There are times – frequent –
even after three decades, more
where you wonder what they
would say, how they would react
to a given moment, my situation

sit-downs full of wisdom never
the style of any of them
they lived life, in an honest,
straightforward way, taking pains
to assure that I did as well

An only child, I was the focus
the one who learned how to
fish, saw, chop, hammer, build,
play cards, bowl, love baseball.

Love life, give it your best. Live.

Every once in a while, I still hear a
voice; dad, Gramps, grandpa Ivar
mixing and matching each to the
situation at hand, the moment

Long since passed from the scene
I can always rely on what they left me;
for safekeeping, and to draw on;
a whole lot of themselves

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2017
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd

nobody has to tell me what this is
no strange illness or mysterious disease
the late night aches and early morning blues
have lasted longer than expected
the insane need for conversation into the middle of the night
used to be good for my mind and body
but the recent lack if seems to make it hard for me
to concentrate
and my daily dose of kisses were good
for my overall attitude not to mention my smile
which happens less and less these days
i don’t need no doctor to tell me
i’m missing you
cuz you did a body good

You were formidable,

my first crush.

You surely knew the hold you had on me.

I picked up the chalk pieces, put up

the new bulletin board,

and followed you after class

when i noticed you were crying.

i had no idea what had happened

but you did, your surely knew. Your

husband was in Vietnam.  Maybe he was

never coming back. i followed you

to your car, my heart breaking on

your behalf. I gave you my most

precious treasure, a 45 of “Hey Jude.”

You smiled, and gave it back.

Mocking Jay

I am who I am and I

can’t feel or show fear.

It’s hard, but I must be

a model for the others.

They tried to destroy me,

but the hunger games never

defeated me. On the contrary,

I became much stronger!

The games are over now

and I can live my life, I can

focus on my love for my husband

and for my adorable children!

The games defined my character

and now I am free to love and to live!

(happy-end)

a city that kept a girl, i knew,

we shared the same name, which berlin says

once again, at this time, almost new.

i have been invited. but will i find her standing

cigarette in hand, in love, with the same man?

trusting pills, but not intuition, following ego and hedonism,

breeding obsession, praying for money, and

finally, bowing down in tearful submission. the dream

stays still in berlin, not breathing or moving, tacked

in congealed delirium, called living in the moment.

from the intestine, time never passes, a döner

can be eaten within the spasm of a denial, and

a genau is more than necessary. peter pan made

here his heaven but for me, i choose to leave

the place of the fools. i’ve replaced shields to

skin, still wary of the land of discarded visions, yet ready,

to join in the final requiem for the girl, whose giggles,

i may have forgot.