Thursday, April 30, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #30

Classmates.com
By Edward S Gault

I came across
our old
yearbook

sitting in the
attic like
an

old book of
lore, telling
the

tales of the
legends we
all

thought ourselves to
be. Your
photo

stares back at
me from
the

yellowing page, back
then so
white.

I wonder how
that happened.
how

we all got
to where
we

are now: people
with three
decade

old yearbooks that
accuse us
us

of being ancient,
when we
are

the same we
were then.
Except

that so has
much happened
and

despite everything, I
became my
father

anyway all the
same, I
like

to think I
turned out
different,

that I carry
it differently
than

he did. But
maybe not.
Ask

my daughter about
about it
sometime.

Copyright©2009

Like Butterflies

Praying for the dream,
It's so close I can touch it!
-now to let it go.

Copyright 2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #29

peewee casanova
by edward s. gault

always wearing those clean pressed shirts and
neckties he was a bit too familiar and
always smiling like he was on some kind of
l.s.d. trip. he had that creepy mr.
rogers air about him, making most of us
especially careful of where we
took our lunch breaks. he didn’t
even realize that we were avoiding him!
no amount of the cold shoulder bit seemed to send
the message. i knew that
if he kept up his routine, he’d be arrested
on some kind of sexual assault charge. but
no, little peewee casanova kept right on at it.

Copyright©2009

Running Scenarios.

In waiting room,
I contemplate agonies,
-bank mortgage office.

Copyright 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #28

Brandon
By Edward S. Gault

From the time he was five,
Brandon loved shooting guns.
His grandpa gave him his first set of pistols.
They came with caps and a sheriff’s badge.

He used to play shoot out with his friends.
His backyard was the O.K. Coral
He was the Sheriff, he had the badge
The pistols in theirs holsters
His grandpa gave him when he was five.

Later he would learn to hunt in the family’s fields
With a b.b. gun his grandpa had given him.
He shot coke cans off the fence most of the time.
His friends all joined him,
They were all too old for the O.K. Coral.

When he was fifteen- a young man now,
Too old for O.K. Coral, too good for Coke cans
His grandpa gave him his father’s shotgun
He could just about remember
Those dinners when he was five
-the Christmas he got the pistols.

There was honor coming down to him
Through his father’s shotgun.
He remembered those duck dinners,
-and how the grown ups would all talk
about a place called
Saigon.
They talked about that a lot.
A little while later the duck dinners stopped.
He remembered the gun when he saw it.
-and his father cleaning it.
He like the sense of power
his Father’s gun gave him.
The power to decide what lived
-what died.
This is what he did
on the weekends and before school;
and the long summers;
Thanksgiving and winterbreaks,
-when he brought home the ducks.
Then he prepared them
The same way he had seen his father do it
As he listened to the guy on the radio talk about
Saigon and the
Viet Cong.
He knew his father would be going back.

Brandon attended University in Baltimore
Joined the R.O.T.C.
He married his sweetheart Marcy.
On the way to their honeymoon in North Conway
Marcy turned the dial
To some station playing the Grateful Dead.
She had heard enough about
Baghdad.

She didn’t tell him when he went,
that she was going to have a child.
She wanted him to be able to do
what he knew he had to do.
He stored the gun carefully away,
until he came back.

When he did come back,
and the honors were completed,
A gun salute given,
And they presented her with the flag
-all folded in a triangle.
She put it on the mantle.
One day she would show it to their boy, Ricky.
He would never see the gun.

Copyright©2009

A Birthday Poem

At forty seven,
I now look back and reflect,
-my hells and heavens.

Copyright 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #27

The Accounting
By Edward S. Gault

We met Florenda at the Bank of America mortgage office.
She examined all of our finances-bank statements then credit checks!
This would be the second time we saw our lives laid out in raw numbers.

Copyright©2009

For More see The American Sandwich

A-mazing! (not bad for a Monday morning)

I am in a maze,
I could be the mouse or the cheese
-perhaps, I am both.

