Bundled Up, Volume 2:
Quintains, Pentastichs, Tankas
Cinquains, Quintets, Quintillas
Gogyohkas, Limericks, Wakas
Five Line Poems and Onions
Turning Right on Quintain Lane
By Mike Garofalo
500 Quintains & Pentastichs
Tankas & Onions
5 Line Poems
Quintains Research
1000.
My experiences
have not broken me;
but, indeed,
have bent and twisted
my identity.
1001.
1,000 Quips & One-Liners
A Basket of Ideas From the Garden
1002.
book unopened
hidden potential
covered insights
closed ideas
Waiting...
1003.
I ran out of time
to improve my mind
by much.
But even a few drops
of Sweet Wisdom are sipped.
1004.
The 'average Joe'
is a statistical being;
a pollster's collage
of contented obscurity,
driving his kids to the sea.
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1000 - 1,500
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1,500 - 2,000
Bundled Up, Volume 4
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500
Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000
1005.
a bunch of
Vidalia onion sets
a
bundle of
Yellow Granex onion sets—
sunset in September
When life
gives you onions—
it stinks.
a box of
garlic bulbs
a bag of
garlic bulbs—
crinky thin white paper skins
1006.
Depot Bay
crowds arrayed
along 101 Road wall—
King Tides CRASH...
60 foot S P R A Y S!!
1007.
"I'd rather have Fingers than Toes,
I'd rather have Ears than a Nose.
And as for my Hair,
I'm glad it's all there,
I'll be awfully sad, when it goes."
1008.
ten to seven
day's end...
gentle breeze
made me
snooze again
1009.
The chessboard patterns
different each time...
Like my changing life,
complicated and intense.
Reacting when others move.
1010.
"You can see through the level days
A long way, clear to the end of life,
Through the bars of pale gold level sunlight.
In the evening the blunt fingers
Of shadows stammer behind us..."
- Kenneth Rexroth, The Homestead
Called Damascus, 1925
1011.
in every moment
today is created anew—
pristine possibilities
changing opportunities
depending on you
1012.
492
357
816
Add to 15 in all directions.
Magic Square ain't Magic
—just mathematics.
1013.
"I have written down all these thoughts as remarks,
short paragraphs,
sometimes in longer chains about the same subject,
sometimes jumping, in a sudden change,
from one area to another."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, Preface
1014.
He solved the mystery
at midnight—
his workmates cheered
admired his skill
after work, pizza and beer.
1015.
The Lone Ranger
"Hi Ho Silver and Away"
with Tonto every day—
they both rode in the
Alabama Hills of yesterday.
Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierra, CA
1016.
NFL Football:
Sunday, Monday, Thursday
September to January
Crazy fans screaming
Green Field, White Lines
1017.
Devil's Lake Monsters
reported emerging.
Hideous creatures
Killer Claws...
Lincoln City tourist teasers.
1018.
Walking the beach
searching-searching
for colorful glass floats.
Lincoln City souvenirs
planted daily for tourist cheer.
1019.
starving prisoners
in the freezing night
on wood beds—
Gulag horrors
millions dead.
1020.
You may have cancer
my doctor said;
more tests ahead...
GULP! (8/4/2025)!
Touched by the Inevitable.
1021.
My whole body
is my hand;
My whole body
is my mind.
Can I grasp this?
1022.
"In fragrant white clouds
I'll show you the path of Sages
Beyond the floating world
But will you understand
The lasting taste of Spring."
- Baisao, 1760
1023.
Stellar Jays talking to us:
CREak, SQquak, RRattle, GrRowl,
Ut, Ow, Wah, Wek, AAp,
Tjar, Tee-ar, a ScreaM...
I hear but don't understand.
1024.
One night I awoke to the sounds
of rain on the wind.
The clanking of backyard gongs
till I took them down.
Wiped raindrops off my head.
Opened my fly
pissed on the ground.
Headed back into my bed.
1025.
We survived
Hurricane Camille
quite luckily
in Biloxi Mississippi.
Scary Reality!
1026.
Vamos
Me Enconta
La Playa...
For most people, the Sea,
they love it, like me.
1027.
I didn't think
I would live this long
What a unqualified surprise
to be standing tall
on the shores of Lake Quinault.
1028.
Final days...
eighty years of age:
wobbly legs
slowing steps
wrinkled mind
1029.
La Playa
on my toes
white foam
sand flows
cold shins
1030.
Walking inside
Lake Shasta Dam;
the smiling guide
talks about turbines—
non-stop humming
1031.
Our Buick broke down
in Mt. Shasta town...
walked around
found an old motel
snow on the ground
1032.
held my infant
grand daughter
in my arms...
new possibilities
for us all
1033.
0 to 0
tied soccer game
girls varsity HS;
my grand daughter (Makenna),
a dedicated defender.
Grandma and Grandpa,
Karen and I,
attending every soccer game
in 2025...
exciting games and undefeated.
Makenna Flinn
#16, Center Defender,
League First Team Player 2024
Skyview High School
Girls Varsity Soccer 2025
1034.
From Sacramento to Modesto
from Portland to Tacoma
from Seattle to San Francisco...
"Keep on Rockin me Baby;"
cars, buses, trains, planes.
1035.
he knows so
much depends
on what
he does and
knows
1036.
"I Love LA!"
songs say.
We moved away
in 1998 days,
my memories fade.
1037.
high noon
Fall days—
barbecued oysters
at a dingy 101 cafe in
downtown South Bend WA.
1038.
San Pedro spring day:
Blessing of the Fleet
Prayers for the fishermen—
Crowds gather
boats rocking in docks.
1039.
regrets
nagging mind
ashamed—
never to old
to change
1040.
my cousin Sharon
a schizophrenic
mumbling to herself...
my Aunt Marvel
dedicated to caring
1041.
Seventy years of
USC football games...
cardinal and gold on green,
Saturdays and sunshine,
Occasional Big Wins.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
1042.
old woman
confused and dazed
lost her way—
he helped her today
find her way home
1043.
Can't but help
think in Two's
brain aligned so---
forced to choose
yes or no
yes or no
off or on
Duality
Duplicate---
Two-Fold
1044.
snapshots
places and times
family and friends
viewing pictures
watching memories
1045.
Out of Breath
two mile walk
bad sign—
A Fib heart
fluttering time...
1046.
A few years to go
a few months to go
a few days to go
Counting down seconds.
—Then he died.
1047.
September sounds
of loss and longing
at the edge of endings.
Old goings
New comings
1048.
Small towns
seaside—
like Rockaway Beach
mostly vacant
in Wintertime.
1049.
Wilderness life
not mine. I'm a
Mid-week impostor,
yurt camping.
—cafe meals in town.
Yurt Camping: Pacific Northwest
1050.
hospice hours
pain free
dulled mind—
the kindness
of strangers
1051.
Stiff winds
rattling the canvas tent
flapping loudly...
Bearpaw Meadow—
Sierra, 1965. Uneasy night!
1052.
Corvallis fog
surrounding all
hiding everything.
Oregon State U campus,
invisible Halls.
1053.
Taijiquan at dawn
barefoot on the ground,
slight warm September breeze:
Grasping the Sparrow's Tail
then the Snake Creeps Down.
1054.
Reading Ginsberg's
tape recorded poesy
on the long roads
between Portland and Wichita...
the Fall of America outlined.
1055.
'There's the Kelp, that snaky brown
Those tangled masses of
tubing soft-voiced-millet-vegetable
brain-roots ganglion'd together
plenty of hair & pubes,
balls of Empty as the hollow
of its long plankton-digesting stomach
There is all dead brown sticking its long
tail into the stream bed that pushes to
the Ocean.
- Allen Ginsberg, The Fall of America
Highway 101 Poetry: California
1056.
we all stood
shaking scared
jerked about
windows cracking...
6.7 LA Northridge Quake 1994.
1057.
My son and I
on the White Mountains west side
hiking amongst
stunted Bristlecone Pines and the
Methuselah tree: 4,857 years old.
Bristlecone Pine Forest, California
1058.
I lost my wedding ring
in the surf at Manhattan Beach
while body-surfing at daybreak;
my yellow VW Boogie Bus
kept me warm and dry inside.
1059.
He left in anger,
got the hell out
of a barroom scuffle.
He stopped sipping beer there
for a year
1060.
Seattle Seahawks
Sunday Football
screaming fans
S HA KE ING Lumen Field
stadium stands.
1061.
Choices limited
Options constrained
Alternatives unavailable..
Stuck for now,
Can't change.
1062.
"Develop interest in life as you see it;
in people, things, literature, music
the world is so rich, simply throbbing
with rich treasures, beautiful souls and
interesting people. Forget yourself."
1063.
her Anxiety
diminishing
gradually—
Lorazepam
ease
1064.
steady wind
drip-drop rain—
plastic tarp
warm dry clothes
snug under a cedar
1065.
Big Fives:
North, South, East, West, Center
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Food
See, Hear, Taste, Smell, Touch
Minerals, Animals, Plants, Things, Me
1066.
Look in the Eyes
of the wild animal
your about to kill—
Stop!
Why?
1067.
He can't unsee
the horrors he has seen.
She can't unhear
the screams she has heard...
SWAT Team Nightmares!
1068.
Soccer game at seven
at Kiggins Stadium
on September 7th—
Somner HS team
down from Seattle.
State Tournament game
at Kiggins Stadium
at 1pm, Nov 1, 2025—
Payallup HS 14-3-0 vs
Skyview HS 9-1-4.
