Three Poems by R. Gerry Fabian

 

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

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He lives in Doylestown, PA