.

Around ma'm'selle's hat is a white lace flounce,

Hiding miss' gaze from lookers like me.

These three 'jewels' have been touched by the light

And the color with which August abounds.

Talent was his forte. Genius was he,

And these paintings are a fabulous sight.

WTG--June 16, 1996--Glenwood Springs, Colorado

"THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A SUICIDE"

I. when 'the call' came from my mother's most recent ex-husband,

my second step-father,

all he could utter was a guttural half-cry.

without hesitation, i instantly said:

"she's dead, isn't she?"

II. in some recessed, reconciled part of my mind,

i appreciate, for her precious sake,

the much sought after peace she has surely discovered.

III. suicide kill yourself

suicide 'kill' your survivors

IV. a therapy appointment scheduled for

monday, august 16th, 1993, at 2:30 pm.

an appointment she would ultimately miss,

since that was the day she chose to die.

V. suicide put her into a cemetery of her mother's choosing.

it is a very drab one indeed.

grandmother will be dead soon.

VI. in keeping with the silver-lining theorists,

at least now i won't have to care for

a hypochondriacal, elderly, invalid mother

VII. someone actually said at her funeral:

"do you ever think you could have done

more?"

VIII. playing on the airwaves in suicide's wake was

madonna's "rain"--august 16th is also madonna's birthday--

i felt the song was speaking to me, consoling me.

for upwards to a year, whenever i heard it,

i would sing along and cry and cry.

IX. suicide took my mother away from me.

i was but a wee thirty-year-old boy.

it was my turn to enter the land of the grown-ups.

X. i ended my glorious period of mourning-

we southerners defined the word-

on the one-year anniversary of her death.

she took control of her life on that particular day,

and i chose that day, as well, to take control of mine.

XI. suicide

in the back seat of her car,

in the garage,

in the humid heat

in a kentucky summer.

i drive that car today.

it is red.

XII. i've never been angry with her.

is that unusual?

XIII. suicide cheats even death himself:

snatching the scythe from his chalk-like digits,

"i'm in charge here!"

"i'm the boss!" she must have said.

WTG--denver, colorado--june 26, 1996

"TEN SINGULAR MOMENTS OF NORMA (Haiku-Desmond Style)"

norma, grand diva,

descending her massive stairs-

aging, film actress.

**

tears for her pet chimp.

as if it's her own child she

buried in her yard.

**

norma flatters tod

she likes sagittarius:

"one can trust that sign!"

**

there: a youthful face,

a man, for norma to love;

he doesn't love her.

**

new year's. he and she;

a fight, causing him to leave.

norma slashes her wrists.

**

grand norma-diva!-

ascending her massive stairs.

saneness falls away.

**

in her fantasy,

she's the greatest star of all:

"look, my face! my face!"

**

possessive norma;

the 'star' can not have this man

so she shoots him dead.

**

she is truly mad:

"i'm ready for my close up"

and she surrenders.

**

grand-diva-norma

descended her massive stairs.

it was the last time.

WTG--july 8, 1996--denver, colorado

"A COMING OUT POEM"

(SKIPPING FROM TEXT TO TEXT)

if you're for the right thing,

then you do it without thinking.

the stillborn journey of my life

took off at last, the moment i opened

the closet door.

"He was a boy,

just a boy . . ."

in the beginning was the nightmare.

it was a desperate leap--impossible to anything--

but madness and despair.

"the price, maybe,

of taking a bit a foreskin with him

to jesus."

It was like you suddenly

turned a blinding light

on something that had always been

half in shadow.

"once i set my mind on him,

there has never been a man

i couldn't get."

WTG--july 11, 1996--denver, colorado

"SESTINA MARILYNA"

That August morning was a hot one, there under the willow tree, recalled Mother,

When the men rushed outside with the news of Her death.

That day, when the icon died, Mother was pregnant with me.

The star was so beloved by all, and the world, anquished, cried: Goodbye, Marilyn.

Throughout Her brief life she wanted only one thing: a nourishing, unconditional love.

Shift to four months later, December 1962, my birth.

**

"Again choosing the Year of the Tiger, I was determined to have a wonderful re-birth."

"And I chose well! This time I got the world's most doting mother."

"In my own life, I had craved only one thing: a nourishing and unconditional love."

"And to find it, I had to charter the territory of my own uncertain death."

"I have been reincarnated in this baby boy," decided Marilyn.

Marilyn Monroe used to be me. I used to be she. Now, I am me.

**

It seems natural now, having lived this life, that She did choose me.

Me, who was flooded with love, to offer Her my most fortunate birth.

Finally, after thirty-six searching years, a beautiful and protective love for Marilyn-

And a gentle, loving woman for Her to call Mother.

She pined for this absent love, and to reach it, Marilyn often flirted with death.

Ultimately, She prevailed-and found, at last, that much-sought-after love.

**

It was all encompassing-this new maternal love.

Stifling at times, it could overwhelm me.

Was this the answer, Marilyn, to all those questioning years before Your death?

As You now know, You couldn't have chosen a better birth.

You found someone to insure that You'd do better than she: a Mother.

And, You found someone to insure that I'd do better than You, Marilyn.

**

This time around, Fortune smiled upon you, Marilyn.

You've finally been bathed in that unconditional maternal love.

You've had my perfect childhood-my perfect mother.

Both born on a Tuesday and both left-handed, Marilyn and me.

Like She, I've walked 'our' walk since birth,

Also, like She, I'll bask in the attention of men and cameras until death.

**

I wonder where we'll go next, upon my body's eventual death.

What's next for us on this Wheel of Life, Marilyn?

Will my selection be as auspicious as yours, when choosing the next birth?

Marilyn, your issue has been resolved here-this boy's life has been full of love.

So, perhaps we're ready to leave this Wheel, Marilyn, but that's up to me.

When we leave the Wheel-and I sense that we will-we'll owe it to the Good Mother.

**

"Bless all the good mothers," we'll say at my death.

Said once for me, and said once again for sweet Marilyn.

A love like no other we thankfully found, upon the occasion of this boy's birth.

WTG--July 21, 1996--Denver, Colorado

"The Vision Has Stopped"

(Diana Is Gone)

Death for a goddess-a Mother-a Woman.

True beauty gone so fast.

She was our sweet and delicate friend, and

We worshipped and loved and needed the gorgeous girl.

The sun and moon are together shadowed,

And with her away, summer falls into winter.

Time will whisper and sing of her always.

All ache and cry and are sad in the stormy sea.

The petal is crushed. Rain is flooding from above.

She is a diamond, and no one is like her.

The moment is over. The dream is void.

WTG--August 31st, 1997--Denver, Colorado