Library Time

Submitted by bmarcus on

I was first introduced to the library at the age of ten. I would pass it on my way to school and was itching to go in. One day I gathered up enough courage to do just that. Oh, what a treat. I walked up to the librarian and asked if I could look around. She was a real peach and took me over to the fairytale books and picked out a book by Hans Christian Anderson for me. I sat down and opened the book and the words came alive for me. I read and read, often looking up at the clock on the wall so I would not come home late.

Tree Burst (November 1944)

Submitted by bmarcus on

Tree burst! Tree burst!

Shards of tree and mortar shell

Whistling down piercing

Helmets and brains

Tree burst!  Tree burst!

No leaves raining down

Only sharp cutting killing

Metal-like branches

Like scythes from heaven

And hell.

Running

The Line Is Drawn

Submitted by bmarcus on

The line is drawn.
The division is sure.
The divergence is marked.

Hope, that sad shadow, glances,
for a moment,
at the tiny green leaves
on the tiny green bushes
that grow on the sides of the path
on which the line is drawn.

In the distance,
a rumbling sound.
a charging through fog and dust.
I see ... yes ... I see ....
It comes.
Yes,      Judgment.

The fools ... the greedy fools ...
Did they not know?
The line is drawn.

Old Shoes

Submitted by bmarcus on

The sky is streaked with light, giving everything a luminous glow. Singing, chirping coming alive with warmth, another morning.

Fall Colors

Submitted by bmarcus on

You wear your elegant final shades of mustard, amber and curry like Easter bonnets.

“Notice me,” you say, “since I’ll go elsewhere until spring and then return as chartreuse.”

I do notice.

Lunch Bell Rang

Submitted by bmarcus on

Lunch bell rang and we ran down the stairs
past the plaster St. Thomas
past the cloister door
into sour Brooklyn’s factory smells
home to our railroad flats.

Mine was three flights up
my father was home from work
and snoring by now
sleep apnea
after two highballs and a long night
baking breads. 

My Wedding Dress

Submitted by bmarcus on

Sy and I had been living together for about a year. Our relationship was good and there were no obstacles. We decided to get married. I chose a day in August when my best friend would be in New York from San Francisco and I wanted her at my wedding.

Sy and I looked at several places and chose a lovely restaurant on East 61Street. There was a covered tent over the garden in the rear where 75-80 people could be comfortable during the ceremony and with the restaurant in front for lunch.

My Mother

Submitted by bmarcus on

As I am looking at my mother’s picture some sixty years after she died, at the age of fifty-nine, I realize how little thought I gave to the kind of person she really was when I was much younger. One of my earliest memories of her takes me back to the tiny village of Lichenroth, Germany, where I was born. She was sitting by the window sewing,watching us children playing outside. I believe that her silent presence conveyed a sense of well being and security in us that can never be lost.

A Sestina

Submitted by bmarcus on

Walking across the hill with my dog
in a delightfully, leisurely stroll.
The sun is bright and warm with wild
flowers that flavor the air.
My dog Jerry and I are anxious to reach
our favorite spot at the top of the Falls.

A great place to play is on the falls.
Across the top of the hill with my dog
to Buttermilk Falls is a mile reach.
Two levels below is a creek; a stroll;
keeping us comfortable with a cool moist air,
the water in the Owego Creek is not wild.

Jerry and I enjoy swimming in water that isn’t wild.
Our walk is to continue to the top of the falls

A Mother's Prayer

Submitted by bmarcus on

God, I don’t know why my questions go unanswered.
I love this child You’ve given me.
But I don’t know how to cope with the
pain
frustration
exhaustion.

Reactions from well-meaning friends
are sometimes hurtful.
Through their eyes they see,
handicapped
slow
disabled.

If they could only see
through Your eyes
of divine love and mercy,
beautiful
special
beloved.

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