Pleasures I've Seen

parked in a warm wind Desert canyon, blowing mellow smoke and swapping tall tales with Chris Siens, a fiend with a punching bag, a bong, and a fishing rod,
easy Marionberry pie at a pine highway restaurant,
early teen walks in the damp california redwoods where imagination thrills at the incense of dank moss,
gently catching frogs with my tiny hands by a spring fed Pennsylvania pond,
bare riding a Nubile italian damsel,
juggling for a jolly baby girl of the creed called Islam,
a chat with an amiable, goateed cat out raising bread for the trees,
bouncing a mouse-sized ball up to the heights of my grade school's wall
(an Easter gift from my Mom,)
buying a crudely carved frog from a courteous hill tribe chick who caressed her babe son's head so Lovingly,
chilling with an old alabama negro, George by name, listening to Hendrix the bomb,
When I was three, sweetly romping with a rat-sized newfoundland puppy,
(gentle Kahlia, joy of my kiddie years)
Then today, joshing with a Good-hearted starbuck’s clerk who smiled so plumply,
and so many other moments of sharing, and flourishing life…

even now when, to speak dramatically,
Ganesha has had his tromping victory over me,
they still bring joy.