One last breath of autumn before the Christmas rush

THANKSGIVING FRIDAY
Tears came
for the first time
as I read of sailors
lining up for 15-minute
phone calls

to wives,
sweethearts or Moms
from their duty stations
on the USS Roosevelt
warship. (2001)
~~~
ON THANKSGIVING
I broke
with tradition
when I left their father
so I can'ty complain that I feast
alone. (2002)
~~~
ON A CITY STREET
Thursday--
Thanksgiving, a
young man stands in the grass
by a stoplight. His sign: "homeless,
hungry." (2004)
~~~

HOLIDAY VISIT
Dad gets
child number four
from ex-wife number two
for the Thanksgiving Day visit
with him. (2005)
~~~
PARING KNIFE
Band-Aids
on two fingers
in the first few minutes
of preparing for Thanksgiving
dinner. (2001)