Squirreled away 
like some 
errant nut
found beneath 
a tree
I wait
and wait 
for snow 
to fall 
and his 
abrupt return 
but what 
chance do 
I have 
when surrounded 
by so 
many other 
assorted nuts 
to be 
dinner or 
a tree

I drilled holes 
into the bottom 
of the pot
to drain water
but no sooner 
did I do 
that weeds found 
their way in
funny how they 
can do that 
looking for every 
little chance to 
take over the 
little pot that 
I have planted 
I guess that 
the only way
to keep the 
weeds away is
by not being 
a pretty flower 

It has been 
a long slow
slog down the 
familiar rut of 
life dodging trenches 
trees and passing 
pitfalls stumbling into 
holes divots and 
dumps to finally 
find myself here 
if ever I
have learned anything 
it’s that to
lose one gains
tire you will 
tire we do 
but give up
never or ever 

I sometimes think 
I’ve lived backwards 
making others happiness 
my first priority 
and pushing myself 
further and further 
down and away 
almost to the 
point of beyond 
and then life
happened hit me 
in the jaw 
waking me up 
making me think 
what the hell
am I doing 
letting myself live 
those other lives 
when it’s me
and it’s mine 
that I should 
be living for 

This factory that 
I am churning 
out parts that 
made others whole 
went through retooling 
everything the whole 
line and shop
floor gutted and 
redone and now 
I’m cranking out 
this kind my
kind of happiness 
pieces that fit 
only for me