• 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.