“get it in writing”

i never think to “get it in writing”

because i trust working person-

to-person and want it to be that way

i dropped off books at a mom-and-

pop bookstore once for them to sell

on commission, but got no receipt, so,

when i went to see how they had sold

though they were gone, i got zilch

and now i am hung up again

producing Exhalation, the best book

in my Nandria series

i do hope we can come to an agreement

in writing, this time

frank

deciding to be frank

when all subtle clues escape notice

i have privately warned the offender

that tolerance will no longer be gifted

shrinking

what i would do

but i do not

what i would say

but go silent

what i would give

but withhold or finagle

to donate less

each opportunity

find me smaller

despite the ranting

despite the ranting and foul language

on our ‘entertainment’ media

the sound of children laughing

can bring me back to joy

and belief in the goodness

of persons

talk with birds

i wish i could talk with birds

that would make it easier to communicate, although hummers

do pretty well eyeball to eyeball

like the little Anna’s who chided

me through the window for allowing

the red, liquid treat to be depleted

or my zebra finch who patted

my hair as i reached into their cage

to give them fresh seed and water

or the snowy owl who watched me

standing in awe admiring him

and turned nearly full circle, posing

so i could have the full experience

of his splendor

or the osprey dad who glanced at me

as, worried, too, i watched

with him his oldest chick

gathering courage for its

first flight from the rugged nest high

on the platform of a utility pole

still, their plaintive cries or smiley

chirps and twitters leave me wondering

if their sounds mean to them what

their calls stir within my own emotions

i wish i were wise enough to understand

flutter butter

kids’ speak ‘flutter bys’

became ‘butterflies’ bringing

warm, adult smiles

fauna symphony

cunning that the sounds birds

and animals trill or caw or rumble

are subtly attune in pitch and timing

to be heard by their own between

and among all the others

if we could detect flora communication

would it, too, be finely interwoven?

imagination v ‘alternative facts’

imagination opens up possibilities

to be tested against verifiable

or at least agreed upon suppositions

‘alternative facts’ encloses each person

within self by closing down

our means of communication

since what say has no basis

that conveys the same meaning

to another individual

sound off

Rather than the power of words

which appeal to the mind

is it not the power of sound

and tone of voice of ranting

that stir the emotions

that give legitimacy to tyrants?

If we watched rallies

with volume muted and simply

studied facial expressions

would we be so persuaded?

grateful to be informed

not that long ago

there was no telecommunication

mail was days or weeks or years

between send and receive

anxious moments stretched into

months without knowing

this morning’s text message

eased my heart with news

my grandson is back in this country

having lost weight but standing

on his own two feet

i am grateful to be so informed

chatter silence

chatter like the isolated

human click language

too fast,  too nuanced

for outsiders to understand

squirrels emote, communicate

give vent – except the male

who scurries to the side of the road

as each car approaches

only to hurry back

to sit silent beside the body

of its mate or friend

who never made it across

wayward words

 funny how a word or two

can run caustic over my being

it takes a breath and a moment

to reflect on past joys

to put the feelings of hurt and anger

back into my pocket

person to person

sweet laughter, throaty chuckle, lingering smile

nothing tells more of human warmth