I waited for a break in the rain
to fetch groceries 
from the back seat of the truck 

I danced around puddles
with bare feet
flew open the door 
and sprawled across the seat 
on my knees 
stretching to reach my bundle 

all of me was
sheltered in the cab
as the rain returned

all of me 
except my bare feet
dangling out the door

then I felt it

tiny raindrops
on the soles of my feet
like a strange baptism
sent to tickle me
 
I am loved by the rain

I knelt in stillness
as it kissed my feet

Loneliness comes
I go to the lake

I remind myself
the thing
that drowns me
is the same thing 
that lets me float

be carried
surrender

Terror envelops tiny me
as I try to stand against the tempest
roaring its power
from horizon to horizon
 
as I teeter on the rocky shoreline
the wind threatens
to blow me away from you

your arms refuse to carry me
only this warm hand holds mine
too lightly though

this hand will not save me
not lead me to safety

this hand is to comfort me
give me time to find my courage
time to feel the loss of you
if you should be swept away
time to find your eternal love for me

you are swept away
______________________

Photograph is me and my dad on the shore of Lake Michigan.

If you wander
along the water’s edge
you’ll see 
its hidden riches

a plastic bottle
a discarded tire
a chunk of propeller
a tangled lure

if you see them
with an ancient pirate’s eye
you can imagine his excitement

these are marvels
gifts from the sea

perspective
makes all things beautiful

I am in my kitchen
at my sink
hands immersed
in wet sudsy liquid

I am at peace
in this daily pose
feeling every tension
calmed 
by water’s warmth

I watch the squirrel 
then the robin
now the neighbor
with her dog

I watch the clouds
the beetle on the window
the dove on the wire
the baby rabbit

I whisper “amen”
then wash my bowl

I watch intently 
as his brush 
slowly
washes water 
over the blank paper 

this wet rectangle
is about to tell me a story
and my heart slows
as I relax for the telling

the first blue 
on the tip of the brush
lightly kisses the water

the color 
leisurely flows
as he quietly watches
discerning
how to help
the story find us

soon a sky
but the water wants
a storm

then a beach
but the water wants
a dune

this quiet collaboration
mesmerizes me
as tinted water
dabs of paint
and artist’s hand
gently transform
wet paper
into a place

boat-tailed grackles
brace against the wind
as the storm blows in
from the gulf waters
beyond the dunes

water
telling stories of water
______________________

Watercolor painting by Keith May, paint, and water

Through the revolving door
an unexpected downpour
waiting for no-umbrella us

age old questions
wait or walk?
time or distance?

on an ordinary day
we’d sprint
but this morning
was soon to be
extraordinary

we walked
slowly
bearing the rain
pelting our heads
washing our cheeks
soaking our clothes

we both felt it
the magic

he reached out his hand
and within a step
in some strange cosmic unison
we began
”Singing in the Rain”

I don’t believe
I am a carbon-based creature

The scientist said
my brain and my heart
are 73% water

my muscles are 79
skin 64
lungs 83
even bones are 31

I think if I practiced
I could live under water

I wonder 
what happens
to the water parts of us
when we die

do we leak into the earth
evaporate to the sky
then rain down
filling oceans and seas

maybe one day
my watery heart will rain on you
bathing you
in my love

Each wave has a story

how it lifted itself
swelled
surged
crested

things it loved
the wind
the sun
the sky

where it’s been
why it mattered
why it didn’t

how it feels
to finally 
fall back to the sea

each wave has a story
we will never hear

there are no words in water

The following poem is my offering for Bad Poetry Day (August 18th). I caution you, it’s pretty bad. Maybe my worst yet. I’m very proud.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AN OLD FRIEND

Wrinkle wrinkle, so bizarre
To look different than you are
Up above, your balding head
Worry not, you’ll soon be dead

Twinkle, twinkle, now’s your chance
Do your little happy dance
I know it hurts, but whirl and twirl
Find your inner little girl

First put on a gorgeous gown
Wear flat shoes or you’ll fall down
Find a place where you can sit
In case you step upon your tit

Wrinkle, wrinkle, flaws and mars
Deformed fingers, fourteen scars
Sagging front and crooked back
Friends will soon be wearing black

They’ve come for you in the van
Enjoy your birthday while you can

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