Wednesday, December 16, 2009


Love prose poem in brown

1.
Ed worked construction all of his life. During this deep dig the back hoe machine teetered awkwardly as it raked it's teeth across the chocolate brown earth. The rest of the crew stood on the edges of the crater as the machine’s bucket scrapped and revealed the old metal pipe. Ed was struck by an electrical jolt. He didn’t move. The machine reached to pull him out of the pit. Ed looked flushed as his hand touched the machine. They froze in that position. Both the machine and Ed died that day. Ed with a smile on his face.
2.
Ed found the great vein of oil bleed out. He tenderly felt for a pulse. Ancient blood from bodies older than himself had been spent. Wars were raging over this precious black gold. Ed chained the beast and as he turned to leave the freshly dug pit a mechanical tendril reached out and pulled him under. Ed's blood mixed with oil and a cheer rang out from all the oil rigs, holding tanks and sucking machines that crisscrossed over and penetrated through the earth.
3.
Ed loved the bucket. He had danced around the metal claw for days. Ed's wife observed that he couldn't contain himself. He had climbed out of the earthen pit and touched the bucket gently. His wife fainted, the children shrieked. The bucket held very still as Ed fell back and the earth opened up. He was swallowed and swallowing brown. Ed woke up from a dream with the color brown was all around. He could barely breathe as his hand touched the bucket.
4.
"I want to touch the bucket!". Ed usually kept his thoughts to himself. "I want to touch you," he yelled. Everyone turned and stared. I happened to be there and wondered if he was losing his mind. He yelled another plea. The bucket arched out in response. Ed and the metal bucket touched and I must say I was moved. Well, I fell into the pit and landed at Ed's feet. I hung on and experienced the love, the devotion, the elation. We were all one, we are all one. united at last.
5.
I am the earth that had been undisturbed for 100 years till Ed and the bucket arrived. Within my chocolate brown secret was love. A love that would wound anyone who pierced my skin. I was holding this electric love till they both arrived and after the bucket had emptied my soiled heart I let them have it. Yea, all the energy was waiting for this moment to fly.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I miss you Hope


I miss you my dear Hope.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

men walking outside our window

Yes, you guessed it, men walking on the outside of our window. We have had our building wrapped in scaffolding all summer. In this picture they are taking down the structure, very scary to watch.

my first day of retirement


We had only an extreme noise warning that this destruction was coming on Tuesday morning. When I stepped out of my apartment the guy on the ladder was blocking the door. Honestly I felt like I was in a movie. I rushed to get a camera and right after this shot was taken the battery in the camera died. And so the first tension filled day of my retirement began.

Friday, July 31, 2009

I'm feeling lazy




I want to thank my hands for 17 years of service. They often worked steadfastly side by side sharing the load. On the left we have the dominant hand but that hand refuses to take any unearned praise from the right hand. They are not a fidgeting, nervous or jealous pair, they have been seen folded into each other during long meetings.
I honor them highly for their handy work: cleaning, clapping, stickering, stamping, fronting, hand wringing, hand writing, hand stamping, hand holding, nail clicking, nail biting, finger wagging, shelf tagging, punch the clock, place the product, pick up the phone, paddy cake...?
They both were my best friends and assisted me when I was too tired to think. My hands agree it’s time to kick up my feet and unleash the un-heeled dogs to reveal their shinning happy soles.
Robyn Flatley

Saturday, June 20, 2009

“Daddy’s in the hospital”

Mommy’s in the kitchen baking up a storm. The oven is red hot. Her sweat sizzles on the stove top. “Does Daddy like hot cross bums?” I whimpered. “Sweetheart get me the honey!” Big sister grabbed a honey bear laced with ants. I sneezed. Mommy’s in the kitchen and Daddy’s in the hospital waiting for a doctor. My sister flicked an ant at me. Daddy’s doctor is in the kitchen kissing mommy on the mouth. I sneezed louder. Why is Grandma in the kitchen making baked potatoes? They smell yummy but where is mummy?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Monday, May 25, 2009

