O Navigator
I’m an innocent bystander —
it’s my lover who hikes
up river for mail and some-
times meets curious things
along the way, like the fellow
in the car just now, after the
flood in this valley, who needs
to get to “west layden road” — my
lover corrects him, “you mean west
leyden road?” “ yes”, he says, then adds
“my navigator says it’s this way”
pointing to his dashboard, then southward
“but there isn’t any road this way since the flood”
she points south
“but my navigator says it is this way”
he points south
she kindly continues, “it is this way”
pointing south
“but the road’s gone”
still pointing
inch by inch
pointing someone
Nite~Nite
It's a little secret
that I'll tell you
and only my lover
knows and she’s quiet
as sunshine on the
leaves, and it's all
about our little kitten
once upon a time and
how much it delighted
her that when I went to
bed far later than she did
I would always turn to the
kitten who would be awake
and active, even at midnight,
and say nite~nite to him be-
fore I climbed the stairs to
join my lover warm in bed —
yes, I admit, it is a beautiful
life I have, and now that the
kitten is a cat my love asks and
really wants to know do I still
say nite~nite before I go to bed
to the grown cat who could
pretty much care less —
I do
The Back Back Road
A guy
I've known
the longest
around here
just went
by on his
ATV
cowboy hat
boots and
oxygen tanks
balanced
on his
lap, heavy
smoker is
Ben
——————————
Bob Arnold
BEAUTIFUL DAYS
Longhouse
