Sunday, November 30, 2014

Fall Rain: Central Park

The all-day rain scraped the leaves
From the fall-tint trees,
And, without a thought,
Discarded them.


The scales of orange and umber
Had become clown rags,
Streaked with makeup
And tossed away.


Published November 28, 2014 in the New York Times: 
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/28/fall-rain-central-park/

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Compleat Taxi Chaser

The first thing you notice is
The confluence of traffic,
The onrush of day-lit chrome.
You hear horns blaring –
They burst, leap like salmon
At the dam of stops and starts.


And then you hear the curse –
The curse of the angler
Waist high in this torrent,
Trying to catch a big-mouth cab.


     Published, New York Times: 

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/the-compleat-taxi-chaser/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Fall 2014

The neighborhood trees

After the rain

Are losing investment.


Their brown-and-green

Ticker tape


Now lies on the ground.

Mosaic

You are high-born -
A woman I saw in
Lapis, alabaster, chalcedony.
An elegant Byzantine
Who, over her smooth
Polished shoulder,
Looked back at me.

You looked at me
With your almond eyes
Of rare inlay,
Your half-smile serene,
Your scarf red and gold.
And you reached to me,
Your fingertips
Grazing my cheek.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

Cloud

A chalky streak on blue sky.

A vapor.  More imagination​
Than substance. 

Hamlet knew this, knowing dreams
Are ethereal.