1069.
We sang one day
We Shall
Overcome
with Pete Seeger
in Santa Monica—
a hundred died in Vietnam.
1070.
He thought he must
Die—
to make
room
for others coming
1071.
worried
anxious
nervous—
walking outdoors
helped
1072.
flat surf
low tide
windless shore—
the Milky Way
Into Infinity...
1073.
Living, breathing, wiggling
a fish flopping
for its last breath—
unhooked the barb less hook,
tossed that fish back into the Deep.
1074.
Bourbon and Seven
in cubes of ice—
chilled clinking glasses
toasted around;
birthday songs.
1075.
Father's Day trip
to Claro's Italian Market
for fresh bread and salami—
my dad and I
laughing, eating biscottis.
Michael James Garofalo
1916-1996, My Father
1076.
"Live in the Present.
Launch yourself
on every wave.
Find Eternity
in each Moment."
1077.
We are All One — the mystic tries to Become;
One with Jesus, one with Krishna,
One with rituals, chants, yoga, drums.
I revel in Multiplicity:
I am Many Me's in this meaty scrum.
the many of me
don't often agree
so comfortably;
instead they often disagree
about what's best to do by me
1078.
Gray day
Still.....
September noon—
Half-day and Half-night,
= Equinox Equality!!
1079.
revising
rewriting
modifying
changing—
illusive final form
1080.
Blood unseen
in my blueish veins
in my reddish arteries—
a River of Life
beneath my skin.
1081.
slow the work pace
rest and recuperate,
catch my breath—
double digging & dunging,
before the winter rest
1082.
Notebooks filled
with reactions,
observations, notes,
and poetry—
thoughts unshared.
1083.
Brisk walk,
uphill and down—
the faster you walk
Adds
hours to your Months.
1084.
Cooling September
Evergreen State gloom—
a few
chrysanthemum blooms,
hinting Autumn moods.
1085.
"The only Word
I had
Now
was
Wow!"
- Jack Kerouac, On the Road
1086.
My Wife, Karen,
and I
have been On the Road
in 28 States—
American Adventurers.
1087.
My candle flickering,
flinging smoke around,
scattering the darkness—
a dim tent
beneath Sierra skies.
1088.
Televised Crime:
dramas, documentaries,
series, specials, stories,
episodes, news, commentary...
Americans love violence.
1089.
Dreaming:
seeing my skull
Explode—
Held my cremated ashes
in a blue cardboard box.
1090.
“The cuckoo's
Calling cry this morning
Startled me, for
You left us
At just this time.”
- Kino Tsurayuki
1091.
Is God's face
black or white?
The teenager asked.
Jesus answered,
"Siempre he sido ciego."
1092.
chilly morn
born again
Autumn aims
at darkening days—
a gray maze
1093.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
and by opposing end them."
- Shakespeare, Hamlet
1094.
inside of me
a mystery
to you and
a mystery
to me
1095.
Dark Tiki lounge:
bright colors aglow,
Polynesian art,
flaming drinks,
laughing folks.
1096.
fern leaves trembling
in warm sunglow,
spiky chevron sprays
clustered low...
Mabon ritual days
1097.
She shouted
"get away, get out!"
Powerline down,
flipping about,
flashing electricity.
1098.
Broken Down
My great nephew,
Joshua Loya his name,
a troubled, sick, tired man;
We tried to help him and failed.
A soul free of conventionality.
He was a homeboy styler
a skinny fellow
dressed in
baggy pants.
Hanging out with cholos
for a fine machismo time.
His mom died when he was 10
he never recovered!
From auto accidents and hepatitis
and fun drug usage most days;
he slowly slipped from us away.
He lived with us for a year
a lazy fellow
straight F's in high school,
some thieves and stoners for friends.
Still, we wished him well to the end.
My son and we tried to help
Joshua when down
and others did contribute,
to bring him better around
but his failures ground him down.
He phoned every so often
babbling and rude
wandering in a broken brain;
His long letters, indecipherable,
but with artistic Tagger displays.
He lived in County jails
for petty crimes
and old half-way houses
time after time after time.
In garages of friends sometimes.
He called his Aunt Blanche.
He was homeless again
hoping for help from friends.
Sadly, he was sick again.
He wished her well at the end.
Yesterday, Josh's sister said,
a sheriff told her:
Josh was shot dead!
They found his slumped body
on bloody asphalt
in a City of Industry
vacant parking lot.
Bullets through his broken heart!
(Josh Loya: 6/1980-10/6/2024)
1099.
Perhaps this October day
has some wonders to display;
Yes, some visions to replay...
rust-yellow-brown-red
leaves arrayed just So
by Perhaps the Tao.
Taoism
1100.
The Self sometimes lost,
ego-less disconnected eye-balls;
lost individualities, hidden me,
immersed in Nature's neutrality
silent awe of Beauty Being.
1101.
Stopped watching TV
all week
eliminated—
900 commercials
polluting my brain.
1102.
"There was a young woman named Bright,
Whose speed was much faster than light.
She set out one day,
In a relative way,
And returned on the previous night."
1103.
I'm a poet
of a body, not
a poet
of a soul, yes
I sing solo
1104.
what to keep in
what to keep out
crucial for communication—
yet very difficult
to explain without doubts
Bundled Up:
Quintains. Pentastichs, Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofal0
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1500 - 2000
1105.
Pentastich Footnotes
A Quintain restrains my mind
To a field of five lines.
Communications challenged
By brevity.
It's over after it begins.
How can I make
five lines shine?
stick in readers' minds?
focus consciousness?
bring a bit of delight?
Turn right
on Pentastich Lane
proceed South
for 1 Mile
to Quintain Cafe.
Keep it short, concise, precise
Don't be wordy, verbose, to wide
Keep it focused, on target, aimed
Don't wander, delay, no silly play...
Sadly, a poem imprisoned by Brevity.
Are my quatrains
worth reading?
I thought—
Not as tasty
as her enchiladas.
A quatrain with
an extra line
is not a Tanka;
rather 3+2 brief lines,
without the rhyme
Making your poetry:
Make it New, Make it Strange,
Make it Now, Make it Yours,
Make it Better, Make it True.
Make it Reveal, Make it Change.
fenced in by five lines,
boxed in by seven sounds—
still, meaning flows out
a fixed playing field for words,
a frame for our honest doubts.
1106.
Jesus Christ must have
lost his mind—
to volunteer needlessly
for a suicide mission
to "Save All Mankind.."
1107.
'There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and freshness of a dream...'
- William Wordsworth,
Intimations of Immortality
1108.
her whispering lovingly
encouraged me
to enjoy intimacies
of bodies pulsing
beneath tall trees
1109.
Thunderbird caught and carried
the Great Blue Whale.
He carried it to Tacoma
Mountain under ice.
He dropped the Whale to crash on ice.
Causing a violent Earthquake.
Tsunamis crashed into Puget Sound.
Indian Lore of the Pacific Northwest
1110.
in-breath
out-breath
unconsciously
enables me
to Consciously Be
1111.
“Tangling in my hair,
the blossoms of the wisteria
begin to decay;
and my longing for you, like
the fragrance, everlasting.”
- Yoasano Akiko
1112.
I don't pray often,
but always for others;
—hopefully,
the Saints will help
others in need.
1113.
The white rose
claimed its throne
as the First Place winner
despite a scent quite thinner
than every other yellow rose.
1114.
"I search and can't find myself.
I belong in chrysanthemum time,
Sharp in calla lilly elongations.
God made my soul
Into an ornamental thing."
- Fernando Pessoa
1115.
Reviving and raising up
People supposedly dead;
Is a popular story
about emergency room crews
saving souls from the
Bright Tunnel of Death.
1116.
How you think
leads you to
what you think;
so... learn how
to think better.
Quintain Sonnets, Volume 5, Bundled Up
1117.
"When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tuo-who;
Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
- Shakespeare
1118.
Is normal an illusion?
Is reality a fiction?
Is truth and anomaly?
Some questions
crumble into confusion.
1119.
Searching for a song
hiding in the dictionary,
scattered from A to Z,
floating on an invisible time—
suddenly, the chorus shouts at me.
1120.
meth head benny wino mind
tobacco and pot glazed eyes,
skinny bodies, rotten teeth,
bent down, hands on the ground...
homeless addicts in my town.
1121.
The edges of sanity
are rough and ruffled,
precarious at times—
keeping stable seems
supported by my
alienated being.
1122.
Sunday morning
September football
Seahawks vs Steelers—
Summer gone...
Satisfied. Hawk's Won!
1123.
First rain,
just a drizzle
at the edge of October—
nobody out walking at daybreak
but darting squirrels and I.
1124.
GEICO Gecko
selling insurance policies on
every other dull commercial
on ho hum NBC—
turned off the TV.
1125.
chicken-noodle
homemade soup
slowly simmering
bubbling—
a tasty bowl for me
1126.
Calmness is a skill
you must
Train to Gain;
to effectively face
your challenging days.
1127.
Aching body, stiff and slow,
weakened limbs, fingers to toes,
back hurts, headache grows...
Please quit complaining, old man,
get up and go.
1128.
Do Not:
let you mind become clouded,
deplete the good will of others,
exhaust the vigor of things,
try to be overly pure,
be too scrupulous,
be distressed when events turn
counter to your wishes,
be overjoyed when things
go your way,
be not careless with small tasks.
