Barbo
Jesse, Habitat volunteer, retires.
Clown wannabe.
She calls cousin Barbo
for advice.
"Barbo's a gentle clown!" she says.
White, broad-faced smile.
Surrounded in yellow folds and flowers.
High squeaky voice
delights kids in parades.
Jessie, gentle clown protege,
cultivates wishes and laughter
in impoverished children
in Guatamala and Costa Rica.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Urban Life
Determination
A greyhead shuffles the crosswalk.
His beard, a thin waterfall cascading
from facial crags to beltline.
He moves. Slides a single foot forward.
Poises carefully before advancing the other.
Unitl he’s parallel and balanced.
His journey an agonizing grind.
He crosses safely through the lines.
Desperation
Desperate men and women lounge
the park grass on torn cardboard.
Their mattresses the repository of lost dreams.
They wrap themselves in plastic tarp.
Cover in flannel blankets, tight against today.
More forlorn watch from surrounding banks
and camp medians between sidewalk and street.
Voices rise from the earth like tall weeds.
Whispered secrets spindle skyward,
seeking some imagined hope.
Wanting. Waiting.
We also wait with them.
Family (continued)
We travel 99 north. Crowd into our '51 Pontiac.
Across the Aurora Bridge, we pass the teepees
and Indian elephant. After Marysville,
mustard fields and orchards unfold. Our family
heads for Gramdma Josephine and Aunt Mary's
farms. We'll clamber cliffs to the Cherry Point beach.
Burma Shave signs accompany our trip,
bringing smiles...dissolving tedium.
The whale
Put Jonah
Down the hatch
But coughed him up
Because he scratched.
Burma Shave
Billboards push the sky away.
Corona, Cingular Cellular and a Schmirinoff
blonde consume the landscape.
Stylish and sexy,
lacking cadence, they carry a different humor.
We admit our company
name sounds like someone
getting an erection. - Boeing
I miss the early days.
Lament the missing moments.
I think of family...
those departed.
A nut at the wheel
A each on his right
Acurve in the road
Fruit salad that night.
Burma Shave
Times change.
Across the Aurora Bridge, we pass the teepees
and Indian elephant. After Marysville,
mustard fields and orchards unfold. Our family
heads for Gramdma Josephine and Aunt Mary's
farms. We'll clamber cliffs to the Cherry Point beach.
Burma Shave signs accompany our trip,
bringing smiles...dissolving tedium.
The whale
Put Jonah
Down the hatch
But coughed him up
Because he scratched.
Burma Shave
Billboards push the sky away.
Corona, Cingular Cellular and a Schmirinoff
blonde consume the landscape.
Stylish and sexy,
lacking cadence, they carry a different humor.
We admit our company
name sounds like someone
getting an erection. - Boeing
I miss the early days.
Lament the missing moments.
I think of family...
those departed.
A nut at the wheel
A each on his right
Acurve in the road
Fruit salad that night.
Burma Shave
Times change.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dog Blog - Personalities - August 28, 2011
I have six dog clients and each has a unique personality. I should say that Puget Pets screens to ensure the dogs are fairly well behaved and not biters. Probably, the last thing anyone wants is to have a supposedly friendly pet take a chunk out of your hand or leg. (I won't use their real names in this piece.)
Gina is a young mastiff living in a Pioneer Square condo. She is such a sweet girl. During the transition from her previous walker to me, I was a little unsure of a dog that size. She bounded up wanting to be petted, recognizing we were going for a walk. It's probably difficult spending most of your day inside a confined space so Gina is happy to get out into the fresh air.
Over the two months of walks, I discovered what a gentle, shy dog she is. When I enter the condo, she rushes up wagging her tail enthusiastically. We stroll the Pioneer Square area which doesn't have much in the way of large parks. Our routine takes us through plazas and smaller parks where there are planters and grass which she can smell. Sometimes we come across small dogs who startle her with their shrill and incessant yaps. She has found confidence in a Pepe, a tiny Chihuahua, and bends to rub noses with him in City Park.
Dolly, another Pioneer Square inhabitant, is a Wheaton Terrier. She can be challenging because she doesn't like to stray far from home. When she decides she doesn't want to continue, she'll sit or lay down on the pavement, digging her heels in like a spoiled child. She primarily likes walking with George, a wonderful gentleman Corgi. Together, they play for hours in bursts of energy. They wrestle, chase and roll over each other giving friendly nips.
When Dolly spots other dogs being walked, she'll rear up and give her high bark. She's challenging them or often wants to meet. George meanwhile remains calm and low key, ignoring her. He's more interested in the details on the ground....how things smell...what they are and what he can find. He reminds me a bit of a fastidious butler. He's organized, smart and keeps things on track...Mr. Reliable.
After the walks in Pioneer Square, I drove to Rainier Valley. The first dog walked is Bee Bee, a very young Golden Lab. She's a joy and still a pup, not quite a year old. She loves to chew, as so many pups do. Initially, she was nervous because I was a stranger. She'd bark when I entered her family home.
