continental

passed 4/17/2010

little chirp outside my window
a song, as you pass by, a wave of good bye
let that bird fly


Continental - for grandma jo.  4/30/10

the will of every abstract dreamer is guided by the rudder of a clear and practical counterpart.

i know this well.
i wish i remembered more of my youth, 
cos i know you were there, 
changing my diapers and helping me feed seagulls.

your recent recollection of this event was different than my own,
as i assumed we were doing them a favor,
but your insight contained the grandad revision
- involving peanut butter.

you were appalled by the notion.
i could see the the long narrow thought traveling through your eyeballs;
as you wondered "why?" and "how?" you conceded in that pilgrimage
(not to mention all the others...).

that's what i remember about you,

in addition to all the sand castles, the seashells, the tennis and the blue cow, with a vanilla bell.

you,
a constant in the chaos, grounding matter with your sense of gravity - pulling order,

while granddad is outback at Cascade pruning daisy's 

and your kids are buzzing  around a vat of hairy buffalo.

in your later years, wide-eyed and smiling,

you pulled your carriage through the gray valley of death

sustaining life,
eliciting growth, though 
your sweat.  your efforts bought time, they apexed in distain and loss.

mingled in with the gulf air around Corpus Christi
 is a substance to grab hold of, deep and profound.


you and a fierce commitment to your family
consistently extending your aging, yet athletic arm
to granddad and your son.

they say the soul is distinct to the body and imagination that frames it
- to the the heart that thumps red blood.


they say that the relationship is cemented and cannot be severed.

in the kingdom of God, the raw components of your soul
the essential make-up

are given new skin to swim in.

And with it,
with you,
in the warm gulf waters on mustang island

are grandad and j.b. -
toes deep in the hot brown sand
same soul, in youth.

grandma, that's where i see you,

how i see you,
as you always were and are

athletic and postured.

holding down the fort.

agile.

continental.