Copyright 2009

Sunday, April 26, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #26

Jump Rope
By Edward S. Gault

The idea of the game
Was to jump the rope
As it came to you.
A large group of kids
(practically the whole class),
Stood in a circle
As someone in the middle
Began to swing the rope around.
When the rope came to you,
Then you jumped.
The effect was this wave
That went around the circle.
It was fun.
We had been at it for two days-
Getting it down.
Getting it just right.
Making it even more fun.
A lot of kids
Wanted to be the one
In the middle
Twirling the rope around.
Everyone had to wait their turn.
Mine came on the second day.
I had completed the third round
When the whistle blew.
The teachers had seen enough of the fun
When I approached Mrs. Hahn
(who was three hundred years old
at least, and some kids swore
had played a role in the founding
of Overland Park),
She accused me of disrupting
The game of Jump rope
All the kids wanted to play.
And she didn’t think my coming
With my hands raised
Was particularly funny.
She made me stand on the yellow line
For the duration of the recess
While the other kids jumped rope.

Copyright©2009

My Word!

Shockjock spews venom,
Norm knew he had a mission
-took gun to clinic.

Standing in doorway,
Boss said I want a word, please!
-holding the pink slips.

On hospital ward,
Old woman saw her daughter
-Said, I forgive you!

Four years of struggle,
She received her diploma,
-Congratulations!
The principal smiled at her,
she did not have the words, though.

After twenty years,
Al met his son at the gate,
-welcome home father.

Staring at the page,
Waiting for the words to come
-page simply stares back.

Copyright 2009

One Single Impression: Word

Saturday, April 25, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #25

Riverway Reverie
By Edward S. Gault

After Jessie evicted us, we found the place on the Riverway.
We took lengthy walks along the Fens, had our first child and raised her there.
I had had several photo shows, and things were fine-then came the crash.

Copyright©2009

Uh Oh #4

Letter from landlord,
You must be out by August!
-no explanation.

Copyright 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #24

Shooting The Turtle
By Edward S. Gault

I saw this turtle on the road.
It reminded me
Of so many of the turtles in my youth
That I picked up and took home.
I thought I might get a picture.
So, since the turtle wasn’t going anywhere
(not very fast anyway),
I attached my telephoto lens,
Then got into position
Only to be interrupted
I’m sorry sir; I can’t let you take a picture.
The officer said.
Then he cited the Patriot Act.

Copyright@2009

Murphy's Haiku #56

Unmet bills piled high,
I paced room, what more than this!?
-landlord sends letter.

Copyright 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

NapoWriMo Poem #23

Administration’s Soul
By Edward S. Gault

xxxThe right
xxgOnzales
geoRge w.
xxxT
he veep
xxrUmsfeld
zzzRove
xricE

Copyright2009

Spring Cleaning

Clearing out attic,
Found pile of high school yearbooks,
-weighing cost of past.

Copyright 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #22

Tyrone’s Birthday
By Edward S. Gault

Rod, his brother, remembers the day
They shot Tyrone down.
They just drove by
and started shooting
like they didn’t care who they hit.
Tyrone had turned seven.
He was at his birthday party
on the porch.
His mother remembers
The way he asked for a bicycle,
and how she thought
he was growing up too fast.
She had a nice red bicycle all ready for him
in the garage.
She had spent all morning on the cake,
angel food with a motorcycle on top;
next, he would be want one of those too.
Rod told me how he had taught Tyrone
to throw a baseball just right;
and coached him how to shoot a basketball
through the hoop every time.
He wanted to give Tyrone dreams
because that’s all he had to give him.
Rod wanted much more for the boy
than he had had.
He knew about gangs.
His voice cracked when he told me,
The bullet had been meant for
him.

Copyright©2009

Things That Go Ring At Night

Asleep at midnight,
Phone rings, some emergency?
-telemarketer.

Copyright 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

NaPoWrimo Poem #21

making the rounds
by edward s. gault

i return to the computer
again and again;
checking my e-mail,
going to my blog to see,
if anyone may have left a comment;
then to facebook to see,
if anyone may want to chat,
or simply left a message.
nobody.
back to email.
new spam.
back to my blog.
zip.
i log off.
go brew some coffee.
then i return to the computer,
once again.

Copyright@2009

Long Labor Lost

Pushed rock up mountain,
It slipped from grip, rolled down hill
-contemplated move.
Went to the pile of boulders.
Is there another to push?

