Connectedness

The throaty trill
of the loon
haunts, thrills
with its wild aloneness
summoning my soul
to ponder unremembered moments

echoed now
in toddler's gleeful trill
discovering his new world
of alluring prospects
with ear still tuned
to unknown, sung-before songs.

A La Carte

Not yet toothy
but hunger bites

food attracts
beyond the breast

menu expands
with bits and pieces

mashed banana
bland rice wafers

creamy egg salad
peanut butter dabs

satisfying treats
for eager palette

gnawable corn cobs
watermelon pops

and pièce de résistance

sweet-buttered, tongue-sticky grits!

Where, O Where?

Turned away from video visit
determined not to see
Mémé and Pep leave again

too many good-byes

final or otherwise
for his five-year-old heart

his dog-pal died
then much-loved Baba
harsh blows to a little boy's soul

where have they gone
will I ever see them again
why not...why not?

Paternal Bond

My father's long dead
nearly forty-five years

his kind nature
embraces still

a tactile connection
remains in hand

genetic perhaps
our common habit

rolling up waste papers
into throwaway balls

with each repetition
my childhood smiles back at me.