The banquet(after Tiepolo's painting, in the National Gallery of Victoria)
Looking at that painting,Which you love so much,I see something new each time.
You cannot avoid the whippet's bum,Or the little man, furtive, on the run.
Mark Antony broods, looks smug,A smirk, a wink and hope for more than a hug.
Cleopatra knows the territory,Hostessing has been her constant history.
She has launched barges of gold,Burnished, men have been bought and sold.
Today we are playing for high stakes,And we are all watching for the breaks.
Then, suddenly, pearl-drop into a goblet of vinegar,A toast to the assembly and a gentle gesture.
The bet's won,The pearl's done.
The Terminus
Over the years you will have seenTime and time againCinematic repetition in black and whiteThe trains pulling into the stationsBuffer-end of travelJourneys finished — for the time being —And through the deliquescence of puffYou search for a visitor,The visitor steps, platform-bound,Searches for the host.
It is unsurprisingThere is no meeting.
In the morning you will dip your toesIn the waves, tentativeThen walk and walk the sandsTake in the pier and think of the timeYou took the ferry across the strait,High custom given by a young friendIn gratitude for listeningGrace and gravity.
Memories are made of gratitudeThe joy of thankfulness, GonerilAnd Regan could never relishRemembrance, reciprocity was not in theirDiet.
Walking the sands and feeling the siftYou know few thingsNothing for certainBut caring sharing and givingAre the tender of choiceThe spirit is fed by giftsAnd the horse-blanket always keeps you warm.
It's a seasonal giftA legacy to embrace.
One thing — Oh! a contradiction indeed —Is certainGod gathers dustNever hoards itFor he has new urns to makeFor us to admire and, sometimes,To love.
Miracles do happen
It might only be a small one,______a dandelion dancingin the heat of the day,______it lands on you______a moment of silver____________of lacebrief______the melting of an icicle__________________of a snowflake_______________________thousands of stars______snow on red berries____________the bloodtide turns____________the stars seek watchers______patterns in simplicitythe miracle of friendship,the warmth of embrace,the celebration of dawn.
Peter Gebhardt is a retired school principal and judge. His most recent book is Black and White Onyx: New and Selected Poems 1988-2011.