PEOPLE PLACES THINGSPoetry and Art

by Cameron Gordon

_________________PeoplePlacesThings

Poetry and Artby Cameron Gordon_________________

Passing Empire PublicationsOcean Grove, NJ

Copyright 2002, by Cameron Gordon

All right reserved. No part of this book may

be reproduced in any way or by any means

without the written permission of the

publisher

First Passing Empire edition, 2002

Passing Empire Publications

67 Mount Hermon Way

Ocean Grove, NJ 07756

ISBN

THE EVERY-DAY

1

Small thing this

It sounds like thunder.Muffled, hitting the carpet.

A loose paper clip

Footprint

On the wooden floorwater sits in your footprint.

I become aroused.

Rooms

Can’t hear the voices.At least not what they’re saying.

I sit in this room.

2

Various and sundry

Outside I am hot.The warming sun makes me sweat.

No sun here, inside.

First the eyes moving.Then a flutter of the feet.

My wife is dreaming.

I notice my clenched fist.I have not seen it before.

I see nothing else.

3

Flat faced building

Flat faced buildingfacing other side of the street.

Reflected light from street lamps;a dim sun burning in an asphalt night

cool, clear, crisp.

A nice change from whatever was ailingme

the worldthe universe.

How mixed up it all gets

Flat faced buildingfacing other side of

this street

4

Flatexcept

for windows, bricks, crevices

No attention paiduntil right nowbut a memoryas I write this.

Still alertStill feelFeel still

Flat faced buildingfacing other side of

a street

like any otherlike none

5

other

Yes.

DOMESTICITY

7

Haiku for my wife on her birthday

A leaf blows by me.A brisk yet sheltering wind

reminds me of you

Bright sun warms my skin.Light shines off of leaves and grass.

I love you, my wife.

I see it, but don’t.Not before me, but vivid.Your wry impish smile.

A snake as a gift.A surprise birthday party.

You do amaze me.

8

12th Anniversary

BearShe calls to me

From the bedroomPet name given me

During ourSecond childhood

HoneymoonLong before we were married

HerBreathing

FrameWrapped

In my arms and legs

9

She sleepsIn and outOf sleep

Her breathMy breath

This isWhat TheyCallLove

10

Dinner on a wooden table

dish against plattera ringing sound

harmonic sequence

a hand extendedrequest unspoken

Please pass the peas

Creak as the weight of a bodymoves off a chair

its feet scraping the flooras it is pushed away

its occupant getting upfor a moment

Slurp chew breathe talk

11

A glance outside espies the darkness

MORE THAN ISDREAMED OF INYOUR PHILOSOPHY

13

Mind's Eye

Rustling leavesrumbling trafficnothing comesto this here

man

Head downcramped knuckles

ears hearlet them hear

But what do yousee?

Dull imageson a naked frame

14

not so vividas the blue sky

overhead

What color is thatanyway?

Lookingand

writing

Simultaneously not an option

So squeaking bus brakesand chirping birds

and others' footfallsmust fill the field

of my blindvision

15

Not deafnot dumb

not un-sentientThank God

for that

Vision's over-ratedin any case

in thismy mind's

eye

16

Masters of My House

Dangling participlescommas phrases words

wordswords

rush in like fools

No roomfor experience

when THEYare about

and they're always about

Wakingin the morning

Going back to sleep immediatelyin a cacophonous huddle

17

of noiseless soundinnersound

How quiet it would beIf I could not speak

just lookvacantly, peacefully

like my caton the floorwhen he has

nothing to doto be

to watchto hearto say

Say

18

no thing

19

Bee Sting

For want of a shoean ankle was

stung

lost in thoughtreading about meditation

andgetting more connected

with thereal

world

into thereal

worldheadlongfootlong

20

as a sharp pain called my attentionaway from

my search forinner truth

yellow waspflying away

put two and twotogether

and my mindwas off

to the races

as they say

landing on the groundmy wife

kills the wasp

21

with her shoe in her hand

and I feel the sharp stinging painbuilding

and I fear for my life

such is the nature of myobsession

a few hours passand there is the occasional pain

and the constant dread that this breathmay be my last

of course

nothinghappens

except the painpasses

and the wasp carcassis set upon by ants

who drag it straight up a column whichis twice as big as I am

such was my afternoon andevening

23

ANIMALS

24

This Life

eyes blinkingof a little dog

blackbreathetwitchmove

back and forthadjusting for

comfort

a nice positionon my legher chinagainst it

it will changeas will I

25

in the next

moment

her warmthis intense

as ismy own

It’s quietinside

outside too

somehowit seemsthe same

thingmoves

us

26

both

not seems;I know

27

Squirrel Brain

Standingon haunches

like a Buddhist monk

little cheeks puffingsound like a spinning topon a squeaky blackboard

black eyes focused on a pointin the cosmos

Repeatquietrepeatquiet

I try to communicate

28

with the little creatureI wonder where he is?

He certainly does not notice me.

And he could be a shefor all I know.

I know so little.

Walk on.

And soon I seeAnother.

High on a branch.Staring the same way.

Making the same sounds.

And walking further.

29

A squirrelin a bend

where a branchmeets its trunk

standingalert

staringsilent.

Next treeanother

branch, bend, trunkstanding, staring, silent.

All far above my head

Perhaps they are communing with theirGod.

Maybe only talking to one another

30

Maybe doingnothing at all.

Suddenly I feeljust a visitor

in this park I’ve walked inso many times before

Noticing myTrespass

for the very first time

31

Vermin in New York

Crawling up my leg?No. I just imagine it.A rat on the tracks.

-----------His face is laughing.

Running to the door to stopa mouse running in.

-----------Their babies are out.

Starting their lives in a trough.Alive, just like me.

About the author

Cameron Gordon is a writer of poems,novels, short stories, and essays, as wellas a painter of watercolors, maker ofmusic, and builder of paper sculpture.