Reflections upon a gift of conversations received from a friend called necessity*

*With apologies to John Tobias

During that autumn 

As the leaves started to 

change color and fall

Creating a carpet of crunches

While the temperature remained summer like 

But without the thunder storms to 

Roll thru and break the heat

Even if momentarily 

While the drought monitors crept higher

And higher, inducing restrictions 

On outdoor water use

During that autumn

Which definitely was 

created by the biennial election

There were multiple conversations 

And the conversations ruled

Schedules to coordinate

Times to agree upon,

Zoom info shared, then connecting

Sound check, 

background check,

Lighting check,

Find the button and we're on

How to get at the questions

Folks wanted answers to

Without being so direct,

Abrupt, or unfriendly

We created the context,

The setting, neighbors 

Meeting neighbors

Some closer than others

Some we'd met before

Some we hadn't yet

Until there, virtually, we were

Together to get their story

Their point of view 

Recorded to share

Wind down to a close, 

then editing, Cut this, 

queue this, upload that, 

Send this, wait for their response

And when the recording 

was approved, it was

Shared, some more widely than

Others, somehow that is always

The case, some candidates generated

more interest by being new

Less familiar than the

Incumbents whom folks seem

to know enough of

To not need anymore

When the recorded conversations 

Came to a close

Other conversations began

Folks following up with candidates

Candidates following up with

Each other, making the meet &

Greet circuit, making the rounds, 

To address all the questions,

Provide all the answers

On the website, the pages 

Are rich with links

To the conversations, 

Video and audio, 

Along with historical data, 

Info on what was done before

And may need to begin again

To further the conversation

And become closer neighbors

Than we were when 

the conversation started

When the biennial election is

Over, the results tallied,

Perhaps they'll be a new set

Of folks at the table

Now with the task of

Providing oversight

To our Town, our services

Which we need, some of us

more than others

And so by necessity 

This autumn the conversations 

Continue, neighbors with neighbors 

To find the solutions

That can be possible

The poetry game

  I

Some don't read poetry, they don't understand the poet game

So this is my chance, maybe I can explain the poet game

This forces me to begin; welcome to my front porch, relax

We can sit, and laugh, toast champagne to the poet game

An image or a object is where I'll start, what do I call it, name it

To conjure the same in your brain for the poet game

Green grass is a good one, what kind of green is it

My grass grows, as does yours, when it rains in the poet game

Celtic green, evergreen, lime green, thousands of shades yet

Shades don't matter when you're filling the grassy plain for the poet game 

However, to complete the knit pattern successfully, you

need yarn from the same batch of color skeins for the poet game

  

  II

So we're back to a specific shade of green grass 

Conjured in both our brains for the poet game

In agreement, we move along, another image adds to our

Thinking, another car joins the freight train in this poet game

We continue on the same track, adding images

Building them like a block chain in the poet game

The length of the poem depends on the train of thought

To be shared to avoid a migraine in the poet game

The line length and punctuation are chosen by the poet

Important to refrain from eyestrain in the poet game

It may be work but not impossible to follow along, find

ourselves comfortably riding the airplane in the poet game 

So Sherlock, when successful, we're gliding along, admiring greenery, 

Together above the tree-lined coast of Maine in the poet game

for Matt

Ghazal: Thoreau's chairs

Part 1

Rectangular tables are an efficient use 

for maximizing space within the room where 

there can only be so many chairs

Why is it that sitting alone is the hardest

Thing to do, solitude can be so beneficial 

when there is only one chair

Round tables use more space, yet no matter 

where you sit, you are on the same level

With the person in the next chair

At the breakfast table, I go fetch my phone

Because you asked for my schedule which 

we review when I sit back in my chair

The conversation will go around and round

The square meal when the whole family

Sits together in each their own chair

Take a walk to Henry's place, he will

Welcome your visit, and he will bring out 

for you to sit on, one of his chairs

Part 2

Without tone or body language it is

Just the words that are shared with the app

That you use while sitting in your chair

Emojis and photos are added to provide the

Thousand words left out inconveniently

By you sitting impatiently in your chair

The party game is now online, of course,

And when the music stops, who is the one

Left out when they don't find a chair

The rain continues after dark as the storm 

forecast comes true, water runs down the gutter

Filling the background while I sit writing in my chair 

I ponder at what age will the youth need a smart device

to get by in this digital world while you 

increase your device time sitting in your chair

What is more authentic, the auto-generated chat

Text, or me reaching across the table, to hold your hand

While I sit patiently in my chair

sherku: silence

Into the void, thoughts come
Of their own free will and dance
With imagination

What is a sherku?

This was originally posted as part of a comment on listening as a key skill in communication on the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog here

Updated 8/2/09 - to correct the syllable count and meet the 19 required for sherku

sherku: day pass

Three ladies, coffee in hand
deep in conversation
on the train to Boston

What is a sherku?

sherku: Joyful Jubilant Learning

books, wonders, dialog

so much to be thankful

joyful jubilant learning

My contribution to the Thanksgiving posting on the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog


What is a sherku?

sherku: Commuter train

bits of conversation
whispers, commuter train leans
rolling in to the curve

What is a sherku?

sherku: two conversations

double D underwire
C front clasp, Mr Garter's
slither changed topics