Exchanging Glances With Dangerous People
I know the beat heat
of the street; the rustle
in the hustle; when to secrete -
when to delete; when to stride
or step aside.
I hear the blood sidewalk talk;
the flashing mike squawk.
The sober morning quiet -
the pulsing evening riot.
I observe the ride;
when people hide.
Will never be seen;
where you haven’t been
and never neglect respect.
There is a mode
to the code; don’t elect
what you can’t connect.
Charting Failure
I keep a diary of
mistakes
dated dutifully,
with documentation
and precise
pagination.
When
the angst tears fall,
I tabulate
and record
the degree of each
throb
according to mean
time
and place it
accurately
on the scale of
regret.
Childhood Secrets Revisited
When I was nine years old,
I discovered old Dottie
who was an old fat woman
that lived past the pasture
on the right side
of my grandfather’s farm.
My grandmother cautioned me
to steer a “wide berth”
where old Dottie was concerned.
It only fired my desire to watch her.
Every Wednesday, she would collect
logs and branches to build a fire
under a big black kettle
which she filled with creek water
and chopped up chicken and vegetables.
She used a large pine paddle
to stir the mixture
adding various herbs and spices
throughout the day.
She knew I was watching her
but never let on or confronted me.
The general consensus was
that old Dottie held a happy soul.
But I knew better.
Even at nine,
I knew the sprinkling
of chicken blood, mumbled chants
and slow rhythmic circular shuffle
as she stirred the broth
went beyond the preparation of a meal.
And old Dottie knew
that I knew.
R. Gerry Fabian is a published poet and novelist. He has published four books of his published poems, Parallels, Coming Out Of The Atlantic, Electronic Forecasts and Ball On The Mound. In addition, he has published four novels : Getting Lucky (The Story), Memphis Masquerade, Seventh Sense and Ghost Girl.
His web page is https://rgerryfabian.wordpress.com
Twitter @GerryFabian2
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gery3397/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerry-fabian-91353a131/
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He lives in Doylestown, PA
Mr. Fabian is truly a master of his craft!!!
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