***

"o’ Mice an’ Men" etc.

 1)                                                 

Magic mouse pulls on her tutu; it’s time to dance
She is so tired of walking tightrope every night
She’s turning tricks, one might say, but dreams of romance,
Glory, thrown at her like bouquets, kisses in candlelight.

Mouse’s favorite person is fellow circus Cat
He has the most understanding eyes even when asleep
Only Cat pays no heed to her. Pity she’s not a rat,
Rats are killers at getting noticed, they’re suave and sleek.

And magic mouse has stupid tutu, of violet gauze,
And people clap and laugh a little but then go home
And she’s allowed to nibble on crumbs and briefly doze,
And next matinee, to be ready again under sparkly dome.

They sleep all huddled together, feels alley-oop brothel fest
Black beads of eyes are suddenly moist with tears
She tiptoes to Cat, -Cat grumbles he needs his rest
Mouse curls aside him and caresses his fuzzy ears. 

And everything’s quiet, quiet, be still my heart,
And tender night breathes evenly, musky air,
And bitter gospel of tightrope walking not being a real art
Like stupid tutu, lies, neatly folded, on shabby chair. 





                              ************



2)              

Old memory of her,
Scratching endlessly, 
Why? Hasn’t she hurt me? 


      **********


3)

Poet listened to the silence of stars, thinking:
“No learned astronomer can teach me remotely essential, 
But stars themselves”

The learned astronomer would never, though, become astronomer, 
Had their silence not burst into him, ached, and composed symphonies, 
Decades before he tried to write their notes, 
Failing constantly, scribing again.

The stars, meanwhile, were busy and lonesome,
Burning, 
As fierce as living goes,
As long as the dying gets. 


********


4)

Envy not the dream 

But what dreaming allows you: 

Waking up again.

********

* The references in the subtitle and the third piece are, of course, to poems by Robert Burns and Walt Whitman;

the second piece is an erasure poem (words are taken from a page in “Sharp Objects”; why did I grab it, out of all books surrounding me, I know not;

this, my very first, be kind, erasure poem, as the haiku in the end, are inspired, or, in case of the haiku, directly prompted by Fotini Masika and her beautiful work. Thank you, Fotini, -

and thank you all, my amazing readers.

Love, and stay safe, above all

*cover image found on Pinterest