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Polaroid photo by Edward McKuen, August
2002 ©2002 by Stanyan Music Group. All rights reserved.
A Thought for Today
We may have come a long way, but we will
always have a longer way to go.

FROM the¨BOOKS
Today’s poetry is from Celebrations of the Heart and A Safe Place to Land.
AUTUMN AS IT IS
Autumn as a season
and autumn as a life
are different
than I first expected.
The first, an abstract;
the second, a subtract.
The leaves turn crimson,
the hair turns white.
The leaves fall down,
as do testicles
and the firmest breast.
The dream goes on
for trees and man.
The difference is
the tree survives
the harshest winter,
but man may get
a simple cough
and raw will be
the days that follow.
It is as it is. It was as it was.
Nothing changes
but the scenes and seasons.
Worry not. It is only life
and that is all we have.
It often isn’t much
but nearly always quite enough.
-from “A Safe Place to Land", 2001
A Nocturne for Hermes
Love is mindless.
Give it directions and off it goes.
Provide it with purpose and lose it.
Excuse it for being only love
and expect a confrontation.
Remind it of its duties
and it will stay in bed asleep.
But let us pretend it's a bit more balanced,
just for the sake
of pretending.
Suppose it's a rose forever opening.
A wise little child that won't grow old.
How do you keep its center
from darkening?
Always lean it toward the light.
Give it the afternoon off when you can
but never a rest in the middle night.
- from “A Safe Place to Land", 2001
Sleep warm and I’ll be back tomorrow with a flight plan from the past.
RM 10/5/2002 2:29 AM PST
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