posted January 24, 2006 06:51 PM         

It's one of the first references I noticed in which she refers to the word 'Gooberz'.

quote:

---

I'm curled up
on your side of the couch
here in the den

did we actually used to fight
over which side of the couch was whose ? my god !

oh, Goober, what a waste of loving hours . .

Blueberry Love and Pumpkin Peace are playing peek-a-boo with me
from the wooden buckets on the book shelves
where you taught them to hide

. . and I'm remembering

how you used to search for Love and Peace
after we had a quarrel - yes, after each hurtful fight
when I was wrong and you were right - you searched for Love and Peace

you would call them . . "babies, babies !

. . come on now, you kids
stop playing hide-and-seek
it's time to come inside"

I remember how you would hold them in your lap
and tickle their ears, and rub their tummies - and cut their toenails

they held so still for you - Love and Peace

sometimes you would wad up little pieces of Kleenex
to toss under the dining room table
so they could bounce after the paper balls
and carry them happily back to you . . Love's tail
so tall and proud
Love was quicker
Peace always seemed a little confused

but I would complain, in a voice unnecessarily angry
about the mess of paper - or Kleenex - on the rug
while the tenseness between us grew
because I was being ignored for the moment

. . in which class in school did I learn the brass rule
that being temporarily ignored is a synonym for rejection ?
then you would sigh softly . . scratch Love's chin
gently stroke Peace . . and always say
"kitties are the only good things"

I can't count the times you said it
"kitties are the only good things"

you were right, darling
kitties are Gooberz - and very, very dear
Peace misses you scratching her tummy
and Love misses you too, when you're not here
to cut his toe nails . . and tickle his ear

oh, yes

kitties are the only good things

left

---

posted January 26, 2006 01:04 PM           

thanks for posting this..

posted October 16, 2006 09:59 PM           

LOve

posted February 24, 2008 04:30 AM         

------------------
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year....
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. ~Robert Frost