Northern Lights of Norway

all the voices in my head

were telling me different things

I didn't know which one to listen to

they all whispered in my ear

their side of the story

I couldn’t quite grasp the language

but the colors around me…

I understood them perfectly

red, blue, green

more green, yellow, red again…

a spectacular spectrum

painters palette high above

peaceful reflection

sensory overload in a good way

streaks of color into my brain

watercolors left out in the rain

running in the sky

dripping on my soul

northern lights

northern nights

I’m up here in my twilight

with my cognac resting on some pine needles

under a big ol’ Norwegian pine

Sand Hill Crane

the other day I was headed to 

work when I saw a sand hill crane

hooting and hollering by the side of the road

in the road was its dead partner

that some dumb bastard had hit

sand hill cranes are fiercely loyal to their mate

and it made me truly sad this one had lost

its mate for life—laying dead in the road

I didn't stop to help because there

wasn't anything I could do anyway

and I didn't dare be two seconds late

to my piece of crap job

or they'd write me up (again)

maybe he or she went to sandhillcranedating.com and found somebody else

maybe I should try it

the only women I meet

have more baggage than United Airlines

or have been through the proverbial ringer

or are just plain crazy

or a combination of all three

Chinese Take-Outs

One thing I noticed

Chinese take-outs

or take aways as the Brits say

most of them seem to have the same kind of big lighted menu sign

Moo Goo Gai Pan, General Tso Chicken

Shrimp Lo Mein, Sesame Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli with Chicken

more stuff I never order

behind the counter

the lights are usually burned out

or only half of them are working

kinda like the ones in the liquor store

and the Bourbon Chicken

tastes the same in like

every place no matter where you go

Guangzhou Shanghai Changsha

Toronto London Kokomo, Indiana

I get the pepper steak myself

and smile at the cute young ladies

who take and get my order

or those cute Chinese waitresses on the Yangtze River cruises 

who are dirt poor
and have fake American names like Julie, Debbie, and Mary