The Maine House - for Red & Martha - 2013

 It is not fair

That you are not here

I talk to the walls

As if you will appear.

The stove is off,

Nothings burning.

I miss the smoke

Pyromaniac’s yearning.

The yard is quiet

Red’s not whacking

Far too quiet,

Something is lacking.

No greeting as I arrive

Martha is gone

But the old Maine house

Is still alive.

Alive and waiting

For you all to appear

To lift a glass

And shed a tear.

They loved  "you all"

And held you dear

They missed you both

When you weren’t here.

The Maine House waits

For the family now

Red and Martha’s family

As fate will allow.

We will all come back

To the house we love

As Red and Martha smile

Happy at peace up above.

We will tell the stories

From our different views

Each of us victims

of The Maine House, Our muse.

Tom – written first on July 28,2013

re-written – September 12, 2024

still true.

ALMOST...ALONE

 

I was determined to find a place where I could fly fish for salmon alone.  Two plane rides later I was in Anchorage.  One float plane took me to the perfect spot.  I set up camp near the river that night and the next day went fishing early in the morning. It was cold, quiet, serene, beautiful.  I made a few long casts with a favorite streamer pattern and a large salmon took it.  Fighting hard, it surfaced and tail-walked across the top of the water. The noise it made was surprising in that quiet setting.  The bigger surprise was a noise behind me.  Someone was thrashing through the tall grass.  Shit! Probably another fucking fisherman coming to spoil the moment.  I turned around to give him a ddirty look and my best scowl. That was the last thing I remember...

The Lamb of Tom

 8-12 1 - 1 1/2 inch thick loin lamb chops

MARINADE:

Fresh Rosemary -  4-6 sprigs no stems, no flowers

Fresh Garlic - 4-6 cloves crushed

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon Juice - 1/2 fresh lemon

Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Garlic salt

smoked Paprika

gather & crush dry things

mix in oil, lemon juice, 

Blend in a Blender - 3-4 pulses

put chops and marinade in large ziplok bag

mix it up and let stand for 2 hours

GRILL on very hot grill:'

    - side 1 - 6-8 minutes

    -side 2 - 4-5 minutes

let stand for 5-8 minutes

And When I Die...

 

And when I die

my clothes will be folded neatly,

the dishes will be done

and put away.

My coffee pot will be clean

The trash will be out

all recyclables will be sorted.

The garage will be organized

My cars will be clean.

My pencils will be sharpened

all Ticonderoga Number Two

My laptop will be charged up.

And then...I can write again

and finish that book

But first? Another poem or

this thing I wrote this morning.

FTC

Alcohol Kills

 Stopped drinking on January 11, 2023

miss it from 5 to 7 pm

feel better every day

2 small slip ups in 30 days  (sip - ups)

will keep it going

life with wife is much better

Thanks be to ....God?  or  me?

The Committee - 38 Special

 

The Northcutt Dilemna

The column was leaning

no support for the post

The decking had crumbled

no joy for the host.

One neighbor was needed

Three more joined the fray

Everyone qualified

To save Northcutt’s day.

Tom had his tools

No opinon he shared

The others had plenty

Clear that they cared.

An engineer, an accountant,

A DIY’er came too

His Hard Hat was awesome

But Tom was all through.

A sawzall, a hammer

Eric’s jack and some screws

Raised spirits and porch

We had 38 Special NEWS.

The moral is clear

when you need a hand

call anyone on 38^th street

The response will be grand!

Tom Crowley…

“Man Of Action”

2/9/23

Neglect is Abuse

 

The child rides
her bike alone
Training wheels
Mother home.

She smiles to herself
She is proud
Confident
She sings out loud.

Mother stirs but
still she sleeps
Silent demons
within her creep.

A screech of brakes
The child screams
and then shes down
While her mother dreams.