FOR SOLO BASS VOICE

Death from loneliness

Made Sparafucile and

Set him down to walk

The grey streets of Milan 

Singing his own name.

TRYST

 I sought an assignation
With Lizzy Bennett but Fate,
Pretending to have misheard,
Has sent a fog from which
Sparafucile, the assassin
In Rigoletto, has condensed.
He's trying his best but

The conversation limps.

I’ve no dukes I want killed

And Regency dress don’t suit him.

ANNALS OF THE PARISH

On December 1st, 1646, records show,

The Devil entered the church at Lustleigh 

Taking a seat at the back. He conducted himself 

Civilly, removing his silver-chased hat

And putting a coin -- two headed but of good metal --

Into the collection basket. He laughed twice

But quietly and without sneering. He didn't 

Leave in a puff of smoke but vanished by degrees.

The next unusual visitor, in 1831, 

Was a raven who perched on the altar

Nodding affably at those he knew. The Devil

Wasn't molested but the verger

Waved his hat furiously at the raven.

PRIORITIES

A reader in Big River, Ohio

Wants to know how dreams 

Can be had before being born

As I understand it

It's more a matter of dreams,

Waiting for the right person 

To come along and dream them.

Every egg believes wise

And wary eggs ruled for ages

Before chickens came

And ruined the happy world.

A LONG WAY

The first poem I remember hearing 

Was The Train to Timbuktu 

("From Timbuktu to Kalamazoo 

Is a long way down the track

And from Kalamazoo to Timbuktu 

It's just as far to go back"). The second 

Was "Storm warnings 

Have been posted

From Cape May 

To Block Island."

I hear the first still when I borrow 

My father's voice to read to a child.

There are storms nowadays but no one, 

Can be bothered to warn Cape May

Or Block Island or the points inbetween.

OLD DREAMS

Going through old boxes I found a dream

Of my father's from 1923. He wasn't born

Until 1926, making this an unusual item.

I can only suppose that, with so many dreams

Eager to be his, simple kindness required 

He begin having them before he was born

And, perhaps, to continue having them

Even now, so many years after he died.

ABSCONDITUS

If it should please God

To not exist what

Stratagem of yours

Will avail?

Old and wary, He

Has for a long while

Been on to your tricks.