Once on leash, her enthusiasm for a walk rises. She becomes all about learning. Obedience commands became essential. During our walks, we practice "sit", "stay", "down", "come", "heel" and "fetch". She's also allowed a little off-leash time where she'll chase a tennis ball. Bee Bee is filledwith energy and I like the sparkle in her eyes when she wants to play keep away. She's mischievous and, off-leash, doesn't alway follow commands.
Bridin, a Setter-mix, prances through the neighborhood. Her long-hair's well-combed and she's very alert. She remembers yards where she's rousted a cat and trees where she's spotted a squirrel. On passing them, she assumes a hunting posture before lurching to chase.
She ignores some fenced dogs that bark as she passes. She recognizes them as no threat. If she doesn't know the dog, she'll return growls and jump in the air. Her curiosity doesn't know bounds. One oddity occurs when we pass a large statue of a horned-owl that the homeowner placed on the steps leading to a house. It's eyes are wide and glare. When Briden saw the bird, she sniffed the air and took a hunting stance. Stonelike, she must have thought it was unfriendly, growled and barked .
My final dog, Lucy is a German shephard. For now, she's on hold and doesn't get walked while her family addresses some personal issues. Lucy is a powerful, free spirit. She loves going to the local park which is a few blocks down hill from her house. There, she runs off-leash playing. On Lake Washington, she dives into the water, rushing back and forth biting each wave. You throw rocks into the water and she'll pretend to fetch them, diving headfirst into the surf.
Gina is a young mastiff living in a Pioneer Square condo. She is such a sweet girl. During the transition from her previous walker to me, I was a little unsure of a dog that size. She bounded up wanting to be petted, recognizing we were going for a walk. It's probably difficult spending most of your day inside a confined space so Gina is happy to get out into the fresh air.
Over the two months of walks, I discovered what a gentle, shy dog she is. When I enter the condo, she rushes up wagging her tail enthusiastically. We stroll the Pioneer Square area which doesn't have much in the way of large parks. Our routine takes us through plazas and smaller parks where there are planters and grass which she can smell. Sometimes we come across small dogs who startle her with their shrill and incessant yaps. She has found confidence in a Pepe, a tiny Chihuahua, and bends to rub noses with him in City Park.
Dolly, another Pioneer Square inhabitant, is a Wheaton Terrier. She can be challenging because she doesn't like to stray far from home. When she decides she doesn't want to continue, she'll sit or lay down on the pavement, digging her heels in like a spoiled child. She primarily likes walking with George, a wonderful gentleman Corgi. Together, they play for hours in bursts of energy. They wrestle, chase and roll over each other giving friendly nips.
When Dolly spots other dogs being walked, she'll rear up and give her high bark. She's challenging them or often wants to meet. George meanwhile remains calm and low key, ignoring her. He's more interested in the details on the ground....how things smell...what they are and what he can find. He reminds me a bit of a fastidious butler. He's organized, smart and keeps things on track...Mr. Reliable.
After the walks in Pioneer Square, I drove to Rainier Valley. The first dog walked is Bee Bee, a very young Golden Lab. She's a joy and still a pup, not quite a year old. She loves to chew, as so many pups do. Initially, she was nervous because I was a stranger. She'd bark when I entered her family home.
Once on leash, her enthusiasm for a walk rises. She becomes all about learning. Obedience commands became essential. During our walks, we practice "sit", "stay", "down", "come", "heel" and "fetch". She's also allowed a little off-leash time where she'll chase a tennis ball. Bee Bee is filledwith energy and I like the sparkle in her eyes when she wants to play keep away. She's mischievous and, off-leash, doesn't alway follow commands.
Bridin, a Setter-mix, prances through the neighborhood. Her long-hair's well-combed and she's very alert. She remembers yards where she's rousted a cat and trees where she's spotted a squirrel. On passing them, she assumes a hunting posture before lurching to chase.
She ignores some fenced dogs that bark as she passes. She recognizes them as no threat. If she doesn't know the dog, she'll return growls and jump in the air. Her curiosity doesn't know bounds. One oddity occurs when we pass a large statue of a horned-owl that the homeowner placed on the steps leading to a house. It's eyes are wide and glare. When Briden saw the bird, she sniffed the air and took a hunting stance. Stonelike, she must have thought it was unfriendly, growled and barked .
My final dog, Lucy is a German shephard. For now, she's on hold and doesn't get walked while her family addresses some personal issues. Lucy is a powerful, free spirit. She loves going to the local park which is a few blocks down hill from her house. There, she runs off-leash playing. On Lake Washington, she dives into the water, rushing back and forth biting each wave. You throw rocks into the water and she'll pretend to fetch them, diving headfirst into the surf.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Autumn Years
In late August, cool morning air
surrenders to the returning sun.
An elderly Black man lounges
in his front yard facing an avenue.
He angles back in an old recliner,
tending stacks of straw sombreros,
fedoras and Stetsons...
tending stacks of straw sombreros,
fedoras and Stetsons...
his lawn a make-shift salesroom.
