Where is the girl long ago in art class
who painted our faces with
glasses, mustaches, and beards, so well
that we wore it all day?
And where today is the one who sang
her “hu la ha” song
“To Quentin and how he does the hu la ha”
so that we all clapped and grinned ourselves silly
as she went through all our names
and each improvising a signature boogie:
“To Quentin and how he does the hu la ha
the who la who la ha, the who la hu la ha
to Quentin and how he does the hu la ha.”
Missing from the alumni addresses
is the one who with cold dignity standing
in front of the college choir
or sitting cross legged on the campus lawn in blue jeans
could sing an unaccompanied Ave Maria
that waylaid us all
but whose ordinary talking, laughing voice
revealed no hint of its secret power.
Where is Dark Eyes who in art class just before lunch
when we were so hungry
drew hamburgers, milkshake, and French fries for us,
and who undressed for art students in my attic dorm room
turning like a model, God given beauty,
an astonishment even to her.
All disappeared into married names
or were whisked away to the south seas
to some secret
Island of Happy Women,
But vanished they are,
according to the ever watchful eye
of the alumni office,
and each is lost even to
the all knowing mind of
great Google.
Or are, maybe, standing beside me in Walmart
minus their youthful sunrise.
Excerpt
The Religion of Sitting Together
For Steve Retz
The religion of sitting together
under a shade tree in
evening breeze with the rattling of eternity.
Dirt road walking
through the religion of insect sounds.
Watching together a boiling incoming storm
in the liturgy of clouds.
Becoming aware overhead
of spirits stirring night wind leaves
into a burst of applause.
Dropping a stone into a deep well
waiting, waiting for the answer,
then doing it again
in the religion of echoes.
Talking quietly in bed late at night
floating in a dark terrifying world
but warm and secure
in the religion of together.
Perhaps "..Quiet Storm" will help rekindle old flames buried and long forgotten or express the love so deeply locked inside of your soul longing to be released.
Regardless of where you may be found in love this beautiful masterpiece can be
