Bob on Sugarloaf
winter 2016
photo by Susan Arnold
—————————————
Long Time Together
4 dollars I paid
For this dark scarf
Of large red roses,
And love’s fortune
Is that I had you
There with me, out
On the sidewalk to
Fold it, and wear
Around your neck
From His Hand
From his hand
Awakening us
In bed, two small
Carrots brought
Out of the garden
Barely washed he
Wants us to bite
Down into what he
Terms a surprise
And we gamely do —
Watching his smile
At this given sweet —
Knowing five years ago
He was our surprise
Small Difference
We bought
a jackknife
for our son,
his first
I thought the
blade was sharp,
you liked the
pretty handle
Like Poem
He stands to mimic —
Young boy in
T-shirt & jeans
Arms out like
Balancing a high
Wire tipsy
& immediate
Joy
When we ask
To see it
Again it’s
Not even close
Two Spoons
It’s Valentine’s Day —
We are 22 years married
And share strawberry shortcake
At midday, the waitress saw
To bring two spoons
Our son comes home from
Fifth grade, says Kevin
Gave Angela a $30 bracelet
And she didn’t want it — all he can
Remember is most of the class cried all day
Break Away
Break
away from the world
Even
a loving child, friends
That
travel long distances
To
be with us; cross the
Shallow
river to a bank of
Ferns,
undress while wild
Chatter
of the kingfisher
Hunts
the long summer water
And
years between us since
We’ve
done this — naked but
For
your necklace — under
Trees,
evening in the leaves,
My arms circled around you
————————————————
Bob Arnold
Once In Vermont
Gnomon
