Partly Cloudy

More rain on the way

And I can’t feel anything but grateful for it

Because of three years of drought

Of being careful and not wasting

Which of course meant no running through the sprinkler

For the kids and no water balloon tosses

Alex came home

In the middle of the day

And we sat together knee to knee

Leaning in

And came to understand some things

And those were things such as

There are no guarantees and security is an illusion

Such as fear just wants to be held

Such as we are vulnerable and we are strong

Such as the desire for freedom

Is a wild horse being broken

By men with ropes and whips

And that I’m here for the horse

Across the street

DeanDean the dancing machine

Is looking at the sky

Rocking on his heels

Opening a can of beer

I don’t know what he thinks

But he asked Alex if he could take the boys golfing some time

Since they don’t go to school

As if schoolessness equals empty space

As if I don’t even exist

Maybe I don’t

I want to be at the beach today

Staring out into the gray vagueness of the sea

Letting the sand trickle through my fingers

Remembering another place

Of browner skinned people

Fortunate encounters that lead to

All-night conversations full of raptness and accord

With music in the background

But I’m afraid there would be war

I wonder if Earth

Will collapse in on herself

After we’ve bled dry all her channels

And then when I hear Ian

Crashing around in the kitchen

I wonder what to make for dinner

He asks if we’re in the phone book

And I don’t even know

When I was very young

I thought you could call information

And ask them any question

And they would have the answer

Yes, he says we’re in the phone book

Oh good

That’s proof of something isn’t it.

3 Responses to “Partly Cloudy”

1. Pam says:

   May 28, 2010 at 8:58 pm

   I love this poem, Kathleen… how you start, where you take us, with you, and how it ends. Revealing, in these moments, how we are affected by and pay attention to the details of life and how the bigger questions and the answering moments of revelation come to us simultaneously, right here, where we are, in our driveways, at the kitchen counter. Your painterly, poetic weaving of moments in life with the expression of desires and wonderings creates layers of texture that are rich, and very alive, real. You’ve paid attention, which seems like love to me, and are helping me pay attention too. Thank you for this!

2. John says:

   May 29, 2010 at 6:25 am

   Yeah, Kathleen. Thanks again for having just the right words to make it easy to feel into you and your life…

3. gregory says:

   June 23, 2010 at 8:46 pm

   partly cloudy, partly clear
   proof of life
   is everywhere
   Meg Ry An
   an Russ Silk Row
   ‘Proof Of Life’ away we go!
   some are chosen
   some are used
   with the answer:
   more confused!

   When the film came out to play
   East and West they ran away
   then
   (leaving out what happened next)
   home is best
   stay home!