Sunday, August 28, 2011

Irene...



We wake up to you
wet, torrential
dangerous and
lightning beautiful -
as I think about the days before
when we prepare for your arrival
buying food and water;
we set the table with
batteries, clothing, and documents
cash and small gifts of penlights,
Swiss army knives,
water bottles
and cat food.
Our go bag is packed
if you are naughty
we plan to leave
without goodbyes,
with only the pack on our backs.

We made lists
and crossed off each item
several days before
to welcome you,
but also not to become a casualty
of some freak accident
during the occasion.

We worked all day
on Friday – August 26
preparing for our special guest,
you Irene – you are large
and furious we hear.
We cook a special oven chicken.
A three day feast
that should make you happy.

When our eyes opened this morning
the fans are on – a surprise.
We expected to lose power
when you landed in New York.
Unlike other guests,
there is no need to pick you up
at Kennedy or LaGuardia –
you arrive at both airports
simultaneously and they are both closed.

We watched “War and Peace”
last night – made in 1972;
I see my old friend Anthony Hopkins
as a young man playing Pierre.
He is wonderful.
We lay awake talking about you until midnight.
We are excited to meet you.
We have heard so much about you.

We wake to our first call at 7am.
Funny, we rarely answer early phone calls
But today – because you are coming – we answer.
Sisters, mothers and friends ask about you,
but, you arrive late – and you are quiet
and unassuming on arrival.

It seems we are over prepared
for you Irene – we have too much food and water,
your bed on the first floor is not required.
The water in the tubs, and many containers go unused.
The buckets stand at attention, but will not see duty
And now at one pm – after one hundred years of waiting
we think you may have spent the evening elsewhere.
In New Jersey perhaps, or Red Hook or Coney Island.

We are grateful for that Irene.
Although we waited for you – we heard you knocking,
felt your breath on our front door,
it was good you found another place to land.
As, when you broke water in Brooklyn there was no celebration,
you made the roads impassable
closed our bridges, flooded our streets,
and moved a lot of people to places
they never wanted to go.
So conceivably,
you might choose to wait another hundred years
before you come again.
Don’t take offense – you started as a depression
became a tropical storm
and someone gave you a name Irene.
Perhaps, that became your motivation to see New York.




Doug Claybourne – 08.28.11
Copyright © 2011. Doug Claybourne. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Our life together...


When one sings
We all sing
When one speaks the truth
We all understand
When one dances
We all know the tune
When one falls
We all fall
When one passes away
We all pass through
When one succeeds
We all succeed
When one fails
We all fail a little
When one loves
We all love
When one kisses
We all kiss
When one embraces life
We all embrace it
When one sees the stars
We all see stars
When one loses sight
We all lose sight
When one stumbles
We stumble in unison
When one learns a lesson
We all learn something
When one hurts deeply
We all hurt
When one cries out for help
We all cry out
When one travels far and wide
We all travel there
When one listens intently
We all listen
When one loses something precious
We all lose some joy
When one grows older
We all grow older – together.


And, when one of our children passes
            taken in a sudden gust of life’s unpredictable wind
We are all lost a little, suddenly
            sharing a dark unbearable pain inside
Knowing our hearts are aching with a
            great and inescapable hurt.

Understanding –
When one falls
We all fall
When one cries out in need
We all cry out
When one grieves
We grieve together
And when one loves
We all love -
This is friendship.

When one learns to watch contently
            and listen to a falling rain
We all learn to watch contently and listen
            to a falling rain
Cleansing – soothing – forgiving.




Doug Claybourne - For my friend and teammate for life – R.S. and family.
 Copyright © 2011. Doug Claybourne. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Our guest...

A solitary waxing moon
winks
sinks
dips
drops
floats
falls
sits
sets
seemingly sways
and romantically weighs
against this magic hour
lays in  
a classic crescent
low on the darkening horizon
on this early August evening.

Our silent dinner guest
we occasionally
glance at her
sometimes speak to her
but our guest,
polite
moving ever out of sight,
as always
remains quiet.

She eats nothing –
says nothing –
does nothing
to alter
her ever
observing,
unswerving
and always unperturbing
nature.

The perfect partner –
never
a cross word
nor argument
nor disagreement
much less
a sideways look that says
I am frustrated
or angry
or upset
or pissed off
or you missed
my point completely.

Ever discrete,
projecting a serene understanding
the patience
and always the open ear
of a dear friend

available to listen –
with no interruption
for as long as necessary
then disappears

without comment.



Doug Claybourne – for L.D.
Copyright © 2011. Doug Claybourne. All Rights Reserved.