Copyright 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #20

Memos
By Edward S. Gault

Presidential memos suggest that congress
Enact laws that
Re-interpret the constitution so that
Violations to National Security can be
Efficiently dealt with. The
Rights of citizens would
Still be the same in form, but the
Interpretation would change in
Order to protect the interests of
National security.

Copyright©2009

Poet's Circus

In art gallery,
Crowd cheers fool's dancing ranting
-joke on fool or crowd?

Copyright 2009

Sunday, April 19, 2009

NaPoWriMo #19

One Single Impression: One Word

Simply Hi
By Edward S. Gault

The minister finished
With the customary ashes to ashes.
His family and two friends gathered around
The coffin, as it was lowered into the ground.
His friends remembered how dejected
He was the last time they had seen him.
They remembered the intercom announcement
By the principal that he had died.
And how he died.
Oh God, how he died!
And alone.
Most were asking who he was.
They didn’t even know him.
Now, as dirt was being shoveled in,
The two that did, wondered why,
Maybe- just once!-more people
Couldn’t have said just one word to him
Simply, Hi.

Walking along path,
Burdened with troubles-He came!
-spoke just one word, Peace.

Copyright©2009

Saturday, April 18, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #18

Drawing Circles
By Edward S. Gault

Afternoon workshops were on
Making contact with the prospects and
Winning their confidence so they would
Agree to be your downline. After five
Years, and six direct distributors later- you got
Pearl-but you had to draw a lot of circles and

Leap through more circles.
A lot of miles logged.

No guarantees.
-many would drop out.

Copyright@2009

Murphy's Haiku #55

I came to the gate,
Ask the price of admissions
-forgot my wallet.

Copyright 2009

Friday, April 17, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #17

The Trial
By Edward S. Gault

She stood before the judge
And told him how the man had
Confronted her on the sidewalk.
He had threatened to throw acid in her face
If she did not do exactly
As he told her to do.
Frightened, she ran down the street
Into a side alley,
Where she had hoped to lose him
-but he was faster.
He shoved her down,
And ripped through her clothing,
And raped her there.
She said it seemed to last for hours.
Nobody came to help her.
She looked up to the judge.
He looked to the man sitting passively
At a nearby table.
He motioned to the jury.
They deliberated, and came back
Guilty, they pronounced.
The judge then pronounced the sentence.
At that time,
The woman was taken out and stoned.

Copyright©2009

Sleep, What's That?

Pulling all nighters,
Going through next day in a daze
-living yin and yang.

Copyright 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #16

The Things They Did.
By Edward S. Gault

We read about them today.
They went to work
And came home to their families.
They went out to dinner.
Went to the movies.
Took walks.
They wrote poetry.
Went camping
-and had dreams about the lake,
And the way the moon’s reflection
Looked in it.
Sometimes they had their photos taken.
Their pictures line the wall of galleries today.
They didn’t know that then though.
They were taking their family walks
-tossing their children up in the air.
They blew candles out on birthday cakes.
They dreamed of their vacation
on the beach of some foreign port.
Many just stayed home
And played in their yards.
Some had picnics in the park
Where they enjoyed the sun on their face
On such a nice day.
Then the police came one night
And took them all away.

Copyright@2009

Writing Blues

Poet crashing hard,
Writing verse at breakneck speed
-later, can't read lines.

Copyright 2009

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #15

Artist in the Renaissance School
By Edward S. Gault

Once there was an artist
In the renaissance school.
He painted and sculpted
He wrote poetry and prose,
He was a photographer.
He spent many hours of the day
Honing each of these disciplines
He would not sell
Until a piece was perfect.
He never sold any pieces.
This went on for years.
Decades.
The honing.
The perfecting.
By the time he was a very old man,
His home had become a gallery
Of some of the finest work in the country
-if only anyone knew of it!
But nobody did.
Eventually, he died.
His children settled his accounts
(there were many).
They sold the house.
They got rid of all the junk.

Copyright@2009

Writer's Block

Poet writing Truth,
Stops to ponder what that is
-throws up the pencil.

