tree tops shining
all down the arroyo
in New Year's sun

this blank diary open
to the first page

my mother gives
the performing monkey
a red vest

hammer at his side
he waits for the signal

horsetail shoots
have pushed small piles of earth
onto the sidewalk

ceramic frog family
slightly misaligned

hazy moon
a carful of teenagers
yodeling

the rooster calls
then the alarm

two hours now
calligraphy lesson
in a grandfather's room

buried treasure
guarded by a skull

missing the deadline
to sign up for
Greek Tragedy 301

I follow his swift glance
to the swinging door

every day
she wants to send
the Unabomber flowers

no to the pill
catholic girl

dropping his robe
he looks back
at the mirror

tip of his cigar glows
early frost

no moon tonight
I ask my manservant
to play a fugue

this shipment of persimmons
already too soft

stalled on the freeway
my best excuse
for the missed appointment

over cocktails diplomats
saying what they really think

among cherry blossoms
the beggar ties
a fortune

Easter hat sale
at the Goodwill store

Morrismen
hop lightly over
imaginary furrows

machine made green tea
no flavor

incoming tide
plastic grocery tag
among the flotsam

Pele's wrath
turned to lava

aromatic oil
in his belly button
two or three drops

gigolo training school
bankrupt

passing notes
the teller whispers
ÒLater.Ó

eunuchs have approved
third wife anonymously

stock market tip
leads to another
argument

snow boots
Montana endorses

bitter morning
his trigger finger stuck
to the metal

the last trail marker
at the edge of the cliff

slightly wavering
horizon of the Dead Sea
Ñsummer moon

sultan's breakfast
fresh abalone

Friday afternoon
news of their dismissals
sent by e-mail

roaches fooling around
in a million dollar condo

stuck
the tractor roars
uselessly

cluster of yellow pushpins
Superfund sites

new satellite dish
for expatriates
from the Continent

harvest festival
she prays to the corn goddess

clear sky
faintly the sounds
of high flying geese

potting shed romance
they discuss chrysanthemums

alone in the castle
moon princess
counts her pimples

coroner and pall bearer
exchange vows

again this year
from his ex mother-in-law
Ñchatty birthday card

a poem he types
with his index finger

the pony
neck outstretched nibbling
at cherry blossoms

hanging low
a rainbow bridge

spring picnic
on the riverÑ
Ratty's idea

reading the dialog aloud
they decide to switch roles

WANTED
her yearbook photo
before the surgery

prize winning squash
sixteen pounds

my littlest daughter
pasted on her forehead
a fallen leaf

first day of school
such  a long reading list!

autumn melancholy
the dog psychologist recommends
painting his house

one of the Getty's Monets
is said to be a copy

Pickpockets'Association
incumbent president
leads in the poll

along the entire west coast
the current reverses

steel supports
of a cigarette billboard
almost sawed through

rushed to the emergency room
after Xmas dinner

freezing moon
in chapter 5 they find
another body

Nautilus can't break through
the Arctic ice pack

traffic jams
the narrow lane
to the weeping statue

orthodox church
bullets rake the wall

barefoot dancer
in a wide brimmed hat
visits the rabbi

a clockmaker's dream
of mechanical bees

at the bottom
of the Indian Ocean
black box

they all swear they saw
a bird thought to be extinct

thud
rogue elephant
drops to the ground

velvety paper
made from mushroom

fresh apple pie
scraping the whipped cream
off the top

the thin moon
looks somewhat lonely

in the studio
he keeps adding one more track
of his own voice

Einstein explains
weight of light

a stored glow
given back at dusk
cherry blossoms

sister city celebration
kite masters from Osaka

spring chill
but she chooses
a mini skirt

love triangle
at the fire department

between floors
I switch off
the elevator

executive tryst
turns into a company merger

Mrs. Robinson's
dildo party
starts on time

main question in the line
who's taking so long

Hindu temple
cow's dung
everywhere

the coyote coughs up
bits of bone and fur

911
answered
by a serial killer

licensed practical nurse
pleads no contest

election week
mayor stands at the turnstile
shaking hands

jury duty notice
sent to a scarecrow

orange moon
thunder eggs and their shadows
on the caldera floor

eye of a typhoon
they run to a liquor store

drift boat
tied to this snag
above the fishing hole

broken taillight mended
with criss-crossed duct tape

local coffee shop
they've stopped asking me
what I'll have

a weekend painter
specializing in humming birds

on the drill field
army reservists
discuss day jobs

reflection of spring clouds
on the glassed skyscraper

friendship garden
carp pushing through
cherry petals

her butterfly collection
all photographs