ek pistachio limerick

Not so easy to rhyme with   pistachio
unless I recollect my   mustachio
      should the fire burn bright
      how ingenious seems light
what's remaining come daybreak?   so ashy O




For Rachel Dacus

"there there" [gnomic verse]

The World's Fair was kind of a County Fair
  the Awakener's message was silent
wherever you went you would find there there
  none's the woman nor man who's an island



For Tony Paterniti

Facebook Status Update [shi / rubai]

Dusk nigh I type a line or two   sitting in my car
yon sky as yet a whitish blue   puffing my cigar
at Sunset Park beside the road   silent palmtrees stand
thoughts dangle as the dark descends   friends remain afar

"the fly on the wall" [ditty]

if the root of the roof is the ground
if the fruit of the roof is the sky
if the boot of the roof is profound
is there room 'neath the roof for the fly?

the fly on the wall 'neath the roof
is watching the sleeper, aloof

============

for Aditi Machado

"So cushioned by your mercy" [villanelle]

So cushioned by your mercy   we go on
enjoying fate's bewildering charades
night's darkness dimly auguring the dawn

the curtains drift   albeit rarely drawn
sheer kindness every molecule pervades
so cushioned by your mercy   we go on

what hook appears   to hang the heart upon?
who engineers   such florid escapades?
night's darkness dimly auguring the dawn

aface the pool   espy the verdant lawn
till pixels shift   (who programs all these fades?)
as cushioned by your mercy   we go on

who'd save the king love sacrifice   O pawn
who'd gain the river gamely weep   O haze
night's darkness dimly auguring the dawn

we ply more pluck than wit?   less brain than brawn?
nor thought nor stride exhaust your glens & glades
so cushioned by your mercy   we go on
night's darkness dimly auguring the dawn

Bee-eater   ant-eater
wood-pecker   starling
heart-beater   soul-cheater
rubber-necker   darling





photo-credit (of green bee-eater, with thanks): Nitoo Das (River)