Copyright 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #14

Photo Story
By Edward S. Gault

A photo of two children
falling past window panes,
there are no fire escapes.
That's all I know.
Nothing of happens next:
Of how far down the pavement is
or if the fire was an accident
children playing with matches
or committed by an arsonist.
The photo was once seen
by thousands of people in the morning paper
as part of a news story.
But the book that I'm looking at
has only the photo of the two children.
Someday, I'll look up the story.
Today, I'll let the photo tell me what it can.

Copyright 2009

Just Say No?

For years I've said No,
For that I'll be remembered
-my face, that one word.

Copyright 2009

Monday, April 13, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #13

Trapping Charley
By Edward S. Gault

Charley got off his chain one night,
And went off out into the neighborhood.
We didn’t know how long
He had been gone.
When he came back,
He was not in good shape
-part of the flesh from his tale
xwas hanging off!
My mother thought someone
Had done something
To him.
Then again, they might have set the trap
Expecting to get a fox
-not a dog.
Anything was possible,
Especially in New Jersey!

Copyright©2009

Coping

Future uncertain,
I simply drink my coffee
-choosing to forget.

Copyright 2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #12- And An Easter Haiku

One Single Impression: Live Water

I am participating in National Poetry Month again this year. In addition to the daily haiku that I've somehow managed to keep up since last year, I am taking it up a notch this year and publish an additional poem for NaPoWriMo each day in April. I hope you will be able to come back and look at the NaPoWriMo poems.

Lakeside Meditation
By Edward S. Gault

Looking off across the lake
In the evening, I hold my own
Vespers. Sweet silence draws
Everything in. I'm aware only of the
Water's movement-ripples
Across the surface.
Time stands still, all of
Eternity is present. My spirit finds
Rest in peaceful solitude.

Copyright©2009

Family gathers,
Easter dinner in late noon
-lamb with mint sauce.

Copyright©2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #11

Games with Grandpa
By Edward S. Gault

I don’t know when his wife died
I was always told it was long before I was born.
He always seemed so ancient
His skin lined with the years he had lived.
Brown spots mottled his scalp
And blended into what hair he had left.
The important thing was not to be lured
Into thinking he was senile,
That would have been a grave mistake.
For example, in chess,
He would take your King, then your Queen,
Before you knew they were gone.
Game over!
Then he was a checker shark.
He had ways of jumping over all
Our pieces-in one move
In Dominoes we didn’t stand a chance.
The man had a century on us all,
Even after all the Cigars.
That must have been his secret,
The cigars.

Copyright@2009

Tell Big Brother

Opened up Facebook,
Told the world I was eating
-spicy burrito.

Copyright 2009

Friday, April 10, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #10

Sweet Dream of Aphrodite
By Edward S. Gault.

I had this dream last night
That I won the state lottery.
I bought a sixty room mansion,
That had a garden and a pool.
I had my own jet and a yacht
That brought me all over the world.
I went to parties
And cut the ribbons at celebrations.
One afternoon as I sat reclined on my yacht,
Reflecting on all the good that Fortune brought;
I saw a vision of sweet Aphrodite
In all her glorious majesty,
Coming straight toward me!
At that point, I felt a tugging
At my arm-
My four year old said:
Papa, I have to use the potty!

Copyright©2009

To Oneself Be True

You did not want me,
Said you wanted a new me
-someone else, not me.

Copyright 2009

Thursday, April 9, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #9

Prayer of Fran Eccles
By Edward S. Gault

Fran sat on the porch
Of their family’s home,
Reflecting on their never
Ending tribulations, and how they
Came to be where they were now. They
Lost so much when Joe got laid off.
Only so much was in their
Savings. Jobs were scarce, making it
Unrealistic that he would find another
Real soon. She opened up the
Eccles’ family bible, and prayed.

Copyright©2009

Priorities

Mayor announced cuts,
Six hundred and twelve jobs go
-then hired pretty aide.

Copyright 2009

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #8

Bank Meeting
By Edward S. Gault

Meeting to go
Over all the necessary documents
Reams of stuff to be signed, and
Tax documents had to be examined.

Getting through it all took two or three hours
And the bank guy said he needed more! Had to

Get all the past year’s
Electricity Payments faxed pronto.

Copyright©2009

Seeing The Light

Sun breaks through the clouds,
A narrow beam of light shines
-puddles reflect back.