Though there are few buyers,
he is a confident entrepreneur.
He retires in the lingering warmth,
his employment assured.
Soon, the leaves will fall
and the rains return.
No demands are made of his time
and he accepts no complaints.
Soon, the leaves will fall
and the rains return.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Dog Blog - August 8, 2011
It's been two years since I retired from Metro. In January, Ami, my lovely border collie of 14 years, died when her kidney's failed. It's been a difficult adjustment as each day, we'd drive to a nearby park where she'd saunter around occasionally chewing grass but generally just enjoying being outside. She had favorite walks. We'd circle or meander Roxburg Bog, Lincoln Park, Spirit Ridge or the Larson Lake Blueberry Field. Ami and Pepper, my other border collie, who also passed a few years earlier, filled my life with their company. When I drive by these places today, empty space and time exist.
I began walking dogs a month and a half ago as an independent contractor. I work part-time for Puget Pets, a firm that provides dog walks and pet sitting. I'd looked for a part-time job for a while. Initially, I focused on areas of expertise....education, government and community services. I didn't want to return to participating in meetings, managing programs or completing government reports. I scoured Craigslist looking primarily at these fields but also at the part-time column.
I digress here. Shortly after retiring, recurring pains in my chest told me that my angina had likely returned after 15 years. When Catalina and I married in July 2008 and completed our honeymoon, I revisited my condition with my doctors. After EKGs and CatScans, the cardiologist determined they could not treat my condition surgically. That my best efforts should be put toward a regime of exercise, dieting and specialized meds. I was overweight and my blood pressure was also too high. I suffered from stress and some depression. They also entered me in a program for patients with complex medical issues.
Digression over, I believe in confluence. By that I mean, ideas or opportunities sometimes present themselves simultaneously and when recognized they can be combined to help you move forward. I noticed several job postings for "Dog Walkers" and I was aware that dogs (or animals) have a positive effect on mental and physical health. I had own dogs for years and, at times, bred and trained them.
This seemed like a potential solution. I would exercise, be close to dogs and, oddly, make some pocket change. Since the work would be part-time, I could spend mornings writing my plays and poetry, cleaning house or gardening. Evenings could be devoted to cooking, taking courses, participating or with Catalina. Walking dogs opened multiple opportunities for healing.
I began walking dogs a month and a half ago as an independent contractor. I work part-time for Puget Pets, a firm that provides dog walks and pet sitting. I'd looked for a part-time job for a while. Initially, I focused on areas of expertise....education, government and community services. I didn't want to return to participating in meetings, managing programs or completing government reports. I scoured Craigslist looking primarily at these fields but also at the part-time column.
I digress here. Shortly after retiring, recurring pains in my chest told me that my angina had likely returned after 15 years. When Catalina and I married in July 2008 and completed our honeymoon, I revisited my condition with my doctors. After EKGs and CatScans, the cardiologist determined they could not treat my condition surgically. That my best efforts should be put toward a regime of exercise, dieting and specialized meds. I was overweight and my blood pressure was also too high. I suffered from stress and some depression. They also entered me in a program for patients with complex medical issues.
Digression over, I believe in confluence. By that I mean, ideas or opportunities sometimes present themselves simultaneously and when recognized they can be combined to help you move forward. I noticed several job postings for "Dog Walkers" and I was aware that dogs (or animals) have a positive effect on mental and physical health. I had own dogs for years and, at times, bred and trained them.
This seemed like a potential solution. I would exercise, be close to dogs and, oddly, make some pocket change. Since the work would be part-time, I could spend mornings writing my plays and poetry, cleaning house or gardening. Evenings could be devoted to cooking, taking courses, participating or with Catalina. Walking dogs opened multiple opportunities for healing.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Side Streets
I’ve come to admire side streets.
They dissect neighborhoods
filled with dogs rambling fences
and cats napping window sills.
I’ve come to admire side streets
where urban farmers grow
P-patch gardens with vegetables
and flowers as odes to self-sufficiency.
Some residents have more recently taken to raising
Some residents have more recently taken to raising
chickens, ducks and honeybees.
Side streets teem with life
different from bustling arterials
and concrete freeways.
On those, people skitter to work
or shop their hurried lives,
or shop their hurried lives,
rarely slowing except for coffee,
fast food or congestion.
fast food or congestion.
I admire side streets where
residents rock in porch chairs,
lean fences in hiatus conversations
and young mothers wheelbarrow
infants in tripod strollers.
Here the labyrinth sounds of lawnmowers,
and young mothers wheelbarrow
infants in tripod strollers.
Here the labyrinth sounds of lawnmowers,
children and wind rustle through trees.
Here fathers labor over home-remodel
projects, wrestle with car engines or
shoot hoops with sons and daughters.
Here fathers labor over home-remodel
projects, wrestle with car engines or
shoot hoops with sons and daughters.
There is a tortoise pace of smiles
and acknowledgements…friendly
waves when passing by and a hope
that you may meet again.
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