- Hung Ying-Ming, 1610,
Master of the Three Ways
1129.
I explain what I am
unable to practice; and,
I practice what I am
unable to explain.
Practice First, Explain Less.
1130.
Five Powers:
Belief, Diligence, Mindfulness,
Balance, Wisdom...
Fall Down, get Up.
Give Away, get Back.
1131.
When a person exhibits the truth
and returns to the Origin:
a dizzy monk breaks his food bowl,
movement in the ten directions is jostling,
space is just space in the Ten Directions,
space has put on flowers over brocade,
space exhibits truth and returns to the Origins,
space in the ten directions totally disappears.
Even tiles, pebbles, and yellow leaves,
even an dogwood flower, and
even a beautiful robe of golden brocade;
Are, once used by the Buddhist Patriarchs
to correctly turn the Dharma Wheel,
and are rightly added to
the Buddha's Dharma-Eye Treasury.
Buddhist insights in new generations.
- Master Dogen, Shobogenzo,
Turning the Dharma Wheel, #74
1132.
worrying about consequences
tension about results
concern about reactions—
not unreasonable
considering my bad actions
1133.
could not sleep
tossed and turned
wide-eyed awake
could not shake
visions of mistakes
1134.
Standing here
at the crater crack
of the XXI Century;
an old man, me,
watching the Twin Towers
Deadly Fall!!
1135.
any coin has
two sides:
greed on one,
and Love
on the Head's Side
1136.
"Don't worry
about a thing
cause
every little thing
gonna be alright."
- Bob Marley,
Three Little Birds
1137.
Mycelium networks,
wood-wide webs,
underground consciousness
shared, cooperating, integrated;
our Forest's Deep Ecology.
1138.
no matter what
you selfish Elders want—
you will be
forgotten
in fifty years
1139.
Longer breaths in&out
ten times...
Smile. Settle.
Think about
what makes many happy.
1140.
I drove a yellow Volkswagen
Westfailia Camper Van
in 1990 through CA lands—
little power climbing
up the mountains...
sooo Sloooooooowwww
1141.
solitary pink rose
left from summer
before the true cold—
chrysanthemums bold
flooded with blooms
1142.
Doctor's office
waiting room
calling names—
skinny patients
weighing in.
1143.
Tourist's toting
bags of taffy
saltwater treats
flavored treats
from Read's Candy Store.
1144.
"I see leaves of green
red roses too.
I've seen them bloom
for me and you.
And I think to myself:
What a wonderful world.
- Louis Armstrong
What a Wonderful World
1145.
Enlightened beings
are everywhere
for us to learn from and love—
maybe no great gurus,
but
good guides anywhere.
1146.
The Great Fire of London
destroying nearly everything.
Including, killing all the mice
that spread the fleas
of the Plague disease.
1147.
Bibliothèque Intérieure
that inner library
of your memories
of a thousand books
you wanted to read.
1148.
Always being wanted
by your family
even after you occasionally
screw up a little
was very important to me.
1149.
Implicate orders of a
Underlying Reality
Unfolding Being... and the
Explicate orders of
ordinary common things.
1150.
midnight moon
framed by fog
touched by trees
guided by gravity—
mystical for me
1151.
By Mike Garofalo
3,185,000 Page Views
2005 - 2025
1152.
Happy
National Sober Day...
cleaned my home,
meditated and laughed,
drank only water today.
1153.
Troubled by Trump's
meanness, lack of empathy,
right-wing heartless rigidity;
and, his insults about Portland
my homeland's fine city.
1154.
Halfway to Half Truths by Mike Garofalo
Concrete Poetry and Text Art by Mike Garofalo
1155.
Pictures mirroring things
displaying aspects of reality
uncovering hidden realms of being
pointing to more clear correspondence.
Show me a good picture - Please!
Our brains are
Picture processing ... Machines
and you can picture mindfulness
you can picture your intent verbally...
picturing is a form of meaningfulness.
Science and technology have
invented new ways of picturing
so we can see into Reality
and open our ordinary eyes
to new ways of seeing.
1156.
"Many paths lead from
the foot of the mountain.
But at the peak
we all gaze at the single
bright moon."
- Ikkyu Sojun, 1480
1157.
I miss Big Bill Walton.
Tried to remember the UCLA days.
Buy his Trail Blazers jersey.
—Shy, Big Bill? Never...
Bye-bye, what an interesting guy.
The great Kareem Abdul Jabbar
a Champion at UCLA
and an NBA LA Laker Great—
a man with a proud keen mind,
rather reserved in his prime.
University of California
at Los Angeles, UCLA
Quintain Sonnets: Bundled Up, Volume 5
1158.
Learn to say "No!"
to save your soul—
not just to others;
but immediately, decisively,
directly to Yourself.
1159.
I know, let's go,
no delays
time to leave
get on the way—
game at noon today.
1160.
a single spider web
strung between
the Atlas Cedar sprig
and the gutter's edge—
—a trap on a sticky thread—
what caught my eye,
a glistening glint of thread,
shaking steadily,
holding a
knat or fly,
dangling, still... dead
1161.
WNBA Finals...
Tough skilled athletes,
Women moving relentlessly.
I root for the Seattle Storm, and
the San Francisco Valkyries.
1162.
I use the Rhyme Zone App,
consistently, to bring up
useful rhymes so fast
and flawlessly,
easier than a printed dictionary.
1163.
Farting more lately;
a proto-biotic gut blast
an anomaly for me—
stopped eating fried onion rings
with beer and spicy chicken wings.
1164.
I once managed five
elementary school libraries,
ten computer labs, wrote many
successful grants, and
at the Maywood Middle School,
helped to teach lively kids.
Maywood Middle School,
Corning California, 1999-2017
1165.
two cents
four cents
six cents
a dollar—
broke again
1166.
The ends of the Earth
stop at the Sea;
yet, it is right to say
that on a round rock Planet
there is No End
to the Earth's Crust
of lava and granite
and covered
nearly everywhere
by the salty sea.
1167.
Somebody said to me,
suddenly after I sneezed,
Salud!
I smiled, nodded,
then covered my nose.
1168.
Tasting Death someday
will end all your strife
but, it is much more Important
to really Taste Life
all along the way.
1169.
1,000 Quips & One-Liners
A Basket of Ideas From the Garden
1170.
Vibraphone under Cal Tjader's hands,
Flute on Herbie Mann's lips,
Drums under Mongo Santamaria's sticks,
Piano keys under Gonzlao Rubacabo's fingers...
Jazz Latin rhythms
for simpatico licks.
1171.
People who believe in White Power,
still support chattel slavery,
hate all ethnic minorities,
believe White Men are God's Chosen Few,
spit on people and hate city Jews.
1172.
We walked together
gambled some
in the Chinook Winds Casino—
luckily, we only lost a little,
and had some gambling fun.
1173.
he smiled at me
in the library—
then to scare me,
he placed a sharp knife
on the counter by me.
1174.
sleepy time
around nine
yawning wide
closing eyes—
bed side
1175.
Hot shower
a daily gift—
hot water heater,
clean water,
suburban luxury.
1176.
River dried up this month
leaving rocks and mud
gleaming in the noonday sun—
not enough rain and snow
falling six months ago.
1177.
Found a dead squirrel
by my backyard chair—
his fur was beautiful
his eyes wide open
he lay dead stiff there.
1178.
The lady laughed heartily
at the risqué puns and jokes
and very funny double-entendres—
she smiled at her eager lover
and ran her hand up past his knee.
1179.
Plenty of drug addicts
(Not Homeless)
working or mooching a room,
drugging their life away...
but if they have Money;
It's OK?
1180.
The Last Second of Summer
The bare branches of an old shrub
Above its fallen scarlet leaves.
Chrysanthemums in full bloom and
Zinnias seeding;
Below clear blue skies...
Forms and/or Emptiness?
Our minds prefer Closure!
The first second of autumn,
The last second of summer—
Neither Forms nor Emptiness;
The spaces of past time,
The realms of coming ghost minds.
Or, bereft of Space and Time,
The Singularity of the Big Bang Sublime.
1181.
We say "Mums"
because
"Chrysanthemums"
is just too darn long a word
to say or spell correctly.
1182.
"Our life in this world—
to what shall I compare it?
It's like an echo
resounding through the mountains
and off into the empty sky."
- Ryokan
1183.
Pamela Anderson never
surfed at Rincon;
Annette Funicello
never surfed at Zuma.
Bethany Hamilton surfed with style,
Gilmor and Berrigan shredded the surf,
Cathy Zukerman, the Gidget Myth.
1184.
Nature's regularities
help keep us alive;
Nature's unpredictability
creates chaos for our minds...
We prefer ordered closure.
1185.
this black
Easttop harmonica
in my mouth
melodies in A minor
flowing sadly out
1186.
six baby puppies
sleeping in a box
dreaming about milk
and their mother's licks—
we all just watched
1186.
Laugh at the dying of the Light
Embrace the Uncertain Night
Useless to Rage and Rage
Boozing your guts away
Rather Face the depressing day.
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953),
Irish poet and author.
1187.
One cold winter's night
I slept in my old trucks bed
in my warm sleep sack
Death Valley skies filled with stars,
Mohave wind blew for hours.
1188.
wild mustangs
roam the wilderness
in the highest hills
seen them on Thursday
on the road to Death Valley
1189.
My surname
"Garofalo"
supposedly means
"Carnation or Boutonniere"—
my Dad said to me.
