Ratio Sky

quick calculation

ratio of concrete and sky

1 measure of sky

4 of concrete

the tired monk tonight

clad in hospital robes

surveys the limited sky

maybe one strand

of the setting sun

bouncing

off a hospital window

From Oct. 23rd 2025 

53

raucous night shift change

consistent  laughing

giggle stream

big wedding ring gasps

honeymoon plans applauded

flirty comments zing

more smiles more laughter

suggestions of "one quick drink?"

a night cap

for the night nurse

during one more loud burst

of nursing station gossip

one nurse slips out 

the back stairs and home

From Oct. 23 2025 

Elbow Lake 1 and 2

i)

no party boats today

lake is quiet and smooth

through the forest:

humming highway tires

rushing to the city

acoustic chords 

rolling off Ontario rocks

and ridges

ii)

dragonfly drones hover

over the lake

zipping out

snatching deerflies midair 

later mosquitoes 

as evening sets in 

From July 2025 - Notebook Poems

 

a boxing memory

old tired monk arms

throwing snappy jabs

face mashing crosses

thundering meat hooks

heavy bag sways hard

boxer bouncing

under thick oak boughs

slipping and rolling 

past every branch

From June 15th  2025 - Notebook poem

Two From June

i)

cool for June

pine fire pops

cold beer pops

frothy lager flows

kids laugh

yell (Marco Polo) 

ii)

sore stomach, throat, 

and head

a virus of night chills

cooked and steamed

in cedar sauna heat

From June 16th 2025  - Notebook Poem

Bank Street Blues

lady meanders

weaves up Bank street

pushing her carriage cat

toothless alley guy smiles

toasts me with a hearty "cheers"

coffee cup held high

yoga girl sips

her oversized cup

jumps in a Tesla - away

young woman zips buy

yelling into her phone:

"you owe me 350 bucks!"

one guy is leaning on a pole

his buddy curled up on concrete

"he's sleeping - he needs $5.00"

I oblige

From Aug. 25th 2025

fire poem

no phone

no WIFI buzz

crackling pine log fire

cool pine scented breeze

colder can of lager

one more poem

as the burgers sizzle

From May 26th 2025 - Notebook Poem

Heavy Bag Poem

working on speeding up my jab

torqueing my cross

big walloping 3s and 4s

oh pounding hooks

sneaky thundering uppercuts

wrist wraps and robes

sweat on a tonsured head

as boxing gloves fly

a sauna prayer

disrobed

in sauna heat

birch water steams

mixing with red cedar scent

sweat drips

pouring down

over prayer bowed head

Sauna Life

hot cedar scent

a pulse of birch steam

heat soars

Malbec molecules 

and Irish Spirts 

join the mist

old monk rubs 

his bald head

ponders prayers

old and new 

pens poems 

deep in the mind

 - from May 25th 2025 - Notebook poem

A Garden Prayer

the abbess kneels

at the garden edge

weeds disappear 

piled and carted away

she finds a fallen feather

old black crow

stands it up 

beside pink snap dragons

From Summer 2025 - Notebook Poem

Wild Flowers

shed side trout lilies bloom

a lawn sea of violets

up to the forest edge

just off the path 

a rare red trillium hides

on the sunny hill 

a patch of crocuses 

under crab apples blossoms

forget me nots flourish 

by the rusty gate

 - from May 19th 2025  - Notebook Poem