Friday, August 23, 2013

My Weight Loss

Yesterday? Tuesday
I cut the dead leaves off the tomato plants.
I drained the dirty water out of my dog's pink plastic pool.
I cut zinnias--purple, orange, pink and put them in a vase
Upon a white table next to the garden.
I gave support to the cosmos.
Dear Mom, my garden is a happy place.
I pray you are happy in your garden.
Today? Wednesday
I watered the garden early in the morning
And all the potted herbs and plants.
The doctor tells me I have lost twelve pounds
Since March. Not cancer
Simply scabs on the top of my head
From too much sun. He freezes
Them with liquid nitrogen and I say
It feels like a hundred bee stings and
This is the result of the years I spent
Life-guarding. The weight
Loss thanks to walking my dog every day
Three or four or five or six times.
Shriveling cucumber leaves
Under August sun.
The basil leaves, too.
Pin cushion zinnias
Gently swaying lollypops
If you like, cherry, strawberry and
Watermelon, vanilla, pink lemonade
Mandarin orange, grape, cookies and
Cream, island punch, bubble gum.
My neighbor bought an RV today.
Parked it between our house and his house.
I supposed we might get used to it.
An extra-large white refrigerator
Eye-sore turned on its side
Looming over our fence, a space-
Craft I will pretend it to be.
"I didn't know you liked to camp," I said.
"I don't," he said. "My wife does."
He is bald and he is not wearing a hat.
I am wearing a hat. My doctor
Said I should always wear a hat.
I went inside the house.
I drank a beer to celebrate
My weight loss.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Moving The Pig

Sometimes I sit
In the backyard
Reading. I am
Reading a poem
Today, a book
Inspired by poems.
A poet died today.
I saw the story
On the news. Earlier
I transplanted four
Plants, herbs and
Moved the pig
Watering can. Darn
One of the plants is
Looking tired.
I hope it lives.
My cat is
Inside sleeping. My dog
Is next to me chewing
On the remains
Of a lamp chop.
I opened the garden gate
This morning before
I photographed it. My dog
Ran in and out
Of the garden three times and
Each time carrying something
In his mouth. A bandit
With a cherry tomato
A plastic marker
A blue globe thistle.
Yesterday it was
An Italian Red Roaster.
He snatched it off
The picnic table, playing
With it like he might
With a dead bird.
This is why
I moved the birdfeer
To the front yard.
To keep the birds and squirrels
Out of the backyard.
How many birds do I care
For him to eat. I dreamed
I was going to grill a squirrel
And someone asked me "Did you
Gut it?" And I said "Yikes. No way."
We go for walks
Sit. Stay. Come. Sit.
Down. I say. We
Look for Joyce on our walks.
The old lady in the brick house
Next to senior housing.
She gives my dog treats and
He looks for her. He looks
Right at her house. And
Sometimes she comes out
And she says "Once
This was all pasture. And
There was a pond. And
My children ran through
The pasture and swam
In the pond. We love
Your dog. We love Freddy."

Friday, August 16, 2013

Thinking About

a canvas that is always
changing, the violet cosmos
swaying in the wind
above the red zinnia
a garden of pantone colors
black cherry soda
nacho cheese
this is today
tomorrow the weight
of the cosmos will
cause it to fall
over the bed
of zinnias
the purple passion
the orange soda

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Sacred Geometry

an iridescent green
hummingbird, i saw
two last week
at the mirror

in the garden
the garden is
alive, the garden is
a happy place

two teen girls
walking down the street
in the rain, barefoot
umbrella-less

two dead sparrows
after a rain storm
my dog carries one
away in his mouth

after dinner we wander
around the garden
never had i seen
flowers so vibrant

seem to vibrate
in the late day
light calls
of color

mandalas of color
sacred geometry
swaying gently
in the garden

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

With Water


sun soaked
zinnias

leaves fading in
backyard

but plants tall
robust

colorful those
she said

i prefer
short stems

and flowers
she said

you got
talent

maybe i should be
a teacher

the sign read
wise men

fish here
my dog retrieves

okay class
today's lesson

my name is
bruce barone

born march seven
pisces

son of alfred
(thus the dog's name--freddy)

freddy son on melchizdek
grandson of another

alfred, my ministry
my legacy

my name means
willowlands

thick brush too
no nickname but

in high school i was called
gazelle

note to self:
ads

mozart this morning
and clouds

and a pink rose
bloomed

today in the garden
love

to have an ice cream cone
now

i got to write this
down

nineteen zinnias in a mason jar
filled with water

pink plastic baby's wading pool
filled with water

i will be a grandfather
soon


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Painting Again

painting a sleigh
bed

white enamel on
red

vale mist
clay beige

summer breeze
other rooms

what about
the couch

glasses glisten
in position

bunny williams
i said

the dining room
color

a breath of
fresh air

Monday, August 5, 2013

Angels

Morning, yesterday
I sit in the garden
Waiting for the hummingbird
To appear, suddenly
Like the bark of my dog
How it startles me
As does the beauty
Of the butterfly
The hummingbird
I sit and I stare
And I wait
These are my angels
I believe, I am
Listening, every summer day
They visit and in the winter
The cardinal and the bluejay
Come to the garden
This is where I travel
This is my journey
And the next day
And the next, a breeze
whispers, the garden chimes
Ring, a bird sings
This is a heaven
On earth, the colorful
Zinnias sway, a solitary
Sparrow drinks at the garden
Fountain, a childhood
Friend visited the other day
Another blessing
On a summer day

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Under This Heaven

A butterfly? Yes
and more
two swallowtails
hovering around
the butterfly bush
and a hummingbird
this beauty
makes my day
divine, the flight
of bumblebees
from zinnia to zinnia
under this heaven
tomato plants
taller than me
the kale there I saw
the praying mantis
and the basil needs
picking
      pesto