plumbing

Water dripping from the floor below the kitchen,
Lost amidst all the rain water coming into the basement,
Tiles and sub-flooring spongy and wet,
Shelf beneath the sink starting to warp,
Gave in and went to the big box store,
Staring at bags of PVC parts and connectors,
Bought way more than what was needed,
Took my time and did it slowly,
Measuring as I went, reassessing the situation,
Removed the garbage disposal,
Found the tool under some rags,
Came off after a quarter turn,
Fought with the drain assembly for awhile,
Finally fell off barely missing my face,
Went back to store number two,
Always missing some crucial part,
Measured and cut, glued and tightened,
Teflon tape on all the threads,
Pipe dope on my hands, a bit too hard,
Sat too long on a shelf somewhere,
Turned the water on after awhile,
Somehow everything seemed to work,
No leaks, left a bucket just in case,
Seemed too easy, maybe I missed a step,
Always wait too long, waste so much time worrying,
Just need to do and take care of what’s at hand,
Householder neglecting his primary duty,
Busy daydreaming about what he lacks,
When all along it was right within reach.

heart melts

Woke up late again, too tired from the night before,
Uneasy sleep filled with dreams of deadlines,
Tethers and warrants, responsibilities falling through,
Hopped on the bike and pedaled hard,
Down to the corner to wait for the bus,
Throw it up on the rack and have a seat,
Another short ride at the other end,
Through the downtown “no wheel zone,”
Across the highway bridge and downhill,
Zooming past the pawn shops and diner,
Across the railroad tracks and onto the grass,
Wheeling it in right at 07:00,
Walking in as third shift walks out,
Dirt and water on my brand new tires,
Barely out of breath, getting my legs,
Looking forward to the long ride home,
Even before the stress of work has begun,
Barreling down the river walk,
Avoiding walkers and joggers,
Past the utility yard, past the zoo,
River to one side, trees on the other,
Onward to the university, empty during summer,
Alternating between the road and bike trails,
Following the river all the way back to Hagadorn,
Six miles or so from work, an hour by bus,
Cut that time in half on my bike,
Trusty metal steed, flying by the Red Cedar River,
I imagine the Ojibwe once sliced through these waters,
In their birchbark canoes, portaging when needed,
But now they’re long gone, moved to GR,
Left the place to lawmakers and students,
The Red Cedar runs into the Grand River then travels to the lake,
Meandering slowly through the west side of the state,
Emptying into Lake Michigan, a two hour drive to the west,
The Ojibwe followed, merged with groups along the way,
GR, Manistee, Gun Lake, various groups and bands,
I make my way to the road named after the Grand,
Follow it eastward to my neighborhood,
Student rentals dot the outer fringes,
Then give way to family homes,
Cape cods, ranches and quad-levels,
Post-war houses built for university employees,
Not as fancy as ones to the north or west,
The ones built by doctors, lawyers and profs,
Big yards filled with flowers and gardens,
I glide into my driveway and come to a stop,
Shirt drenched with sweat, standing under the huge maple,
The entire backyard is blanketed in shade,
Feels a few degrees cooler than on the street,
Time stands still, birds singing in the trees,
Cicadas humming a few streets over,
Weightless for a moment, unfettered and free,
E climbs through the broken window screen,
“Hey daddy, wassup?”
Big smile across his face,
Dimples at the corner of his mouth,
Heart melts as he gives me a hug.

razor's edge

No big plans, no one to impress,
Looking forward to the simple things,
No grand illusions, no more stress,
So much out of my control,
Need to leave it all alone,
Wasting energy trying to fix everything,
Have to accept some things are beyond me,
All these moments destined to pass,
Good or bad or indifferent,
I remember the peaks and lows,
Ignore the everyday middle ground,
Need to refocus my attention,
Work on myself and let the rest be,
So much that I can or should do,
Scale it back, pull it in,
Work on what’s right here right now,
Take car of my own home,
So much disorder right now,
Issues and concerns from wherever,
No longer anything I need to deal with,
So much time and energy on the outside,
So little has changed on the inside,
And so here I am again at square one,
Simple pleasures and simple wants,
Moment by moment into my tomorrows,
However many are destined to be mine,
Empty words and empty notions,
Bouncing around me like errant waves,
I shall do what I can, promise no more,
Expect nothing from anyone else,
Always asked for way too much,
In no hurry to get anywhere,
Right where I need to be,
One foot in front of the other,
Step after step, walking meditation,
Waking mediation everyday,
Walking along the razor’s edge,
Balanced betwixt and between,
Living this life and nothing more.