from the Cabinet of Dr. Vermont

***

multicolored jumpsuit

gold earing

beneath her blond locks

readying herself

for the bone marrow rally

actually to recruit

a donor

raiment

raiment for the prayer

raiment for God’s generosity

raiment

for her daughter


Presbyterian Nurse

never blink in compassion

and care, straight hair

always at the ready

church on Sunday

PTA and ballgames

during the week

an upholder of Christ’s

dictum to visit the sick

came in one day with

an accidental needle stick

used needle, owner of said

blood unknown

she shivered and shuttered

herself in fear of HIV

but it had been there

overnight, reassurance

the horror the possibility

an unlikely outcome

she went back to who she was

bravely, knowing the risks


Water Intelligence

the caribou and wolf

speed and agility

both were blessed

with

using the river

current to wear out

the pursuing wolf

the caribou won

using water intelligence

the wolf seemingly

exhausted, and defeated,

left, however returned

with the pack

taking down the caribou

whose display

on a one on one basis

had been impressive


The Pristine Far North

norwegian cruise

delightful sauna

a man says

I could have had

children with blond hair

and blue eyes

why I ask myself

is he telling me this?

a confessional to another

spartan soul?

he had been a communications

director for NATO, a PhD in languages

his family was in Los Angeles,

he was traveling alone

something about

the pristine of the far North

to uncomplicate the

biological consequences

of the ethnic cauldron

of his once idealistic mind