FINDING MYSELF

Sometimes I go days without looking in the mirror.

I get a good look when I decide it’s time to shave.

In front of the sink, shake the can of Edge, lather up-

I wonder when the wrinkles start, been lucky so far.

My left eye, no- right eye is bloodshot again, stress?

Notice more white hairs than dark, there’s a blemish.

A few spots here and there, never had them before.

My wife insists I should go and get them checked out.

I look tired after a full night of sleep and why does hair

grow faster in my nose, ears, on the back of my neck?

Somewhere between the last razor stroke and splashing

on the cold water, I remember the friend from college

who always joked about having a Talking Heads moment

while shaving. All of a sudden you stop, stare at the mirror

and say “You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”

VIRAL

spreading like a disease, with over 800,000 hits, still going

they’re fighting in the streets, kicking each other in the ribs,

dragging women by their hair, beating each other down in

school yards, restaurants, on city buses, put it on You Tube.

Bystanders, no longer stand by, they hold their phones up high.

Commenting on the action, laughing at the poundings, gasping

at the beatings, shocked by the blood flow, but still recording.

No one tries to break it up, avert the crisis, diffuse the conflict,

or call the cops, happy to push record,  glad the beating is not

on them, while others sit at home- clicking, watching, sharing.

BACK WITH THE SIXERS

Black jersey and a Phillies cap, we drove down

early in the morning with him belted in the backseat.

He read the directions printed out from the internet,

we found the Philadelphia zoo, I called him My Navigator.

I remember being amazed at how the Monkey House hadn't

changed since my kindergarten class field trip back in ’72.

Been a while, a long time since we've been back.

We rode on to Independence Mall and took photos

with the Liberty Bell, people in Colonial costumes and

stopped to hear songs played with a hammered dulcimer.

Dinner was Tony Luke’s, a small steel structure surrounded

by chain link fence, wedged under the Walt Whitman Bridge

Cheesesteaks with onions and wiz never tasted so good.

We kicked a soccer ball in the empty parking lot at the new

basketball stadium named after a bank, not the old Spectrum.

Been a while, a long time since we've been back.

In the game, the Sixers and Wizards dueled it out on the court.

It was April, both teams had no chance of seeing the playoffs.

We sat in the cheaper seats, marveling at the three pointers of

Arenas, gasping at Iverson’s crossover dribble magic, high fiving

strangers and the old black guy next to us who shouted loudly-

C’mon now AI don’t let Gilbert show you up, not in your house.

Been a while, a long time since we've been back.

SUNDAY NIGHTS ON HBO

Meet me in the living room, it’s almost nine.

You know where to find me, I’ll be in my chair

The weekend is over, but it’ll be fine.

Others think about Monday, but I don’t care.

Tony Soprano had to bump off his friends,

but we don’t know if he got it in the end.

Dick Winters, Nixon, Guarnere- Band of Brothers

greatest generation, braver than others.

Stringer Bell, cops couldn't get him on The Wire,

in the game until Omar opened fire.

Nucky gives orders, runs his Boardwalk Empire

greed, corruption, a professional liar.

Game of Thrones, poor Rob Stark, rotten King Joffrey

found out weddings are deadly places to be.

LET ME THINK ABOUT IT

I was probably 3 or 4 when

she first encouraged me to

create art, always plenty of

markers, crayons, paper.

And I love her for that.

I was probably 5 or 6 when

she first taught me to

love plants, flowers like

forsythia, hyacinths, lilacs.

And I love her for that.

I was probably 7 or 8 when

she first pushed me to

read books, thick books on

history, animals, mythology.

And I love her for that.

I was probably 9 or 10 when

she said nothing as he turned

his anger on me, wish she’d

said “Stop”, that first time.

And I can’t forgive her for that.

BIG ORANGE

Wish I had one more chance

for one more game with him.

The only time we ever went.

Should’ve asked a guy to take a

photograph of me with my father,

way up high in Neyland Stadium.

Wish I had one more chance

to snap a photo of the 106,000 fans

in orange, singing Rocky Top as the

Pride of the Southland Band forms

a big T for the team to run through,

led by everyone’s hero,Johnny Majors.

Wish I had one more chance

to get a picture of Carl Pickens,

star wide receiver, stretching out in

the famous checkerboard end zone.

I still hear the call of “Give him 6!”

and the howl of the blue tick hound.

WEATHER SMALL TALK

Welcome to Jersey

if you don’t like the weather-

don’t worry, it changes.

Last year we were off

a week for the hurricane

this year it was snow.

Winter is done now,

ice dams haunted us

no need for more salt.

He never liked spring,

because it doesn't know

what it wants to be.

Four seasons this week

eighty degrees, a snow storm

cool, windy, and rainy.

In spring and fall

you save cash on utilities

no AC or heat.

Ready for summer?

window units will run hard

if it hits ninety.

Hey, it’s better than

dealing with single digits,

please remember that.

MONSTER MOVIES ON TV, B.C.

Television before cable, 13 channels if you count the UHF,

did it even work, remember antennas on all the rooftops?

When the set was busted, we’d say Oh no, better call Ono!

Mr. Ono, a TV repair guy knew how to get it working again.

Now we put them on the curb, head on down to Best Buy.

Creature Double Feature on 48, Dr. Shock on channel 17 

from Philly, same time, Saturday afternoons, the Seventies.

Mighty Joe Young always on Channel 9, not sure about 5,

maybe that’s where Abbott and Costello met the monsters?

Now we laugh, can’t believe we watched in black and white.

When it was a little chilly and rainy on a Saturday, she’d say

Be a good day for a nap on the sofa and a Godzilla movie.

How come they don’t have any scary movies on TV anymore?

Only people our age would know what she meant by this.

Now it’s easy, she grabs the remote and finds one on Netflix.

MINIMUM WAGE

I didn't find it in the help wanted pages,

a friend who’d worked there gave me a tip.

Call them up, they need workers for a crew,

hired on, ready to work, we started in June.

Painting tables and poles in the hot sun,

3.35 an hour, I remember the first check.

At 18, I was strong, never wanted to quit,

saving for college, tuition was due soon.

We loaded trucks with tents, chairs and stages

hit the road with the men on my very first run.

Excited to be in Delaware, Philadelphia, A.C.

long hours, time and a half made it opportune.

The education it gave me was one for the ages,

don’t stop, you’re finished when the work is done.

WE REMEMBER

you in the living room singing songs of praise

Go Tell It on the Mountain in pajamas,

then dancing to your mother’s techno music.

You’d ask me, what hat should I wear to play catch?

You’d talk about snakes and herpetology,

Athlon Sports rankings, pretend game announcing.

You told us your thoughts and shared your ideas.

Now, it’s quiet with ear buds, iPhone, Twitter.

Driving down the road, not much said by anyone.