The Guide

A tall thin Black man

On long limbs

With long 

Powerful strides

Guides walkers

Quietly 

Fearlessly

Tirelessly

Through these mountains

He guides them

Where will we go today

They ask

Just up that mountain

Across 

And down again

He guides them

As though it were 

Only a hill

He walks

And within the year

Will you scratch my head

The fellow walker asks

Breathlessly

Yes, that’s just the spot

He nods and sighs

Unable to speak

Lovingly

Tirelessly

All but fearlessly

Beside 

Two friends

Through

One last game of chess

One last partita

He guides them

To see them off 

On their journey

To another life

When it's time

Remember to brush Fluffy
You know how matted she gets in the spring
Don't forget
To leave the water running
In a hose during winter
Otherwise the pipes will freeze
Okay
Maybe you can find someone
To spray and prune the fruit trees
And the vines
I will
Gianni should be able to help you
Dismount the pool pump motor
I've shown him a couple of times
Check the oil in your car
Do you remember
Where I showed you
To replace the windshield washer fluid
Yes
Check your tires
Summer and winter
All right
Take care of yourself
And Gianni
I will

That day will come

When your son is small
You comfort him with a breast
As he grows
Your arms
When he can say
Mamma help me
Your lap
Taller than you
A hug
There will come a time
When his father says
Mamma help me
And I can not

Someone

If you do not care for yourself
No one will

If you do
Someone does

Occhi colmo

Cold Feet

His feet are cold
“Freezing,” he says.

His cold feet are a symptom
Not something he can just
Get more exercise
And make better
He will never
Get better

The beginning
They are indicative
Of the process
The long
And slow
Process
Of deterioration
Disintegration
His body’s betrayal

I cannot opt out
Choose not to go there
Get cold feet

A gift of woolen socks
Is the least
I can give
The most
I can do
For this
Dying man

The Flame Within

It begins with a spark

that smolders

undiscovered

and slowly travels

inviting pathways

gathering warmth

gathering speed

a trail of gasoline

a fuse

it ignites the fuel

consuming everything in its path

branching off

in other directions

combusting

racing ahead 

the fire 

devouring  devastating destroying

until the cancer 

finally burns out 

its last victim organ