Credible: A Simple Matter

I poured hot water
Into the coffee mug,
And it cracked in two!

The first I knew
Was coffee leaking
All over the countertop,
And my fingers flew
To move the cup into the sink.

Oh, my beautiful cup,
The one I received
For some work well done,
Shall I save it?

I threw it out at once
Then decided to retrieve it,
And in the process
Slashed my thumb
On the sharp edges;

Now it lies
Atop the toaster oven
In two pieces,
And I cannot decide what to do with it.

This gift of accomplishment
Is related to
A current goal,
And so I asked,
‘What does this mean?’

Is it a bad sign,
A good omen,
A simple case of
Poor quality and frequent use,
Or even merely a matter of,
Sometimes a broken cup
Is just a broken cup?

Crease: Bloodstream in the Word Stream

There’s always
So much to say,
But how foolish to try
With one’s mouth full
Of toasted cheese, tomato,
Cucumber, and sweet red pepper
Sandwich!

Better to pay attention,
For if I had been,
I probably would not
Have stabbed the left knuckle
Of my middle finger with the knife
When I was cutting
The plastic off the English cucumber.

I never expected
Such a continuous stream of blood;
Luckily, the fruit flies
That have been
So busily invading
My building lately
Aren’t bloodsuckers.

Once again, it’s time for bed,
The knife is washed and stowed,
The bread and vegetables refrigerated;
All is quiet on the kitchen front,
Except for the compressor
Kicking over now and then,
On this very humid night.

Mindfully, I notice what’s about,
In between seeing and hearing
The tapping of the keys
Beneath my fingers,
Occasionally checking on
The bloody knuckle,
To ensure it’s going to settle,
But then, ‘oh wait, I forgot to eat some fruit!’

Creamy: Stream of Mind

How changeable
This weather is,
Outside
And inside,

As awakened by restlessness,
Steeped in fatigue,
Pedaling on the exercise bike
Brought some relief,

But followed soon
By sadness and grief
For so many losses,
And micro-catastrophes,

Then the tasks
Of the day,
Drew me out
Of this self-centeredness,

Peppers for sale,
Fresh tomatoes,
Fresh cider,
And broccoli,

What a beautiful day,
The warm sun,
The people,
The sights and sounds,

Back to the kitchen
To stow my groceries,
And then more reflection
More sorrow,

But this time
Tinged with peace
And understanding
Of life as it is.