1190.
mushrooms multiply
on the Grayland Beach
wet forest floor—
He sauted Chantrels
on the campground stove
1191.
my life,
a lot on my plate,
plenty of daily leftovers
more than I had bargained for
but right
1192.
Spain's Forest
north of Madrid—
in the trees
many unique birds
I had never seen
1193.
The rolling hills
full of Live Oaks
(Valley, Interior, Canyon)
in Tehama County—
acorn feast for wildlife.
1194.
Notebook on my lap,
pencil in hand—
I enjoyed a brief nap,
—rubbed my head,
wrote a joke, then laughed.
1195.
"what was beautiful
about the waterfall
was the fern
small and quiet
beside the torrent"
1196.
Steaming clam chowder
milky white,
tender morsels of clams,
occasional bits of sand—
sips of Willamette white wine.
1197.
Prosody of the English Quintain
A. Thinking is a thing with thorns,
B. Loving is a thing with weather,
A. Hating is a thing with horns
B. "Hope is a thing with feathers"
B. Happiness is a thing with treasures.
- Emily Dickinson, "Hope Is"
1198.
Mount Adams
under a snowy storm
all day and night
nothing in bloom—
we huddled in our room.
1199.
1200.
Little Squalicium Park
has the longest pier
stretching 1,285 feet
into Bellingham Bay—
incredible view in every way.
1201.
MAGA missionary Charlie Kirk
was shot dead by an
even righter-right-wing jerk;
another rabid hater,
angry always, trigger fingered.
The flag in my yard
at half-mast
for Melissa Hortman
and her husband
killed by a MAGA gunman.
Melissa Hortman, RIP 2025
Minnesota Senator
1202.
Hot Indian Summer day,
East wind blowing our way,
Falling pine cones and needles,
Shaking trees sway & sway...
Sunset at 7pm today.
1203.
Bundled Up:
Quintains. Pentastichs, Tankas, and Onions
By Mike Garofal0
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1000 - 1,500
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1,500 - 2,000
Bundled Up, Volume 4
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500
Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000
1204.
at night
light
makes my window
reflect my face
looking at me
1205.
Trump's MAGA plans are
nothing new to me,
I heard it all in 1963.
My father's views very similar,
shocking and embarrassing me.
He was another racist MAGA Dunce.
1206.
We said our goodbyes,
wished each other good luck,
took off my graduation gown,
set aside my tasseled hat—
knew some friendships never last.
1207.
withered berry vines
stiff and brown
used my Corona clippers
to cut them down—
too old to bear berries
1208.
I walk alone
slower now
cane in hand
circling around
cellphone shut down
1209.
The tug of the tides
and sounds of the surf
kept me awake that night—
my 79th birthday
alone at the Cape
1210.
"the silent sound
of her absence
fills their room
only the echoes
of yesterday remain"
- Victor P. Gendrano
1211.
A bit of my happiness
found in great books
in my home library—
read the Story of Philosophy
when I was thirteen.
- Will Durant, Story of Philosophy
1212.
she hid her opinion
about my opinion—
we ate in silence
listened to soft jazz,
cleaned up the kitchen
1213.
Lizards live
in the ghost town;
only the Park Ranger
patrols the grounds—
tourists come poking around.
1214.
Comely lass:
tiny hips
luscious lips
ample tits...
Is she only
and 'object' to me?
1215.
weeding on my knees
a few tiny spiders
crawl over me—
an empty snail shell
catches my eyes
1216.
A shredded snake skin
on my shelf with shells,
stones, feathers, and bones,
some fancy trilobite fossils
200 million years old.
Trilobite Fossilized Creatures
1217.
Chanting Canyon Streams
Opening bell
echoes from the canyon walls---
raindrops on the river.
The sounds of rocks bouncing off rocks;
the shadows of trees traced on trees.
I sit, still.
The canyon river chants,
moving mountains.
The sermon spun on the still point:
dropping off eternity, picking up time;
letting go of self, awakened to Mind.
1218.
Fear confuses
Fear abuses
Fear is used—
Beware of evil men
pandering Fear for Power.
1219.
January 26, 2004
—Sumatra QUAKE—
—TSUNAMI RAGING IN——
—No Warnings
250,000 People Died!!!
1220.
"We drifted apart
not by oceans
but by
the tiny silences
between us."
- Ranier Marie Rilke
1221.
If you make the present moment
the focus of your attention
it's OK for a day—
but without focus forever
on the past and future...
You will loose your way!
1222.
choose to be better
decide to be happy
resolve to be good—
this will not come to you,
it must come from you
1223.
He asked
"What do you do for work?"
She asked
"What do you do for leisure?"
Which question opens more doors?
1224.
Many people live to fifty
so human life is not short.
But, so unfortunately,
for many their sufferings
never cease to abort.
1225.
The Fates changed trucks in Crescent City
Carried their Precious to Yachat's gritty
Guarded the Sacred with scabbard knives.
They ran, those Fates, chased by destinies,
Fearing free will, trapped by realities.
1226.
"I have
always
imagined Paradise
will be
a kind of library."
- Jorge Luis Borges
1227.
Jack Frost
ripped the leaves
off all the flowers—
bleak days ahead
till late next March
1228.
I study Edifying Philosophy
about good ways to live
better ways to be
how to give
decency
1229.
Our descriptions depend
more on our effective speech,
more on our eloquence—
the things in themselves
are known through our words.
1230.
I live near Portland,
a peaceful lovely city,
No need for Dictator Trump's
bully gestapo hoods here.
These are no LA riot days.
1231.
Tense moments
second by second
inches by inches
quarter by quarter—
thrilling game
1232.
Cellphone News:
who's dating, who's divorcing,
sports scores and new movies,
travel ideas and trivialities—
American's shallow banalities.
The Ugly American returns Again!
1233.
Lying commercials
on fake world TV—
Saying savings of $633
on you insurance is easy...
Bullshit baloney for you and me.
1240.
"We'll go down in history
as the first society
that wouldn't save itself
because it wasn't
cost-effective."
- Kurt Vonnegut
1241.
My Pentel mechanical pencil
holding 1.3mm black lead.
Smooth flow, dark color,
thick marker, thin shaft.
My favorite for writing.
Thank you, Japan.
1242.
Hank, the ex-alcoholic, with
a big Jesus cross on his chest,
friendly, ordinary guy,
met him at the car wash,
we gave each other advice.
We sat in the worn waiting room
of the upscale detail care cleaners,
chatting about this and that,
laughing about getting old...
Cars cleaned. Off we go!
1243.
Clear view to Mt. Saint Helen's
A mask of snow to hide the volcanic felons
That blasted rocks into mush mud melons--
Quiet now, a flat-top top, still steaming
Waiting for a disaster of volcanic breathing.
1244.
Something in the sounds
slightly hidden from me.
What is it? What is It?
I cannot tell what,
a unknown language it seems.
Can there be a private language?
1245.
I turned the clock hands
back and hour in the fall.
Even though, in private time-space,
nobody can ever
turn the clock back at all.
1246.
The sting of Death,
the sharp pains of unseeing,
the final closing of the eyes,
the silent lips of emptiness...
faces lost forever in future times.
1247.
God looked at my resume,
added up my good deeds;
He decided I was doing well
and did not need any
spiritual benefits from Him,
Jesus, or an Angel Team.
1248.
His face was never seen,
His voice was never heard.
God, holed up in Heaven,
a cold distant Father.
Too busy throwing folks into hell.
- I Corinthians 15
1249.
Surprised by the sun
dipping into the red dusk sea,
orange ball sinking down—
I played Waltzing Matilda
on my harmonica;
Thought about On the Beach endings.
- Nevil Shute, On the Beach, 1957
The Wreck Ahead Comes Into View
1250.
Paley found a Watch
crushed by a stone
evidence of an angry God
who created a stupid man
from dry dirt ground.
- William Paley, 1802
Natural Theology
1251.
A few Christian apologists thought
that all scientific learning
was a form of religious education.
Unfortunately, scientific facts never
justified believing in Christianity.
1252.
It is the mark
Of an educated mind,
Who can entertain
Thoughts, opinions, theories...
Without accepting them.
- Aristotle
1253.
Bible or Koran
read once
is enough;
sensible folks
move on
1254.
The Bible is indeed,
not Reason's cup of tea,
or a Buddhist Sutra seen,
or a peaceful Quaker ideology.
King Trump autographed
his MAGA Bible for a fee!
1255.
My daughter turns fifty
a hard working lady
a mother of two girls
married 25 years—
chats daily with her mom
1256.
Electric piano
Eastern Peace
Ethereal ambiance
Tai Chi dance
Qigong stance
Stephen Halpern,
Eastern Peace
1257.
squirrels eat seeds
and so do I,
we share a love
for the peanut—
chewed 20 times
1258.
I don't fly,
don't Ocean Cruise,
drive less,
use less energy—
Yuppies don't Care.
1259.
something is wrong
with my brain—
wobbly when walking
becoming more confused
unable to get up and move
1260.
wind moved
leafy trees
walls of shrubs
bush beans
spider webs on walls
1261.
Why go to work?
God will provide, just pray.
Why work to solve problems?
Hey, just kneel and pray.
We try to escape— Pray—
1262.
I once held a lizard
in my shaking hand.
It bit me forcefully,
wiggling to escape.
Feeling wrong,
I let it loose.
1263.
