morning silence

in morning silence
walking forest path
stealthy slow
the few creaks
from old monk bones
muffled by robes

temple dog sits
stump still
as the ducks
fly in

the mall

last truck backs in
loading shelving
and salable fixtures

rolling out
past full back alley
  dumpsters
stuffed high
with spoiled stock

empty mall
stripped of stores

twenty bucks

worn guitar still
resonate and ringing
steady thumping bass

bar stool beer pitcher
filling slow
crumpled bills n'change
singing for tips

song titles yelled out
as the last tune ends

singer leans in close
"nothing says request
like twenty bucks"

temple dog in spring

old dog
feeling young
getting up speed
to a full run
down to the pond
checking for ducks

ode to lost poems

swirling poems
semi-formed
in my midnight mind

first bell

tired monk
ringing the first bell
as rigs roll out
on empty streets
tires bumping
over frozen leaf piles