5 & 8

Byjucasso

we have nothing without love
she is my mother like no other
blessed with her the day I was born
those sunny happy perfect days
trees in the breeze reached the sky
the grass grew tall about my thighs
the sun shined our hearts were light
dad smiled a lot when we were little tots
celebrate the holidays the snow
was three feet deep
sledding down the driveway
into the snowbound street
icy patches we would slip
fall down go boom with laughter
giggles and grins
cracking off icicles from the roof
crunching and munching them
with gusto-mom would call us in
for hot chocolate stripping off
our snow suits soaked to the skin-
then she would towel dry us-it was
the snowstorm of ’56-what a great
time to be 5 & 8 when we were
young and innocent in a world
where everything was great!

the prologue:

Byjucasso

you can see the mountains and the moon,
through clouds the vision
sounds the senses to a tune,
yet for haste there would be no stone
left unturned, take a chance with
me and I will see to it you won’t
get burned.
having said the length of time to tell
thoughts wishes dreams-love the
answer to it all-what does it all mean?
chasing rainbows into past
prophets fallen angels, guided by
sophists sophisticates and suffrage,
raging on eating my ruff-age.

I asked God for a penny-He gave me
my mother-a Goddess from Heaven
in beauty and manner she lifts me
out of chaos and mends my
embattled bruised ego-
with wit whimsy politic mom runs
her ship easily polite with no thought
for grief, by the power invested in me
I now pronounce us mother and daughter.
She is my power of example.
I follow with baby steps
into her footsteps.

Dad suffers dementia-business man
entrepreneur always provided for
his family-he is comfortable at home
with mom. He taught me how to tie my
shoelaces when I was 5. Dad steadied the back wheels of my new bike
running with me down Larchwood Road teaching me how to ride. He
kicked the football to the top of the tulip trees.
He took me to my first Yankee game.
Mom and Dad introduced my sister and I
to the theater-Broadway and all
the New York restaurants-we traveled to Cuba
when I was 5, Cuernavaca when I
was 7-we had 3 consecutive boats-
stinkpots-Long Island Sound was
our playground. Dad would always
sing to us on the car trips back to
Westchester from The City-did
well for a man who couldn’t carry
a tune.

Rani my sister – I was 2 -I was peddling my scooter-the door
to the cellar was left open-I was barreling down the steps- Rani-4 1/2
grabbed hold of the back wheels
screaming “daddy daddy daddy”!!!
dad came running-Rani saved my
life.
Years later-Rye Playland-in a ride
called The teacup-I was 7, Rani
was 9 1/2, the ride went berserk-
up and down ferociously-my sister
was about to fly out of the teacup-
I sunk to the floor grabbed her
legs kept saying “get down get down”!!
mom was on the ground screaming to the carnie “stop
this thing”! and as you may have guessed, he did.
So Rani and I have a special bond,
because we’re sisters, because
we walked away.

Family and friends have enabled me
to keep sane in these uncertain
times-I am grateful for their
love and support. I dedicate
“paintings and poems” to them.