I always preferred
a library to a church—
my elementary Catholic school
had no library
or any questioning of authority.
1264.
Veils of Separation
hiding from me—
the deepest wisdom
from women and men
Pull back the Blinds!
1265.
I dream a lot,
remembering snippets,
listening to the Unconscious.
Reminding me:
Sleep is a Manifold Mystery.
1266.
Coyote Trickster came to me
in a long drawn dream.
Revealed to me:
Secret Symbols,
Unpleasant Destinies.
The Wreck Ahead Comes Into View
1267.
Many people cuss too much,
Stupid people more than others,
Loud people shouting nonsense,
Crude people proud of nothing much;
But even smart folks sometimes cuss.
What the Fuck?
1268.
She was Perfect,
sweet, lovely,
considerate, hardworking,
compassionate, decent...
Perfect for me!
1269.
I sat in the dark field;
looking for Perseid meteors
looking for Perseid meteors.
Mosquitoes also watched,
my sweat their meteor.
1270.
Silver Salmon Dreaming Society
meets in Skamania—
Columbia River nearby,
their Eternal Guide
and Deep Pride.
1271.
The beans and broccoli
grew in our garden—
we now surrender them
to the Fall
of cold wind and darkness.
1272.
What I can't understand:
in America there are:
Republicans = 38.8 million
Democrats = 49 million.
Why were lazy Democrats
NOT VOTING in 2024??
1273.
alone
not lonely
myself
sufficient
for fun
1274.
By this year, 2025, Israelis
have killed 40,000 Palestinians.
Whats New? Just Old Terrible News!
Hutis killed 600,000 Tutsis in 1994.
Nazis killed 2,000,000 Jews in 1942.
1275.
never got lost
hiking in the Puente Hills
or in the San Antonio Mountains
but lost my way
walking in downtown Olympia WA
my brother, Paul, broke his hip
climbing San Gorgonio;
horseback ride and helicopter
brought him down...
to Loma Linda Hospital
in town
1276.
"We don't
see things
as they are;
we see them
as we are."
- Anais Nin
1277.
Is it too late
to recreate
sparks of sex
fires of lust?
Where are the Matches?
1278.
When these sheep were shorn
they lacked their familiar form.
A new look was born—
the shearer's stood
in piles of wool.
Quintain Sonnets: Bundled Up, Volume 5
1279.
I walked out one afternoon
to supervise students leaving school;
we waited for buses to come,
sweating in the stinging sun,
entering hot buses one by one.
1280.
The Sky never asked me
if I did once see
when it touched the ground
spreading thick fog around—
very unexpectedly
1281.
Lincoln City
Highway 101
# 1281 - 1289
Freed Gallery — Beauty
Pelican Brewery — Beers
Siletz Bay — Lincoln City
Devil's Lake —
Cedar Tree!
Campfire—Dusk—Roaring Sea!
1281.
Crepes filled with Oregon
strawberry compote, sprinkled
with powdered sugar and topped
with whipped cream—
shot my blood sugar up to 215.
1282.
Land's End viewpoint:
sandy hilltop slopes,
sunset over a shimmering sea,
suburbs north of Lincoln City,
the roar of 101 removed from me.
Beyond peacefully
stunt kites flip and fly
in a stiff onshore breeze—
two strings, two hands,
impressive dexterity.
1283.
upgrading the streets
for ADA compliance
closed one right lane south
blocked up traffic grind
no places to park and shop
1284.
Spent $174 on 14
Used Books for me.
Five on Emily Dickinson,
History-Biography-Poetry—
—I'm a keen fan of Emily.
1285.
Shit and wet paper unflushed,
greeted me cheerfully— Flush—
Piles of shit in the outdoor pit;
a pit that can gulp it down,
in a dozen years from now.
1286.
Pig and Pancake Restaurants
in Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach,
Lincoln City and Newport ...
Cafes packed with people,
senior couples smiling
Whites and Hispanics
all content, chowing down:
clanking dishes, knives slicing,
forks scraping, waiters working,
Grandma eating ham and eggs.
1287.
Lincoln City...
45 Parallel,
halfway between the
Equator and Santa's home.
Cartographic consciousness.
1288.
bumper to bumper
traffic flow
tourists on staycations
on the Oregon coast—
seniors on the go
1289.
Sounds of surf
splashing on sand
somewhere south
of the Andromeda Galaxy—
silent Siletz Bay
Siletz Bay:
still as stones
calm as statues
flat as tables—
windless days.
Highway 101
# 1281 - 1289
Lincoln City OR
1290.
I tossed a carnation
onto my Dad's casket.
Others watched in silence.
We listened to Father Priest,
all standing tall in the Spring sun.
1291.
We watched the World Series
with the Dodgers in 2024,
beating the great Yankee team;
popcorn, apples and cheese,
iced tea, garlic bread; digital TV.
1292.
cool and damp
November comes...
mushrooms pop and sprout
scattering the Dusts of Life
by the billions overnight
1293.
"Then I looked down and saw
the world I was entering, that would be my home.
And I turned to my companion, and I said Where are we?
And he replied Nirvana.
And I said again But the light will give us no peace."
- Louise Glück, Fable
1294.
"The common behavior of mankind
Is the system of reference
By means of which
We interpret
An unknown language."
Reading Ludwig Wittgenstein PI 206
1295.
I've experienced rapture
dozens of times.
The world never changed,
life remained the same,
the rapture was in my mind.
1296.
A Bible-Belt indoctrinated man
Spouts about Rapture and Revelations;
God killing everyone in The Flood,
God burning whole cities to the ground
Destruction is Fear, not a rapture.
1297.
she complained
so did I
we shared dissatisfaction
with people who lie—
some we wish they would die
1298.
I've earned a living wage
writing business text:
proposals, reports, procedures,
reviews, summaries, agendas,
grants, webpages, analysis—
my poetry goes
unnoticed and often unpaid.
1299.
little frog
lives in a
Large
Living room pot.
croak---croak!
1299.
"So many
people have
inspired me
to be nothing
like them."
- Gary Stier
1300.
An infinite series seems
satisfactory. No need for
a First Mover or God-Mind
to start the Engine of Time.
Yet, scientists tout the Big Bang,
before which there was no
space or time.
1301.
My grandfather and my father were
authoritarian "Italian" Catholics;
I'm a philosopher, not religious.
The AXIS Italians killed Americans.
I'm a Californian culturally.
1302.
"Straight is the Gate,
Narrow is the Way."
walk very carefully,
never go astray,
convert today...?
- I Kings 19
1303.
Dark valleys
Shadows of sickness
Angels of Death
Morbid melancholy...
What did we expect?
1304.
ideas about
life after death
intrinsically irrational
nevertheless
resurrectionist's regress
Bundled Up:
Quintains. Pentastichs, Tankas, and Onions
By Mike Garofal0
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1000 - 1,500
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1,500 - 2,000
Bundled Up, Volume 4
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500
Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000
1305.
"By ceasing
to question the sun;
I have become light,
bird and wind
my leaves sing."
- Thomas Merton
1306.
fog settles
wet weeds
damp ground—
Columbia River
under a Shroud
1307.
straight ahead
might be the gate—
but after entering,
the next path
ain't so straight
1308.
Christianity is often about
condoning and promoting
slavery, subjection, submission
of all women and many men
and for killing people you hate.
1309.
Unwatered front lawn
brown all summer;
October rain raises
a lush green lawn—
Covered with leaves of
falling Fall
1310.
two pink roses
the last to fall—
a foggy dawn
calls to all
"the grasp of Fall"
1311.
My old Chrysler 500:
blue as a bluebird
slow as a pelican
heavy as a baby whale;
old, but running well.
1312.
three pumpkins
on the floor
waiting patiently for the
Halloween craft
carver's creativity
1313.
Dog sitting
my daughter's dogs:
more hair on our carpet,
more zoomies on the lawn,
Digging dogs.
1314.
scarlet leaves
falling down
dry ground—
flute sounds
flow around
1315.
"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
1316.
short of breath
a little lightheaded
wobbly standing up—
two eighty year olds
comparing notes
1317.
white-gray-blue clouds
circling all around
billowing blowing now
headed East to the Cascades—
October Winds and Storms
1318.
Some things happen
for a Reason,
many don't—
Wise Up!
Irrationality often rules.
1319.
A Hundred Billion Galaxies...
More Stars than
grains of Sand
on beaches near my home.
Palomar and Hubble
Opened Up the Universe to Galaxies
and more and more is Known.
1320.
New mathematical formulas
Linked up Time and Space;
Curvy Non-Euclidean Geometry,
Gauss, Riemann, the Einstein,
Gravity and Expanding Space.
1321.
Handouts for the Hungry
seagulls search
the parking lot
for handouts
from humans
on asphalt ground
stray dogs
wander about
nostrils twitching
hunting for food
begging for handouts
"Arid fields
the only life
necks of cranes."
- Shiko
1322.
Coyote visited me,
Howled his mournful song
Growled at thundering clouds—
Nostrils twitching,
Eyes on me.
1323.
We reached the summit!!
Laughed out loud.
High-fived and shouted,
Jubilant, Proud—
Climbed to Mt. Whitney's Crown.
1324.
Lost the game
in the final seconds,
damned shame,
a fumble did us in—
stadium emptied quietly
1325.
my grand daughter
in love seriously
at that age of 17
with a handsome lad—
good romance energizes
1326.
