HappyBirthday (to You)

I used to

Send flowers to

My mother on

My birthday thanking

Her for giving

Me this precious

Gift called life

Since she’s been

Gone I now

Do just this

On my special

Day I want

To wish you

All a very

Happy Birthday on

Your special day

Whenever that is

Friendship (for Melvin)

Just like rain

That fell on

Drought crops or

Late winter snows

Blanket brown grass

Your teasing and

Laughter brought me

Back to life

When I was

On my knees

You reached down

And helped me

To my feet

Showing me rainbows

I’m living now

More than ever

Fresh air in

And bad out

Like a billow

To a dying

Fire you brought

Me to life

Parched

And then when

I thought I

Would never again

Drink the spigot

Of you quenched

My parchness like

Lazy falling rain

Bathes blossoms or

Fire hydrants tease

Dancing children on

Hot summer streets

Now sated leaning

Against you I

Wonder looking up

Did you know

I couldn’t speak

Except with lips

RomanceLives (to Gavin)

And then you

Said you’ve never

Had romance yet

Loved love is

In essence romance

It’s first flight

For a hatchling

And that initial

Skidded landing on

Marshy lake it’s

That one taste

Of snow and

Your first bitter

Lick of lemon

Romance is eyes

And smiles and

Chagrin caught staring

It’s that first

Tentative touch and

Oh yes that

First cautious kiss

This is romance

And to you

My dear boy

Poetry romance lives

ItIsLove (for Davion)

There is but

One thing not

Tied to age

But makes everything

Else matter makes

Everything breathe and

Grow and end

It lives beyond

And beyond us

It’s something that

We all have

And rightly give

It is love