for Margie
by Les Kniskern
June 5, 2009

He dreamed
he sat and dreamed

as he put up
on the wooden footstool

the outside ball of the foot
throbbed, slightly

reaction, ow
pulling out the lath board
and nail from the tennis -shoed foot
ow

throbbing, slightly

The moment came
days or day earlier

when he felt his brain
split in two

assertive and shy
beaten down, not encouraged

throb, throb, throb
he dreamed, slightly

what would it be
to put that dream
on paper?

One step closer to
reality

One step closer to
a dream

One step… just one step
On paper…one step

 
Lestaurant
He’d call it

Herbs and Compost
for a Safer, Healthier Community

Throb.

Sittting in his chair
Foot up
laptop on lap

He opened a page of paper
on the computer screen

and dreamed of a building
3 stories tall

With community goings-on
and programs for kids

‘cause you won’t stop
the violence

With just a vigil
and a prayer

And he stopped on
that thought

And detected the throb
was not there

A greenhouse where the
Kids of the city

Could raise and grow
Herbs for their families

Teas to soothe the
Ailing mother

Peppermints and hyssop
And herbs to enrich the food

To teach them food
the nurturing of life

the living of life

Imagine. Your home.
Your block. Your neighborhood.

As a gun-free zone

He detected again
the throb was not there