"Transition
is difficult,
And moving between two worlds
especially so;
the tension is very great."
- Louise Glück, Eurydice
1327.
one by one
drop by drop
raindrops come—
hidden sun
October glum
Quintain Sonnets, Volume 5, Bundled Up
1328.
The music of what happens.
The rumbling of rumors.
The songs of mourning.
The chorus of testimonials.
A dirge in New Orleans.
1329.
Took off my shoes and socks
Walked barefoot, under Trees,
Forest Bathing, Shrin Yoku—
Soaked up living energies;
Inner healing I'm devoted to.
1330.
my disappointed daughter
started to cry,
her friend lied,
stole her guy—
High School bye-byes.
1331.
A cockroach crawling
from door to corner
intent on hiding from me—
sly squirrels shimming
up nearby trees.
1332.
suddenly snowing
as we walked by
Mt. Lassen's boiling pots—
steaming endlessly,
stinking rotten eggs to me
1333.
Playing quietly
my harmonica.
A pine cone falls,
bounces by!
I Stop! Surprised!
"Evening Bell
persimmons pelt
the temple garden"
- Lucien Stryk, Zen Poetry
1334.
Sounds of surf
splashing on the sand
somewhere South
of the Milky Way...
silent Siletz Bay
1335.
waves can't reach
black volcanic rocks—
on their top
lichens gripping
under layers of frost
1336.
oatmeal hot
red bowl
silver spoon—
dried cranberries
tasty toppings
1337.
Dreams of flowers...
Awakening!
The potted orchid's
white blooms nearby;
sipping coffee Saturday.
1338.
Where humans Be
you'll find garbage—
manicured parks
pay homage
to beauty lost
1339.
"The apparition
of these faces
in the crowd;
Petals on a wet
black bough."
1340.
under blossoming
cherry trees
strangers gather
to stare and say
'a lovely Spring day'
"under cherry trees
there are
no strangers"
1341.
"Transmission outside doctrine,
No dependencies on words.
Pointing directly at the mind,
Thus seeing oneself truly,
Attaining Buddhahood."
- Zen Poetry,
Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto
1342.
ricocheted pass intercepted
ran back for a TD—
Defensive Corner
limping gingerly
and very pleased
1343.
Big Boy Footballers
and Rugby Tough Guys—
New Zealand All Blacks
tongues out whétero,
—Screaming Chants—
Ka Mate Haka—
We Die Together!
1344.
Your mind is a garden,
your thoughts
are the seeds;
the harvest can be
either flowers or weeds.
1345.
despite
the gardener's
best intentions—
Nature
will improvise
1346.
she was sexy
beyond belief
from head to toes;
a tip-top smart
lady to know
1347.
Vancouver Clinic
new buildings
beautiful
staff clocking in—
patients walking in
1348.
tall lanky women
in blue nursing scrubs
sauntered gracefully—
four old men
limped awkwardly
holding canes
1349.
"The sign of intelligence is that
you are constantly wondering.
Idiots are always dead sure
about every damn thing they
are doing in their life."
- Vasudev
1350.
Tire store magazines
piled askew;
Cars, RV's, DYI tips,
manly man mags.
No gardening guides.
1350.
1351.
COVID lockdown
indoor time;
reading history
to focus my mind—
7 million people died.
1352.
quiet sitar
hypnotic sounds
floating around
so far are
calming me down
1353.
I've always been taller
that most boys and men.
Just a fact, with consequence,
sometimes an unearned benefit—
hard to find pants that fit.
1354.
Got a chest CT scan today.
Doctor Reader said "Satisfactory (?),"
then went on to describe
in a language beyond my ken
the many small lumps inside of me—
a machine told me
to hold my breath.
1355.
I do know that
Quantity trumps quality
when you are starving.
Quality trumps quantity
when you are fat.
1356.
Quantity can lead to Quality...
Jack London wrote
1,000 words each day,
Jack Kerouac wrote
all day for 60 days.
I write five quintains each day.
Maybe, in one month,
only 20 very good quintains remain.
1357.
10 p.m. and tired,
sleepy eyes shutting.
Listening to Reiki Healing Waves...
remembering
yesterday.
1359.
"By night, beloved, tie your
heart to mine
and let them both in
dreams defeat the
darkness."
1360.
Tilting at Wind Turbines
Tweedledee Trump loathes
wind turbines creating
electrical power day & night.
"They are ugly and kill birds"
he angrily and stupidly spit out.
Should we stop building roads,
to save occasional stray skunks?
The three wind turbines
on Grayland Beach hills
seem to be spinning
most of the time
- electric bikes charging just fine.
The Wind is a free, clean, benign,
and renewable energy...
windmills are placed in places
where winds are whistling
most of the time.
Yes, we do need clean
natural gas and oil to fuel
our old power plants in use---
but don't exclude
solar power, wind turbines,
or hydroelectric power.
Diversity and Inclusion in ways
to produce electricity
is the reasonable path to pursue
in these End of Times Decay—
Big Oil can't Save the Day!
{Trump is a Fool}
The Wreck Ahead Comes Into View
Shepards Flat Wind Farm Oregon
Conservation of Natural Resources
Wind Turbines Tilting by Tweedledum Trump
1361.
Your can't communicate
something incommunicable, or
explain something inexplicable,
no matter what you feel in your bones.
Franz Kafka tried throwing
those invisible word stones.
1362.
Nothing whatsoever
seemed unusual today,
same old, same old,
work and routines stay;
for me, that's OK.
1363.
"Nothing
in the world
is usual today.
This is
the first morning.
Come quickly - as soon as
these blossoms open,
they fall.
This world exists
as a sheen of dew on flowers."
Isumi Shikibu (976-1030)
1365.
Find a fine teacher
and learn more truths.
When you have truly learned,
your teacher will set you free.
Graduation Day— University—
1366.
Is Big Foot?
A actual real crypt-zoological creature,
A Shape-Shifter from Twilight's realm,
A Supernatural being from the Heavens,
A UFO traveler who is very shy.
1367.
"Someone brought me a seashell.
Singing inside is a sea from a map.
My heart fills up with water
and a little tiny fish, silvery, shadowy.
Someone brought me a seashell."
1368.
I'm uncomfortable
with trash in my room.
I came to realize,
that random Internet images
were trashing my mind.
1369.
Turned off
my cellphone
wasting my time
took a walk
realigned my mind
1370.
Abandoned Facebook for
3 months each Fall season:
Practiced more Taijiquan,
Walked along the Columbia,
Played my harmonica joyfully.
1371.
Never Ticktocked
In the Net-Space Realms.
Seeing images incessantly,
Intoxicated by visuality,
Drenched in colors of mediocrity.
1372.
Withdrawing my
eyes from
pictorial over-stimulation,
blinding me
to non-visual energies.
1373.
Home, home on the hallowed
Ground were the clear voices abound.
Where often were heard
Encouraging words;
and songs are sung sweetly
All Day.
1374.
Can't say much
in a quintain poem:
loose ends can't unravel,
conciseness strains credulity,
brevity hinders perspicuity.
1375.
all the needles and leaves
are trembling and twitching
from a brisk October wind
Blowing west through the Gorge, or
Blowing east from the Sea shore.
Weather Patterns in the Northwest
1376.
Salmon have returned
Klamath River restored
Dams removed properly—
Native Karuk's Celebrate
and so do We
1377.
Injured my clunky
right arthritic shoulder
by post-holing and shoveling
today for far too long—
80 year old men break down
1378.
you can't stand
inside your
own shadow—
illusive edges
of dim space
1379.
"I want to breathe you in, not the
sweet odor of your skin, but your
breath. As close as that, the two
of us breathing as one, one body,
one person, and one soul."
- Hayden Carruth, A Proposal
1380.
fun, nice girl,
we shared
intimacies
of nakedness—
sneaking around
1381.
Detest your enemy
and yourself.
A recipe for
Violence
by sick minds.
1382.
fern fronds dancing
this windy noon
the climate moves
the winds arise
autumn leaves fly
1383.
bald man
adjusting
his wig
woman glues
her false teeth in
1384.
old man
demented
wandering
lost in
Otherwhere
1385.
Enduring a puppy:
piss on the floor
barking too much
nipping my hands
jumping on my crotch
1386.
quite annoyed
by her mouth
shouting insults
to my face—
slaps with words
1387.
yellow pom poms
shaking fast
in cheerleader's hands—
fans of basketball
cheer and shout
1388.
seals sunning
on boat docks
cuddled up—
Newport fishermen
shoo them off
1389.
comely
lady dressed
in style, revealing decolletage,
high heels, short blue slinky dress,
lovely
1390.
"Well all right if that's the
way it is that's how it is and
I'll just have to put you
back in my special box that's
labeled "wonderful people."
- Hayden Carruth,
Those Wonderful People
1391.
tiny trickle
pitter-pat
sprinkle-tinkle...
First Heavy Rain—
Halloween
1392.
soccer game
epic battle
tied 1 to 1...
one wing defender
bad ankle sprain
1393.
Never thought
about the genitals of the person
shitting in the toilet
next door to me.
Man or woman, no matter,
our shit smells the same— Phew—
Bathroom Politics 2025: MAGA Fears
1394.
California Jay
blue and gray
eating from a corncob hanging
from the feeder pole today—
flashing wings at play.
1395.
Most of us
descendants of monkeys.
Some of us
descendants of foolish devils.
Which one are you?
1396.
