Conundrum

I have seen a man

A guest at a pulpit,
trembling,
as old men do.

He poured his heart out
honestly
as a Christian man does.

He chastised many
pitilessly
in a voice choked with tears.

There are forlorn people
wandering,
tortured lives without a savior,

he said.

Such tenderness, surprisingly
astonishing
from a man often harsh and critical

toward his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Impatience

I listened
fighting impatience
as she droned.

I tried not to focus
on the loose skin
under her chin.

It wiggled
and jiggled
as she wagged
on and on.

I pondered...
is this how I look to others
when I speak?

Termites

White ants carve streets
and boulevards
that no one sees
inside
vacant trees.

A late winter afternoon

The wind howls,
whispers,
sighs,
mourns.

It chatters leaves like frozen teeth; it
tosses thin branches like castanets.
It shelters:
husssshhhhh.

Voices speak in myriad tones.
We are mortal.

One who speaks

It took several minutes
to focus
on what someone
urgently said.

Hand gestures
with dialogue
went un-noticed

Because the speaker's
nose had a
stringy booger on it.