Standing with the Snowman

FALLING BACK INTO HUMAN SHAPE

Quarter red delicious apple

for lips on Sammie's snow man

while remembering the three-colored

protest sign, In Our Family Love Matters.

Calendar jumping with Jim Harrison

these small gods explode

after the fourth poem,

and I'm forced to take a break.

My country is also taking some time off.

Temperature in the homeless tent

last night, despite those two heaters

did not move from 32 degrees

during dinner. The award-winning

Mexican restaurant came through

with tamales if our group picked up tab

for the rice and beans. Lucky

for me, I had brought clothes

including the black Eddie Bauer

down vest just back from cleaners--

settling with my anger long enough

to arm up prayer shields during meal.

This vest will fit you better than your Dad

I say to the red-head ten-year old boy,

and those Dockers will look good on papa.

Nothing for the Mexican woman

or two smaller children.  These pants

will go right into the washer

and come out like they're just ironed

I tell the woman. Get those kids up

for school in the morning, OK.

Time was running out on all medicine

people coming back for rice and beans,

We'll leave these tamales for snacks

and breakfast. I had the hand-copied

Harrison poem in my pocket where

he uses astonished twice in a poem

he calls simply, Tomorrow,

mirrors everywhere in music

I've turned to for depression.

Earth has agreed to sleep with us

for the time being, Harrison says.

That part put me over the edge.

Sammie and I had two grown-up

talks, before and after

I place that protest sign

next to her snow man.

Read the sign, Sam. If you say so

I have to take it down.

Jim Bodeen

15 January 2019