Shelter in Place

Sitting in a canoe on Chilkoot Lake,

the water a mirror reflecting clouds

and mountains that rose from the lake’s bank,

I listened to the many snowmelt waterfalls

and reeled my lure slowly.

Not far away, a duck and her brood

paddled silently toward shore,

but of a sudden,

the duck quacked repeatedly

while flapping its wings and spinning

at which the ducklings did likewise,

splashing and spinning in all directions.

I then saw a shadow fall through sky,

an eagle, diving into that chaos.

It touched the water, and rose,

its talons empty.

The duck gathered its brood closely,

and they continued toward shore

as silently as before.

The eagle dove again, chaos ensued,

and again, the eagle failed.

On the third attempt,

the mighty eagle rose,

a duckling in its claw.

It flew to a tall stump and perched, ripped

into the duckling and watched.

Before the eagle could strike again,

the duck and her brood reached shore

and disappeared beneath the willows.   

(SKJ 06/2016)

In Memory of Fallen Rangers

William O. Darby, father of the modern era U.S. Army Rangers, was killed in action on April 30, 1945, while leading the 10th Mountain Division in Italy.  In his hometown of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, a statue was dedicated in his honor on April 30, 2016. Be they never forgotten.

Ex-Wives

With hair pinned up in back
like a ballerina,
she searches her purse for keys.


SK/75

KETZER MAKES AN ARGUMENT FOR MULTIPLE BIG BANGS, OR, "UBANGI?" "YOU BETCHA!"

Outside this black infinity

where we cannot begin to see…no,

wait.

Inside that black infinity,

no larger than a glowing…pea

(the Big Bang, for those of you in Rio Linda),

this all and everything we know

to some may come as quite a blow, but

our one and only cosmic show

floats tiny, tiny, tiny.

While outside that infinity,

oh, beyond where our old Hubble sees,

big bangs abound countless, countless, countless,

a wink within their own black pearls,

further, farther, farther worlds.

SKJ 10/29/15

Stray Dogs

Stray dogs get kicked.

Stray dogs get sticks thrown at them.

Tail between their legs, they run.

The ribs are showing.

There is no knowing where their next meal’s coming from.

They join a pack of other scruffy mutts and then attack

a sweet old lady of eighty-five,

and eat her arms while she is yet alive,

screaming in her garden there,

a bonnet fallen from gray hair,

until a car pulls up and blows its horn.

Those dogs then laughing, laughing, laughing run,

having, having stray dog fun.

SKJ, 5/9/15

Paint

Lead paint,  latex paint, synthetic paint, enamel paint, oil base paint, urethane paint, polyurethane paint… flat paint, gloss paint, semi-gloss paint, satin paint, metallic paint, metal-flake paint, pearlescent paint, crinkle paint… baked paint, dipped paint, powder-coat paint, spray paint, rolled paint, brush paint… new paint, old paint, fresh paint, wet paint, tacky paint, green paint, dry paint… fish-eyed paint, orange-peeled paint, sagging paint, running paint, blushing paint… scratched paint, faded paint, chalky paint, blistered paint, peeling paint… damn paint.

On Seeing Barack Obama Chewing Gum in Saudi Arabia (with apologies to John Prine)

Me and Obama both chew Nicorettes,

got that much in common; well, that and Tourette’s.

A big dog like him, and a small one like me;

imagine that, pissing on the same tree.

I get mine at Walmart, Equate, the off-brand,

while his are the finest, peeled and placed in his hand.

He takes his gum out, and then he pokes it back in.

I do it myself, and, brother, it ain’t no sin.

It’s better than smoking or doing that Skoal,

but nicotine gum will take a hold.

I chew it all day, and I chew it all night.

I’ll bet Barry does, too, and, hey, that’s alright.

I go off to dream land with a wad in my mouth,

and wake up to find my gum has gone south.

I look on the pillow and check the bed sheets:

If my wife finds it first, you know I’m dead meat.

I once found a piece on my underwear;

more often than not, it’s stuck in my hair.

Now, I wonder if that’s why Barack he went grey?

That ain’t his hair, buddy, just gum gone astray.

So chew away, Barry, chew on with pride,

some things that you do just can’t be denied.

SKJ, 02/08/14