Short Poems

Por una mirada, un mundo;
Por una sonrisa, un cielo;
Por un beso... iyo no se
Que te diera por un beso!

?Que es poesia? dices mientras clavas
En mi pupila tu pupila azul;
?Que es poesia? ?Y tu me lo preguntas?
Poesia ... eres tu.

Al brillar un relampago nacemos,
Y aun dura su fulgor, cuando morimos:
iTan corto es el vivir!
La gloria y el amor tras que corremos,
Sombras de un sueno son que perseguimos:
iDespertar es morir!

Sabe, si alguna vez tus labios rojos
quema invisible atmósfera abrasada,
que el alma que hablar puede con los ojos,
también puede besar con la mirada.

the goldfish sing all night with guitars,
and the whores go down with the stars,
the whores go down with the stars

If wild my breast and sore my pride,
I bask in dreams of suicide;
If cool my heart and high my head,
I think, "How lucky are the dead!"

They rejuvenated Aristotle's dead tomes
Plato from oblivion was brought back to life
Turned each spot to 'Greece', refined all the homes
Taste of wisdom's manna, they offered to all
From universal eye they removed the dense veil
From slumber woke up Time, set it ready to sail.

Accursed from their birth they be
Who seek to find monogamy,
Pursuing it from bed to bed-
I think they would be better dead.

There's got to be another poem;
Perhaps a book or two.
I have ideas for writing them
By then I should be through.


In March 2003, Gerry and I moved into a retirement community, where I am working on my next poem.

I BURIED Joy; and early to the tomb
I came to weep--so sorrowful was I
Who had not dreamed that Joy, my Joy, could die.

I turned away, and by my side stood Joy
All glorified--ah, so ashamed was I
Who dared to dream that Joy, my Joy, could die!