Snack Cycle

Fridge
Plastic Bag
Grapes
Water
Grapes
Vines
Trash
Repeat

Now I want to visit Metuchen

Metuchen
Next stop
Car 1519
You must walk up
Towards the front of the train
To exit
Next stop
Metuchen

Opportunity

A lot of stores seem to be open at night
When you can see them
Through the windows
Of a moving train

The Day After

Not yet nine in the morning

And everyone was over there

Dad

Brother

Sister

And Friends

All familiar cars

But three or four more  than normal

For nine in the morning

And the talk and laughter was

More than normal too

It hadn't been very festive around there in months

Years

So I wasn't surprised when he came over 

And asked me to save Thursday's newspaper

Just before noon

Thanks Dad!

I‘m a child of the satellite age

I’ve never relied on the North Star to get where I wanted to go and

I’ve never pinned my hope on breadcrumbs to get back

I do have several compasses

They are some of my favorite knickknacks to set around on the shelves and

Pull down and dust off every so often

To teach the kids about directions or

Robert Peary and Frederick Cook but

The GPS is more helpful getting out of Philadelphia and

It is a great teaching tool too

Cartography

Electronics

Space and

Keeping your cool

When it tells you to take a right turn

Only to request urgently

Almost frantically

That you take the nearest safe u-turn

My kids will have their own tools and

Mine and

I hope my kids learn how to make use of all of them

In whatever way they can and

In whatever age it is they come into their own in and

That they realize that the bird food and the dead suns are the easy part and

Most importantly

That I can help them find their way to where they want and need to go

In the way you have helped

Me

Child of the satellite age

Child of my dad

Pause

Do you linger

After you’ve been soaked by an unexpected rain

Before you start thinking about dry clothes

Do you feel

Wet

Do you feel

Grace

Maybe July

I’m sad

Because

It’s raining

And not snowing

So I can’t go sledding

Make snowballs

Throw snowballs at my sister

Shovel

Drink hot cocoa and

Sleep without my air conditioner

Which makes it cold

But not cold enough for me

Not cold enough for snow

Not in June anyway

Maybe July

By Wyeth and Daddy

New-ish House

Unfinished basements

Hardwood floors under carpets

An attic that could be an office or a bedroom

Clean fresh walls hiding under wallpaper

Clumps of overgrown bushes scattered around slightly less than an acre

Endless potential

Limited budget