LIGHT SHINING ON COPPER
I can mostly buy
the whole spiritual thing
that she is neither dead nor gone
or at a perfect time
and to a perfect place
But there is
this hole in a hug
where she used to fit
In memory of Copper Love 1947 – 2017
www.copperlove.com
PRECIOUS METALS
(for Copper Love)
You can keep your gold and silver
that divide the world in war
It is copper that connects
Cold crowns of kings and queens
behind the glass beyond the touch
copper is the human metal
it is copper that conducts
Greed and hate abide in gold
in copper there is only love
it is copper that conducts
it is copper that connects
In memory of Copper Love 1947 – 2017
www.copperlove.com
It’s poetry festival time! If you are in the Austin area check out the
Austin International Poetry Festival
Neil Meili AIPF 2016
Come see Neil
Thursday April 6th
Noon to 1:30 for City Reads at Maria’s Taco
3:00 to 5:00 for Time and Space Anthology Reading at New World Deli
Saturday April 8th
1:00 to 2:45 for City Reads at New World Deli
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Check out the latest book
Missing Leonard Cohen
“You have done it again–placing common words on the paper and mixing them up to produce works of art and emotion. Thank you.”
– Sheila W.
GROUNDHOG DAY
While I feared my shadow
it was never spring
CHILDREN HAVE
Children have a great sense of smell
Maybe that’s why
their diapers make them cry
their first
breast sends them
on a lifelong quest
and a cinnamon bun
can stop us all in the mall
On a farm there’s hay
before it goes into the cow
and hay when it comes out
The pungency of pig, the foul of fowl
Rain before the first drop falls
and the whip of lightning after it cracks
Smoke on dad’s clothes from the prairie fire
snuff from the round box cutting his shirt
The dog, even wet, not diminished in love
If lost in a blizzard, or in the dark
it is always best to let go of the reins
so the horse’s nose can point you home
Lost in the world at four a.m.
twice blessed if yours can do the same
THE ALBUMS
Mother’s shrinkage was marked by domicile
House, apartment, retirement and nursing home
shedding at each move, furniture, china, and art
except for, and never, the old photo albums
heavy in padded leather brown and green
Each visit when conversation stuttered to a stall
(Religion all but Baptist drowned
and what use is weather without crops)
out would come the albums
and in we all would dive
for pennies
bright and shiny at the bottom of the pool
Here’s one from 1958
how young the queen looked then
ONCE MORE ROUND THE MAYPOLE
In leisure he revisits
things seen but never noticed in his youth
though they lay but a short arms length away
Cow with ingrown horn
then a saw-wire from repair
now metaphor for defense gone wrong
The deep snow forts of play
two Fahrenheit degrees away
from smother and a crying mother
Frost on a winter window
a forest of trees of finest lace
meant too cold to go outside today
now the music of the spheres in form
Best not to be a poet young
very little would get done
UNDER THE PORCH
The thing about parents is they see you
as they’d like you to be, and you ain’t
The thing about teachers and coaches
is they see you getting all those A’s
and scoring on every play, and you cain’t
The thing about dogs is
Hey, quit lickin’ on my face you fool
WEDDING RECEPTION IN WINNIPEG
The house was old and beautiful
the guests were rich and mingly
A boy from the farm leans against the mantle
leather-bound Leaves of Grass open in his hand
Anyone bothering to notice might have thought
“Why doesn’t he try to make some friends”
He and Walt smile