A.I.

We think for ourselves, though we think others’ thoughts.
We are held to account, though a count we cannot
Of our biases take, nor our prejudice measure,
Nor fathom our minds’ work when we are at leisure.

Responsible ones (who can only respond
As the ripples react to the stone in the pond);
In charge (as a negative ion is thus);
Controlling ourselves (though our selves make a fuss).

Yet, possessing free will, what possible choice
Do we have but to raise (pre-recorded) our voice?
What choice but from rooftops this maxim to shout:
“Don’t take it so hard! Garbage In, Garbage Out!”

RE: "empty"

My heart, not my head.
A wet fog envelops me;
I grasp at shadows.

The Moon In June

Late one evening (I can't say which)
Something made me get up
And get outside.

Crickets. Traffic. A breath of wind
And, still glistening wet,
The rising moon.

The blood, the breath no longer mine
Not me; a person, only
Stood for all men.

The orb ascended, resembling more
A piece of Earth than Heaven.
My weeping ceased.

All In My Mind

Muses and furies
Diamonds in the rough trade winds
Cherubs and harpies
Tellers of fortunes squandered

Seraphim and succubi
Raven-headed Florence Nightingales
Nymphs and maniacs
Women of the night, mare profundum

You are all in my mind

Unreadiness

Every few minutes, a train comes by.
Some people get off, some get on.
One soul, laden with baggage
Watches, going nowhere.

He waits, as he has for years,
For "his" train to arrive.
He frets that he forgot to pack
His dress shoes, his belt.

He checks his schedule (faded, torn).
He looks at his watch (unwound).
"Are we there yet?" asks his inner child
(Hungry, impatient).

Thank God I came prepared, he thinks,
And knew what to expect.
He sets his collar against the rain,
His mind against reality, and waits.

I Feel, Too

Too big and too small
Too smart and too dumb
Too selfish, too giving
To keep living.

Too wealthy, too poor
Too handsome, too plain
Too normal, too strange
To change.

Too soulful, too vapid
Too lonely, too crowded
Too strong and too weak
To seek.

Mother's Day 2006

Mother Stands For Comfort
She Holds Up Our Clouds
Keeps Our Feet on the Ground

Mother Stands Far Away
Under Cloudless Prairie Skies
Till Our Feet Take Us Back:

Keep Her Safe

-- Sean & KJ, with a nod to Kate Bush