HOMECOMINGS
AND GOINGS
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, . . . ,”
Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
A class reunion brought us home
From our many roads
Seven decades after we began
To work our way
Through schools
Toward what we would become
I witnessed those roads converge
Across a cocktail aisle
And could not suppress the urge to smile
Gracious hospitality
Friendships refreshed
Noisy stories voiced and heard
A few beers shared
The weather, perfectly clear
Plenty of sun
And a candle was lighted
For those whose courses had been run
We remembered the teachers
Who taught us skills
Today, looking back, those skills
Tidy and useful though they became
Have largely done with me
It’s questions now that freshen me
Urge me to look ahead, not back
For the new, the next
Not the past
Eventually, weekend done
Our internal officers sorted through
Our happy traffic jam
And sent us on our way
Back down our roads again
Mine, dimly lit, suggest to me
There still may be
Something new to see
God’s prod -- past seventy -- to seek maturity
May you enjoy good health and well-lit roads
I remain grateful that my way
Has always been and will continue to be enriched by yours
To the FHS class of 1955
Dennis Keefe
November 21, 2015
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
WATCHING THE FROST MELT ON MY NEIGHBOR’S ROOF
Sunshine lights our morning room,
enhancing colors, muted
after noon.
Across the street, facing west,
her house, next in line, for the October sun
to warm its roof.
By eight a toe-hold gained,
then a northward march
across the expanse of flat
frosted white.
One cup of coffee
and today’s work is done.
Her roof, returned to shingle tint.
Our room, again in shade.
The sun, arcing on,
risks being less
without one man’s regard.
DRK
Oct. 26, 2012
WE CALL IT FALL
From our porch’s three seasons venue
The usual autumn views
But Erato prods
What’s new?
Wind rifling our trees
Being neighborly with our colors
The gravity of this situation
Does make me wonder
Is this why we call it “fall?”
Up the hill
Sunlight highlights the kill
Tall trees' rotting leaves
Obit
A color blast to remember
The end of October
And early November
Many songbirds will disappear
They sensed what looms
And will, as snowbirds do, warm their cheer
We do welcome
The hardy juncos
And other up-north visitors
With heated water
And stable food supplies
Their winter presence
We celebrate
With one caveat
Mr. and Mrs. Mouse
It can be dangerous
Inside our house
DRK
10/4/23
OCTOBER LITANY
October’s winds, blowing in
Another winter
Practice now with leaves
Challenge the snow later
Stir me up and get me out
Snow blower and shovels ready?
Lord help me prepare
Lawnmower?
Lord, stow it where?
Paint or caulk?
Lord, help me prepare
Windows, doors, weather stripping?
Lord, help me secure
Snow tires?
Lord, help me prepare
Gutters checked?
Lord, keep them clear
Plants to bring in
Lord, they’ll need some care
Windshield scraper, I left where?
Lord, help me remember
The heated bird bath?
Lord, it will soon be December
Firewood ordered?
Lord, help me remember
Hoses put away?
Lord, I could have done that in September
DRK
5/2/16