TIPS ABOUT SWIMMING

First, never, never, never try to breathe
under water! Unless, of course, you wear
your scuba outfit. When you dive, please leave
your tuba on shore. Next, don’t ever dare
sharks to fight, or octopi to wrestle!
The former make snap judgments causing woe.
The latter will wrap you in a vessel
of ink…you’ll feel tattooed from head to toe!
Instead, why not laugh and play in water?
Have a whale of a time kicking your feet,
swimming on your back like a young otter,
or floating the waves like a navy fleet.
Psst...Never, never, never swim alone!
You can’t contact your lifeguard on a phone!

Roger Armbrust
March 25, 2012

HUMIDITY

How do I share with you humidity
of love? Define it as absolute, mix
fluid constitutions? Timidity
and hope perhaps, or active faith affixed
with rapture? Would you compare its presence
to passion gods might incite, and measure
it as relative? When does your pleasance
vaporize from atmospheric pressure,
turn tropic, induced to heavy breathing?
When do your sky-like eyes precipitate
with precious dew, your moist body wreathing
at some Olympic altitude? What fate
draws me to you in this specific mass
of fog where you ignore me when you pass?

Roger Armbrust
March 24, 2012

WATERFALL

It’s foaming now, like a prophet’s great beard
flowing in wind, its steady stream falling
over red-brick wall, sidewalk commandeered
by its seeming endless glow enthralling
me as its gleam softly floods North Lookout.
Not even steady rain, steel sky can stall
light’s glazing caress. I wish I could shout
to you, feel your warmth hurry to my call
and view nature’s brief masterpiece, only
living during rainfall. I love sitting
at my writing windows, no more lonely
like a lost wren, smiling stare committing
this art to memory. I realize
it thrives with gray-blue sapphire of your eyes.

Roger Armbrust
March 20, 2012

MOON VOYAGES

Oh, tonight will you go sailing with me
on voyages around our shining moon?
We’ll wave across the Sea of Clouds, and see
bright stars above us. We’ll carry a tune
over the Sea of Cold, and ask our moms
to love us, keeping us warm with a song.
If you like, we’ll sleep tight in our pajams
as we float in our boat around the long
Sea of Tranquility. The Sea of Rains
surely can serve as our morning shower.
When thirsty we can drink time and again
from the sweet Sea of Nectar. What power
must tower over the Sea of Storms! We
might prefer the Sea of Serenity’s
shore, where we can dine on cookies and tea!

Roger Armbrust
March 18, 2012

KITTY CAT CHAT

I question my quiet little kitty,
Why do you catch those bitty mice, and how?
But itty kitty keeps sitting pretty,
just smiling at me and singing, Meow!
I ask her how, when she licks my finger
her tongue can feel rough, yet still so gentle.
She rubs by my leg, but doesn’t linger,
jumping on the chair. Is this some mental
game you play? I call to her. She never
answers. Just circles round and snuggles down
on the pillow. You think you’re so clever!
I complain. But she just lies there and yawns.
I lean close and tell her, You know I respect
and love you. I’d swear she whispers, You’re purrrr-fect!

Roger Armbrust
March 17, 2012

GET WELL SOON, MOMMY!

I hear your mommy’s been feeling puny.
Oh, I know her sickness can make you sad.
But perk up! Smile and hum her a tuney!
Then watch her face glow like sunlight, so glad
to see you healthy and happy, and hear
your song wishing her well. I’ll bet she may
even laugh out loud, if you dance with cheer
in a turkey trot or graceful ballet.
Spread your arms! Show you can fly like a bird.
Or crawl around on all fours like a pooch.
Then move close and whisper those magic words:
I love you, mom. She may give you a smooch!
Of if she’s too sick to slip you a smack
I’ll bet she can whisper, I love you back!

Roger Armbrust
March 12, 2012

THE GIRAFFE

Let’s sing a song for the giant giraffe,
our slow-spinning world’s tallest animal.
It roams Africa on legs long as staffs,
with a body like a humpless camel
and skin patterned like some tan leopard’s spots,
or a brown map with wide cream-filled rivers.
It browses tough twigs from highest tree tops
(even sharpest thorns won’t make it quiver!)
yet it gracefully bends low to chew grass
and sip cool water from smooth-flowing streams.
How can it travel without a compass,
I wonder? When sleeping, does it have dreams?
I’ll ask someday if I ever see one.
Meanwhile I’ll dream what it’s like to be one!