Dairy Queen
soft ice cream
covered in cherries
licking my lips
dip by dip
1397.
Could not get motivated
Dragging my tired feet
Sitting longer than I needed
Apathetic and bespotted
To many puffs of pot.
1398.
looked up
was surprised
to see a fancy fabric
Halloween Witch
by our TV
1399.
feeling anxious
don't know why...
blood sugar low?
blood pressure high?
mental problems on the side?
1400.
beautiful man
and/or
beautiful mind—
homeless Diogenes
favored The Mind
1401.
picking up
dried dog shit
on my lawn—
my dogs follow
sniffing around
1402.
He was ready to fight
both fists raised and tight;
anger in his eyes
taunting to get a rise—
blood dripping
from is lip.
1403.
Bakersfield, 1966,
on Dublin Lane
in Blackburn Camp—
our Yarber family
in poverty...
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1500-2000
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Poems 1 - 1,000
1404.
Chewing on a piece of jerky
near Ventura Highway
on a bright CA sunshine day
camping at McGrath SB,
bird watching by the Santa Clara stream.
No 'alligator lizards' seen.
- America, Ventura Highway
1405.
Adobe house restored to
Monterey Style from 1760
at Olivas Adobe Historic Park;
along roaring Ventura Highway—
right past our Spanish heritage.
1406.
State Mental Hospital
in
Camarillo—
Power plant in
Port Hueneme
kept the insane warm.
[Port Hueneme = "Wené mu"
for "resting place" in Chumash]
Camarillo State Mental Hospital
1936-1997
1407.
momo cryptid creature
walking in the woods
looking for food—
red eyes, hairy back,
a loner in a bad mood
1408.
another
ordinary day
I do believe
gathered around
all that is me—
Is Me!
1409.
a bronzed morning
frost on weeds
rising cold sun
falling leaves
skulls of Halloween
1410.
He raised his hand
waved his arm
thus said "goodbye"—
not sure when
he will ever see her again.
1411.
At the Funeral:
"They think how one life hums,
revolves and toils,
One cog in a golden singing hive:
Like spark from a fire,
it's task happily achieved,
It falls away quietly."
- Stephen Spender, The Funeral
1412.
It's Wisdom that requires:
my devoted questioning,
my doubts and curiosity,
my search for facts,
my love of truth intact.
1413.
I found Chang San-Feng
fishing at Piers End in Garibaldi,
760 feet into Tillamook Bay—
he smiled, tossed in his line,
adjusted his reel, stood silently.
1414.
Authenticity—A Powerful Force
Revealing honestly
Something about me;
Said out loud, or written down,
Confessions from me
1415.
Studying books on
writing poetry
by professor poets—
gathering good sound tips
on making sounds from my lips.
Bibliography of Poetry Studies
1416.
Birds bounce back and forth
on the seed feeder swaying,
heads dipping their beaks
into bird seed provisions—
my wife feeds them everyday.
Quintain Sonnets: Bundled Up, Volume 5
1417.
faucet trickles-drips,
needs a washer quick—
wet patio
in the shadows
never dries
1418.
noisy little motorcycles
ridden by kids
revving engines
popping exhausts
helmets off
1419.
little lonely girl
sits on her porch—
holds her stuffie
for company,
a soft green alligator.
1420.
The broom angled
against the door
bespoke of work
sweeping linoleum floors—
finished all my chores.
1421.
"I experienced sometimes
that the most sweet and tender,
the most innocent
and encouraging society
may be found in any natural object,
even for the poor misanthrope
and most melancholy man."
- Thoreau, from Walden
James Laughlin, Commonplace Book
1422.
'Memorable speech'
Auden said
is good poetry;
something akin,
that makes you sing.
1423.
I broke up my lines
to define a hemistich:
to control the pace
to create some space
to typographically deviate
1424.
Intensities controlled
sexual
intensities specifically—
lustful intoxications
blissful revelries
orgasmic ecstasy
1425.
patches of blue sky
between fir branches
opening spaces
softening hues—
a junco flies by
1426.
dehydrated
slightly lightheaded
weak and uneasy—
sipping diluted orange juice
in the shade
1427.
Here quite sadly
our expectations
were diverging,
reached an impasse, Compromised.
Woke up and went to work.
1428.
fading sunshine
dusk darkening
sitting inside
electric lamp light
computer humming all night
1429.
Coming ...
Coming Soon...
Coming Today...
Coming Your Way...
Coming To Your Screen
1430.
Bundled Up:
Quintains, Pentastichs, Tankas and Onions
By Mike Garofalo
Pruning our apricot trees
on Thanksgiving day.
1431.
"Pain ebbs,
And like cool balm,
An opiate weariness
Settles on eye-lids, on relaxed
Pale wrists."
- Adelaide Crapsey, Languor After Pain
1432.
drenching rain
wind shaking shrubs
fir needles falling—
honking in tune
ducks flying south
1433.
rushing fast water
three feet high
carrying logs
kelp and debris—
Crushing all
1434.
a bunch of
Vidalia onion sets
a
bundle of
Yellow Granex onion sets...
sunset in September
When life gives you onions, it stinks.
1435.
closed door
locked tight
—no keys—
big problems
tonight
1436.
can't find my
$#@!!^&!!!!!!
—cellphone—
still looking
two days later
1437.
I went yurt camping
at Beverly Beach SP OR.
Early November, King Tides Came;
weather: a cool rain.
Watched the dramatic Surf Sprays.
1438.
"I have been lifted and carried far away
into a luminous city. Is this what having means,
to look down on? Or is this dreaming still?
I was right, wasn't I, choosing
against the ground?"
- Louis Gluck, Condo
1439.
Up at 4 am
no dawn until 6:30 am
no breakfast till 8:00 am...
sorted my medical pills
for the week.
1440.
Archie Bunker
voted for Trump,
as expected.
Reruns show
old ideas remain.
1441.
1442.
Time is something
everyone
runs short on
and finally
runs out of.
1443.
A callused palm
a tired hand
and dirty fingernails
precede
a Green Thumb.
1444.
Never underestimate
the Power
of those that like
things
neat and tidy.
1445.
As you move your hands
so you move your mind.
Your mind helps you
move your hands.
'Hey man, move your hands.'
1446.
A statue of Kwan Yin
sits Regally on my computer's top.
She pours Watery Essentials
Into the Earth Dragon's Mouth.
Her whisk will bless our house.
1447.
Diversity, multiplicity,
relations, combinations,
mixtures, complexity,
rarely just
one process or one thing.
1448.
dancers deliver
on time
steps and music
aligned—
dancing body-minds Fly
1449.
Remembering mostly rejections, corrections,
inspections, and directions
as childhood Catholic School lessons.
I excelled at conformity, and
parroting the explicit party line.
1450.
tides flowing
in and out
at Potlach Park
shore flooded up
shore dried up
1451.
"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise,
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock the, rock them, lullaby.
- By Thomas Dekker
James Laughlin, Commonplace Book
1452.
Brooking's docks
Chetco River jetty
rocking boats
warm afternoon—
sipping cervezas Pacifico
1453.
Sunday morning TV
football games:
49ers or Seahawks?
Raiders or Rams?
coffee or hot chocolate?
1454.
49er Red
gold and white and red,
red letters on white;
green field, white lines—
big men blocking
1455.
Commenting on a photograph
in brief prose, a poem, an essay;
reviewing art, music, sporting
creativity cyclic without end.
Begging for storytelling that
shivers our skins.
1456.
he was injured—
crawled to his door
bandaged his cuts
called 911
drank water and waited...
1457.
I camped alone
was creeped out by the drone
of the groaning surf
behind the low sand dunes—
cheese and crackers for dinner.
1458.
she hopped—
he hemistiched
she hopscotched—
he inserted space
—for effect
1459.
I packed up my Ford Escape SUV,
a four-cylinder four-wheeler for adventuring
to coastal towns nearby me;
like Nehalem Bay or Lincoln City,
or at the Cape Lookout cliffs by the sea.
1460.
When I was a little boy
my world and I
were constrained by me
were part of the subject of me
were reflected in Indra's Net of Me.
1461.
Pictures mirroring things
displaying aspects of reality
uncovering hidden realms of being
pointing to more clear correspondence.
Show me a good picture - Please!
Our brains are
Picture processing ... Machines
and you can picture mindfulness
you can picture your intent verbally...
picturing is a form of meaningfulness.
Science and technology have
invented new ways of picturing
so we can see into Reality
and open our ordinary eyes
to new ways of seeing.
1462.
The Arrows of Time
never rest,
moving forward unrelenting
irreversible:
from hot towards cold
from stream to Sea
from organized to disorganized
from past to future
from moving towards stillness
from life towards death.
Or,
so it seems, to us,
with our little particulars,
with our home brew views,
with our social habits a must.
1463.
When your harmonica
is slow
use me
for your blow
I'm the winter wind.
[A nod to June Moreau]
1464.
Columbus Avenue
San Francisco
City Lights Bookstore
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Proprietor, Poet, Publisher
1465.
Two aphorisms and bourbon on the rocks.
Two witticisms and whipped cream on the pie.
Two comparisons that catch the keen eye.
Two images that knock off your socks.
Two contrasts that leave some shocked.
1466.
dead
cannabis joint butts
scattered on the garage floor
testament to my messy scattered
head
1467.
Breakfast at Country Kitchen
Cafe crowded today, Tuesday,
Busy traffic on 503 Highway
From Orchards to Amboy.
