Waiting

what am I waiting for?
I've asked that question all my life
it seems like I've done a lot in my years on earth
but there is so much more to do
what am I waiting for?

am I waiting for someone to ask me to do something?
am I waiting for better weather?
am I waiting for God to part the clouds and say, "It's time..."?

the answer is yes, that's what I'm waiting for

but I didn't wait the other day when I bought the coffee and scone
for the lady downtown on the sidewalk
I didn't wait for any of that when I called my client's mother
to talk about his job experience

sometimes I don't wait and things happen
it's good when things happen organically
I just feel like it's time to act
and the opportunity presents itself
or the opportunity presents itself
and I feel like acting

other times, though, I don't feel like it
that's when I want to teach myself to act
when I know I should but I don't feel like it.

What am I waiting for?
someone to pour the milk on my cereal?
someone to shake the salt on my fries?
someone to pass the ball to me?

"I've been waiting here for someone
to knock on my door
someone to come and ask me
what I've been waiting for

Now I ain't been cryin'
but you know how hard I been tryin'
to keep my door open
waiting here 
in the sunshine
waiting for no one"

I wrote those lines 37 years ago
am I still waiting?
Yes, I am.

I Like Poems, I Really Do

there are many ways to write a poem
one is to do it while you're sitting at home
surrounded by throws, sipping some mocha
trying to think of the next line's joke-a

or one can do it while one spends
an evening visiting and playing with friends
and visions of sentiment that keep ones blood warm
like the night one set fire to the rug in ones dorm

maybe you do it under a moonlit sky
the stars and the planets, and satellites go by
the expanse of the universe boggles your mind
like a vodka martini-- one of a kind!

some people sit by a fire on the beach
the roar of the tide just within reach
seagulls and bay gulls fly over head
and in a bikini that cute tranny, Fred

a fireman writes poetry waiting in stations
about flames and ladders and hot sensations
he writes about how his boots were on fire
but at a senior center for chest pain?--that makes him a liar!

my brother wrote poems while sitting in a tree
he had visions, you know, things that he'd see
he saw new inventions that people might need
he once wrote a book that taught you to read

my sister does poems but to write is a strain
so most of her poems just stay in her brain
she wants to share, but how do you suppose?
ask: she poetically blows her nose

Now I like to write while I'm lying in bed
a cat at my feet, a pillow for my head
toothpicks for my eyes to keep them wide open
I need just one more rhyme-- well, here's hopin'!

When a Cat Lies At Your Feet

When a cat lies at your feet
good things are bound to happen
the sun will shine through your window
the rain will lull the day into nothingness
feathers will float
dust will stay settled
the vacuum is silent

When a cat lies at your feet
you can take account of your life
are you giving enough? 
are you calling your friends frequently?
is your job meaningful?
do your clothes match your personality?

When a cat lies at your feet
it's hard to get moving
crossword puzzles
facebook
naps under throws
poetry
remote
Hallmark

When a cat lies at your feet
you just wonder...
what if I took flying lessons?
what if I signed up for a botany class?
does snowboarding really sound fun anymore?
is my life going the way I want it to?

When a cat lies at your feet
it means she's eaten
and all the world can be at peace
it means she doesn't need to go in and out and in and out the patio door
it means she contented
for a moment

When a cat lies at your feet
enjoy life
this thing we call our mind
our consciousness 
can do its thing
wander, create
solve, ponder
deny, affirm
rationalize, critique
be skeptical
be encouraging

be sleepy

which I am right now
you know why?
because there's a cat lying at my feet