Roger Armbrust
March 12, 2012

SEAL MEAL

The sleek-skinned seal waddles up from the sea
onto the sandy beach, singing of fish—
the dish he’s just swallowed delightfully.
That salmon was delish, and now I wish
to find a dessert of equal fine fare,
the greedy seal croons, his long white whiskers
like playful guitar strings whooshing the air.
Then the wallowing walrus (a trickster
if ever a walrus was one) replies
in slickster glee, I’ve got just the candy
to satisfy your sweet tusk, make your eyes
light up, and your flippers dance! See! Dandy
licorice there on the ground! The duped seal
gulps the black stick down, then blurts a pained squeal—
shocked by a mouthful of electric eel!

Roger Armbrust
March 11, 2012

LET’S DANCE IN THE RAIN

Let’s dance in the rain like tiny elves do
to their favorite small fairy combo!
We’ll roll today’s electric boogaloo
or fast-step our rapid ’30s mambo.
Let’s 4/4 time with Cab Calloway’s jive
then swing dance to the Carolina shag.
We’ll staccato, keep Flamenco alive.
Jealous nymphs will never call us a drag
when they see us jazz the hand dance and bop.
We’ll join caterpillars and jitterbug
in the drizzle. We’ll storm the Lindy Hop.
Let’s ballet to Mozart’s fugue. Cut a rug
through a shower to Elvis’s rock ‘n’ roll.
Feel the downpour’s power as we waltz, with soul!

Roger Armbrust
March 8, 2012

SEASHELLS

Oh, what a lovely purple scallop shell
we’ve found in the sand! At first sight it seems
a heart, but with furrows like a fan. Tell
me what you see inside. Yes, a bright dream
of cloud and pearl combined, so glistening
and smooth you want to rub it on your cheek.
And look at this calico pectin sheath
spread like a turkey’s tail! Let’s go and seek
them out! Study how creatures live beneath
the sea in their domed jackets. Listening
to their bubbly conversations surely
will bring delight! We’ll sing to the curly
nautilus shaped like a cornucopia.
We’ll dance with clams clustered in utopia!

Roger Armbrust
March 7, 2012

COME LOOK!

Gaze at this garden of yellow flowers!
It’s like sunshine has filled our little field.
Lie on the ground. Green stems rise—lean towers
to laughing moons, blue sky almost concealed
by their canopy of petals. And such
wide varieties! See those daffodils
poised to trumpet spring? Let’s lean close and touch
their silky faces. Soft now! Tulips will
tickle you with their name, and make you wish
your mom would kiss you. Will those snapdragons
cause you to run away, fear you’ll vanish
in puffs of smoke? Does this flower wagon
of hawksbeard need a shave? And those yellow bells!
Hear them ring? You do? Oh feel their magic spell!

Roger Armbrust
March 5, 2012

THE STARS SO FAR

Run out in the yard! Look up at the stars!
Now start to count each one from left to right.
Whoa! I know! Such a simple task is hard!
They scatter like snowflakes throughout the night.
They zig and they zag while they blink and wink.
Wait! Are they moving or do they stand still?
They glow like diamonds and those thoughts you think
lying in bed when your little head fills
with a magic shower of tiny lights.
Then quick as crickets go clickety click,
you ask yourself, When those far stars take flight
by day, where do they go? Do they panic
and hide? Why, no! They’re too happy and wise.
Look! They laugh and play in your mother’s eyes!


Roger Armbrust
March 3, 2012

FLOWER DUET

Fulfilling Lakmé and Mallika’s wish
I drift down, I glide together as one
with you while our deepest sorrows vanish
below fleeing current, all sadness gone,
lost under soft rippling surface of those
soprano voices calling us to near
shore and flowing lace canopy of rose
and jasmine. Question why I hold you dear
and I will whisper of caring focus
and memory, of following your eyes
and hands, life’s instruments of love for us
and all. Harmonizing strings realize
honest words I doubt you even recall
writing months ago, enchanting my fall.

Roger Armbrust
March 1, 2012

FAITH BREATH

Breathe in great spirit’s faith. Breathe out all fear.
So we begin each morning, meditate
immersed in deep rhythm, voices we hear
within our lungs and heart’s voice pacing fate
through our body-mind-imagination’s
thoroughfares to universe’s endless
Yes. What is laughter but our soul’s ration
of understanding All? Our eyes profess
symbols: sky and earth encircling night’s vast
search for light. What are smiles if not brief hints
of truths we’ve learned matching senses’ near past
with memory’s vault? What do swimmers glint
from your undersea kiss if not love consumed
in Mother Earth’s flowing symbol of the womb.

Roger Armbrust
March 1, 2012