Saturday, May 09, 2009

My new love


okay this really cute Kill Bill, ahem, killdeer was romancing me. HOnestly- didn't know if it was a male or female. For those of you who are squeamish about the girl on girl thing you may need to avert your eyes- and close your minds too. I know that's a heavy burden but I will post pictures of the love that did transpire.
while I was in a love trance there were some fucking bugs taking an ounce of flesh from my leg. I have a huge bruise and a terrible rash to prove it. I pulled up my pant legs and dozens of little black thingys fell down into the mud. but I gotta say the love that was witnessed by me was worth all the terror and illness I must go through-christ please don't let it be Lymes disease...please.
I've got clay on the wound and my heart belongs to the Killdeer. Paul got jealous, that's how hot and heavy it got.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Short cut to hell


Short cut to hell

I hang on
a silver thread
my squeaky inhale
tweaky knee
gimpy hip
this body trip


I took a short cut to work and as my right hand held the wobbly rail my foot slipped on a wedge of ice. wrenched my arm and bruised my kidney as my body slammed into the edge of the cement sidewalk. frick! hell of a short cut.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Broken Spring

oh the wind is keening
howling in my bones
screaming all night long

oh my heart is breaking
muscle and blood pumped
an aching in my breast

oh my tears are running
salty rivers filled with pain
a muted cry within me now

yea a few pounds of bones
feathers that once were proud
her call an inner echo

Sunday, February 22, 2009

New Hampshire Eagles 2.21.09

So where is the female eagle? She was not spotted today, Sunday Feb. 22. The male was seen near the Vernon Dam. Is she all right or has she succumbed to her injury?
In this photo there are three eagles in the trees. They appear as dots: the larger dot on the left is an immature (could be this pair's offspring) and on the right are the pair of eagles. Wish I could have gotten a better photo. Right after I took this photo the mature eagles joined the immature and the female made quite a ruckus as she tried to land on the branch. The male landed on a lower branch and sidled over toward the immature. Shortly after the immature eagle flew away.

Our female looks ragged and injured while the male looks at her with what looks like concern. He has been a faithful bird: staying by her side.
I have great hopes that she will recover.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Inspired by my dear sister Betsy

“All judgment reveals itself to be self-judgement in the end, and when this is understood a larger comprehension of the nature of life takes its place.”
Dr. David Hawkins

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Winter Wind warning



Old Man winter's
Breath, held frozen
Was let loose

Cumulonimbus mamma
Ran over mountains
To the east


Altostratus translucidus
Low and sexy
Rubbed mamma

Fully exhausted
The old man
Inhaled

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Eighth Vigil

Eighth Vigil

Quietly I honor ‘Himself’
both our hearts broken;

dad’s beloved wife
cast him out at death

my beloved mother
cast out me at birth

her madness began with my first breath
she sunk into a schizoid delusion after his last

he begged to come home to die
gone were his home and daughters

mom held in lock down ward
whispering to her voices about dad

his lungs filled, heart seized
I keened


my saint
of St. Valentines Day

Monday, February 02, 2009

Dad's St Valentines day death

every year
since my father died
I hold in my heart
a quiet vigil of his
broken heart, he died
as his beloved wife cast his memory
into the dust, she had moved on
sinking into a schizoid delusion
of glamor, fame and honor
he waited till the very breath in his body gave up
lungs filled and heart seized
we, his five daughters wailed
I keened loudly
my heart broken
as well by that woman
my mother,
I hold him sacred
my saint of St. Valentines day

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Fire under Wolf Moon



The L-Block burns

Stepping up to an emotional tension, I've stretched myself thin.

The night of the blaze I walked streets filled with slush, a steady stream of water, and ice. The police cars strobed till I thought I might have a seizure. Fire and ice.. wasn't that in the bible? Vapor clouds of cremated cats, lead paint, baseball cards mixed with baby's clothes drifted by. We inhaled memories. Tired firemen decked in heavy suits and oxygen tanks climbed up slippery ladders into pink smoke.

One tiny wrapped cylinder of tobacco.

I rose and my heart shuddered with adrenaline remembering how fire, as barbed cat tongues, licked us clean.

We come in naked and by god we go out the same.