Books and Biscuits

for Todd Bol, 
founder of the Little Free Library movement
rest in peace













In my neighborhood, dear one,

books wait for me around the corners

in little wooden boxes built with care that say

“Take one. Leave one.”

Text books, magazines, dog-eared classics

and brand new bits of wisdom 

or adventure.

I pull old friends off my shelves,

fill my backpack, 

and leave them by the armload.

They always find a home.

Your neighborhood may not be so blessed.

In your home, books are in short supply, 

but in this room we share,

we share -

words and stories, truth and laughter

snake skins and hand prints and 

portraits of princesses, 

robots and monsters,

hugs and tears and knock-knock jokes.

Take one. Leave one. 

And we will meet 

for hot chocolate and sourdough biscuits

on some fall day

surprised by sunshine

and books.

Tongue of a Teacher

The Lord has given me the tongue of a teacher
Teacher whose eyelids are weary
Weary of battling evil
Evil, a vast word
Word by word by word, we climb
Climb the daily steps
Steps of the temple of learning
Learning to be calm, be here, be wind
Wind and trees, river and stone
Stone that is shaped, river that flows
Flows and ebbs, erodes and feeds
Feeds the trees
Trees that give, trees that bear
Bear with the storms, bare in winter
Winter wind lashing the branches
Branches hung heavy with fruit
Fruit of the knowledge of good and evil
Evil, a vast word
Word of the Father
Father of lies
Lies of our leaders
Leaders with false tongues
Tongues that can lash
Lash like the wind
Wind that is weary
Weary of wandering
Wandering humble with bowl in hand
Hand to mouth
Mouth with a tongue
Tongue of a teacher.