Inside, diners chat away.
1468.
Clamped on rocks:
starfish, mussels, lichens,
anemones, crabs, flora, kelp.
Huge piles of driftwood and debris,
far from docks.
1469.
Mendocino Quintain Prosody
A The Fates changed trucks in Crescent City
A Carried their Precious to Yachat's gritty
B Guarded the Sacred with scabbard knives.
C They ran, those Fates, chased by destinies,
C Fearing free will, trapped by realities.
1470.
Questions and ~#W*(
Why? Questions Why?
~^^ .. Answers .. ^^~
~ $$ .. Money .. $$ ~
*** .. Causes .. ***
((( .. Values .. )))
1471.
"We squat upon the beach of love
among Picasso mandolins
struck full of sand
and buried catspaws
that know no sphinx
and picnic papers
dead crab's claws and starfish prints."
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti,
Coney Island of the Mind, #24
1472.
One 1
Two two 22
Three thre three 333
Four four for four 4444
Five, fivve, fiive, five 5555
Five, fivee, fiive, five 5555
Four four for four 4444
Three thre three 333
Two two 22
One 1
1473.
We sat in the shade
by the Mt. Shasta Springs
sipping ice cold stream water
at the busy birthplace
of the Sacramento River
smacking our cool wet lips.
1474.
Reading a five line poem—
a gulp
of whiskey
or a sip of water
savored for but a short while
1475.
Nobody can avoid
being dated.
Calendars rule our lives
clearly coordinated;
but we die and enter the Void...
1476.
darkening day
rain on the way
birds are busy
searching for seeds
Clap of Thunder!!!
1477.
out of bounds
off the field of play
in bounds
perfect pass—
Score! Our team lost.
1478.
dirty tires
mucky gutters
corner puddles
wet pavement—
squeaking windshield wipers
1479.
surprise party
for my 60th
birthday in Red Bluff—
sunny afternoon
almonds in bloom
1480.
Three Places and Populations were Home:
Los Angeles County, CA 9,757,000
Tehama County, CA 64,000
Clark County, WA 527,000.
How many people live where you live?
1481.
"The dog trots freely in the street
and sees reality
and the things he sees
are bigger than himself
and the things he sees
are his reality.'
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dog
1482.
slept on the ground
up at dawn
campfire started
coffee brewed
steaming cup
1483.
more yawning
head drooping
eyes closing
now entering
Dreamland
1484.
cigarette smoke
swirling sinuous
loops of lacy
wiggling white
disappearing puffs of light
1485.
they became electrified
kisses became candy
flesh became randy
sex became spry
he licked her hot thighs
1486.
Five Corners of Time
Infinity, Past, Present, Future, Infinity
Closed, Open, Closed, Open, Closed
Left, Right, Straight, Back, Stop
. . . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 . . .
Stop, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, Stop!!
1487.
Thusness Scattered in Sixty Directions
Leaping from the Ledge of Infinite Regress,
The Unmoved Mover fell into Formlessness:
Pure silence echoed between the galaxies,
Eons of eons vanished in a second,
Withered trees bloomed in fires,
The Oceans covered all the Land,
Polar mountains melted, rivers went dry,
Thusness scattered in sixty directions wide,
Space became Time, time became things.
Black Holes filled with Bardo-Nirvana Spirit Beings.
A billion samadhi mirrors shattered,
Galaxies snuggled within a single skull,
Many became One, One only, only One.
Then, the Divine Illuminatrix
Within All Beings ... She Opened Her Eyes:
And Saw exactly what you see.
1488.
Rain drops spattering constantly
Ideas chattering on a muted TV screen
Constant winds blew down one tree
Book talking quietly when not seen
Boats headed out to sea
1489.
"Look up . . .
From bleakening hills
Blow down the light, first breath
of wintry wind . . . look up, and scent
The snow."
- Adelaide Crapsey, Snow
1490.
At the Edges of the West
Docu-Poems
Hypertext, Poetry, Graphics,
Photographs, Travel
Quintain Sonnets, Volume 5, Bundled Up
1491.
The Spiderwebs of Time
are legion
multitudes of nows and thens;
Uncountable heres and theres
unhitched
from any eternal present
everywhere.
1492.
the poet
played with sounds—
a perfect pitch of ideas
melodic intimacies
rhythm of rhyming phrases
1493.
the black wheel barrow
with a flat tire
rests on its muddy side—
the gardener can't find
the air pump
1494.
Rain falling
leaves falling
needles falling
autumn falling...
Why did he fall for her?
1495.
Breaking Camp Behind Burger King
Streets empty
Sunday morning
Settling fog—
a homeless man
squeezing a blanket in a bag.
1496.
Above the laughter
Beyond the shouts
Louder than the low surf—
the cry of kites
sliding in the sky
1497.
The hot chocolate was lukewarm.
He was dull, she thought.
The Starbuck's meet-up was a bust.
He thought she was stuck up snooty.
—They never met again—
1498.
Up at midnight
writing these words
by bright candlelight—
suddenly I heard
my dog was stirred.
1499.
"These be
Three silent things:
The falling snow . . . the hour
Before the dawn . . . the mouth of one
Just dead."
- Adelaide Crapsey, Triad
1500.
"Joy! Joy! Joy!
The hills are glad,
The valleys re-echo with merriment,
In my heart is the sound of laughter,
and my feet dance to the time of it..."
- Adelaide Crapsey, 1898,
Excerpts from The Mother Exultant
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Poems 1500 - 2,000
Quintain Poetry Sections on this Webpage
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1, 499
Bundled Up
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Quintain Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Quintain Poems 1000 - 1,500
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Quintain Poems 1,500 - 2,000
Bundled Up, Volume 4
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500
Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
At the Edges of the West
Highway 101 and Hwy 1
Bundled Up: Quintains, Pentastichs, Tankas
Cuttings: Haiku, Senryu, Brief Poems
At the Edges of the Fertile West
Highway 99 and Interstate 5
Texts Press Publications
Free Online Poetry and Studies
Vancouver, Washington
Texts Press Email
Quintains and Tanka Poetry
Research, Studies, Notes
Bibliography, Links, References,
Webpages, Essays, Magazines
Definitions, Examples
Research by Mike Garofalo
Mike Garofalo's Internet
Web Publishing
Objectives, Aims, and Policies:
Provide open access to people worldwide.
People can read my poetry for free: 24/7.
Google translate drop-down menu included.
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Not promoting chapbooks or
books of mine or from others to sell.
Since 2024, my webpages are in
CSS format and cellphone readable.
I use my Cloud Hands Blog for
poetry posts, posts on a variety
of topics, promoting others,
and selling books.
I research and study poetry at my home.
In 2026, I am carefully studying
the poetry of
John Ashbery,
Emily Dickinson, and the West Coast,
USA, Literary Scene, and Quintains.
My academic background includes:
philosophy, information science,
librarianship, education, and business.
Feedback or suggestions are welcome.
Editors and publishers who think my
poetry has some commercial possibilities
for themselves
are encouraged
to contact me.
I've been employed as a webmaster,
grant writer, and web publisher
since 1998.
25 Steps and Beyond:
The Collected Works of Mike Garofalo
Texts Press Publications
Free Online Poetry and Studies
By Mike Garofalo
Vancouver, Washington
Text Press Email
Michael Peter Garofalo (1946-) grew up in East Los Angeles, raised well by my parents June and Big Mike, was educated in Catholic Schools, lived with two other brothers, graduated (B.A., M.S.) from local universities, married Blanche Karen Eubanks, served in the US Air Force, worked in and managed many City and Los Angeles County Public Libraries, raised two children, socialized, traveled, and learned. Retired as the Regional Administrator, East Region, Los Angeles County Public Library in 1998.
We moved to a rural 5 acre property in Red Bluff, in the North Sacramento Valley, CA. Webmaster since 1999. Worked part-time for the Corning School District (Technology and Media Services Manager, District Librarian, Grant Writer, Webmaster); and as a yoga, Taijiquan, and fitness club instructor until 2016. Traveled extensively in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
We both retired, and we moved to Vancouver, WA, in 2017. Currently in 2025: reading, writing, gardening, harmonica playing, home chores, yurt camping, exercise, traveling in the Northwest, web publishing, family events, poetry research, photography, Northwest research, Nature mysticism, Buddhist and Taoist literature, walking, sports events, etc.
25 Steps and Beyond; Collected Works
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Bundled Up: Volume 2
Poems 1,000 - 1,099
Poems 1,100 - 1,199
Poems 1,200 - 1,299
Poems 1,300 - 1,399
Poems 1,400 - 1,499
Bundled Up:
Quintains, Tercets,
One-Liners and Onions
Poetry By Michael P. Garofalo
Pulling Onions
1,000 Quips, Opinions, and One-Liners
A Basket of Ideas from the Backyard
Cuttings :::
Tercets, Haiku, Senryu, and Onions
Arranged by Months
Bundled Up
Bundled Up, Volume 1
Quintain Poems 1 - 1,000
Bundled Up, Volume 2
Quintain Poems 1000 - 1,500
Bundled Up, Volume 3
Quintain Poems 1,500 - 2,000
Bundled Up, Volume 4
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500
Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000
At the Edges of the West
A Docu-Poem
The earliest poems on this webpage
were posted online in 2021.
This document was last edited, revised,
reformatted, added to, relinked,
changed, improved, or modified
by Mike Garofalo
on February 5, 2026.