Copyright 2009

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #7

Photography Crimes
By Edward S. Gault

Photography is prohibited everywhere now.
Art museums and military bases are one thing;
There have always been those
Restrictions and they were generally understood.
In recent years though,
Old protections, such as the
The Bill of Rights, don’t protect
As much as they used to. The U.S.
Constitution has been high jacked. Even
Taking a picture can be a crime now.

Copyright©2009

Li'l Artist On Move

On wet train window,
A child draws funny faces
-using finger as brush.

Copyright 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #6

Disappearance
By Edward S. Gault

Police surrounded the group, then made
Arrests, eventually charging them with
Terrorist activity. Labeled as
Radicals, they were
Interrogated, then one night shipped to an
Offshore facility. They were kept there for
Ten months. Nobody knew
Anything of what had happened to them.
Committees eventually found
That they were innocent.

Copyright©2009

Different Drum

Always speaking up,
Said No, when others said Yes
-one night, disappeared.

Copyright 2009

Sunday, April 5, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #5

Civics Lesson
By Edward S. Gault

Projects had to be
Analyzed for cost/benefit ratios.
Statistics were very important for this.
State and Federal budgets were
Totaled, then bill were drafted in the
House and Senate where they were
Examined and debated –after which the
Budget was increased to allow executive travel.
Unanimously passing, the bill became a law.
Costs were then forwarded to
Karl and Marge Tachspaer in Wichita.

Copyright©2009

Listen Here...,

She heard him crying,
He couldn't hear their taunts
-but he could read their lips.

Josh turned abruptly,
Told Todd to leave him alone
-stood ground as he left.

Success guru said:
Get rich through real estate
-audience in awe.

On the balcony,
The president said Let us hope!
-he was one of them.

People raised their hands,
Moving to the Lord's gospel
-music saving souls.

Man sat with earphones,
Heavy metal blasting brain
-safety from the world.

The concert over,
They turned Beethoven around
-standing ovation.


Copyright 2009

One Single Impression: Listening

Saturday, April 4, 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #4

Lesson On Losers
By Edward S. Gault

Gary leaned over to
Rick in order to
Explain to him the reason why
Entitlements were wrong. The poor were
Damned losers stealing from
him
Because they would not work. They needed
Incentives, not rights. When Rick
Tried to defend unions, Gary became
Enraged, called Rick a piece of
Shit, then left.

Copyright©2009

Friday, April 3, 2009

In Search Of Zen

Just when path seemed clear,
Another gate would swing closed!
-dreams always distant.

Copyright 2009

NaPoWriMo Poem #3

Causality
By Edward S. Gault

Reeling after nearly being run
Off the road, she yelled
fuck,
And flipped the bird at the guy
Driving next to her, who hadn’t done anything.
Ripped because he was given the finger,
And as it was ninety degrees, he floored the
Gas pedal speeding into her,
Ending both of their lives.

Copyright©2009

The Tour

Visitors walk through,
Ask guide about exhibit
-poet erectus.

Copyright 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009

NaPoWriMo #2

Job Fair
by Edward S. Gault

A sea of faces
Formed of lines
Leading to tables
Themselves lined up
Against the walls,
each with a glossy banner.
Bold letters spell out
Companies and logos.
So, he that so recently graduated
Summa Cum Laude
And was just wed,
Obtained a mortgage.
He that the boss called his Number One Son In The Business,
With the $75 dollar hair trimming
Got his pink slip from Dad
And wades into that sea of faces
To take his place in line
For a chance at a job offered at one of the tables.

Copyright 2009

Siesta

Lunch on the table,
Midday lull pulls me to sleep
-day dream believer.

Copyright 2009

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

NaPoWriMo #1

The Chicken and I
By Edward S. Gault

I sat on the park bench
With my colleague
As he told me that I didn’t know
Anything about schizophrenia
But I wasn’t paying attention
I was watching this chicken walk its’ fool
Along the path
And we made eye contact
The chicken and I
It winked at me
Then went on its’ way
With the leash in its’ beak
And the fool in tow
My colleague was not the least bit interested
He had continued onto
The Parts of the Brain
In his discourse.

Copyright©2009

April Fool To You!


Dressed all in motley,
Jester entertains with truth
-true philosopher.


Copyright 2009
Photo:
Edward S. Gault