Turtle Fills a Hole with Eggs
for T.L.A.

thank you for being with me
in my world

you in my life
and I do not have to be
entirely without Costa Rica
I do not have to be
entirely outside of it

with you in my life,
I can be inside of Costa Rica
and it can be, through you,
inside of me also
and at the very heart of me
where I have located you
allowed you
where you
are situated within me

where you have, with consent
taken up residence

why I am so depressed, so low
I do not know

it might have to do
with all the things
I have to face and to do
after 6 weeks away

it might have to do with
the quality of life in this place

such appallingly low standards
for a place as lovely
as everybody says it is

with a population so small
just over 300,000 and chaos
mayhem

so many among us
so very poorly educated

systems here
not working as they should
breaking down or broken down
not as effective as they aught to be

tourism sector, banking sector
as efficient as can be
well organized, well run
among the best in the world

local life though,
of the lowest standards
intimidated by this place, shy of it

I use to have more room
I used to fear less
but my territory, more and more
has shrunk

there are elections around the bend
fever of elections heating up
some online communication
going on

without end, ending up in my in-box
it depresses me, annoys me
I delete them all without opening one

these politicians, I have concluded
are part of the problem
only pretend that they are
out to find solutions

maybe the solutions
to what involves tourism and banking
maybe what involves
their immediate family and their friends

but I do not see the good life
coming to or getting to Kemp Road,
where I live, anytime soon

how I miss that hotel
where I stayed, in San Jose

those long showers I used to take
each day

since returning home on Sunday,
fifth day of June,
I have washed myself all over
once or twice

I wash my face, brush my teeth
call it a day
that way day after day
and will go on week after week

miss as well the 3 meals a day
I'd eat in Costa Rica
lunch in the cafeteria
at Universidad de Costa Rica

it is by far a nicer place than here
less than forty cents to catch the bus

here you pay $1.25
and what an atmosphere, what a culture

you board a bus not knowing
what you will be greeted with

why is it not constant, consistent,
pleasant on any bus you board

you go for as many jitney rides
as buses you catch
I dread having to take them

I'd pray that one will come
that I can live with

why is the government powerless
to say a word or lift a finger
against so many negative people
against so much
negative behavior

what agreements,
they leave me wondering,
have me wondering,
have they made or do they make
to get elected

are the people promised
that they will be free
to govern themselves
if who ask them for their support
gets elected

a waste of time complaining
about or trying to change
what has been sanctioned
by the highest offices in the land

why therefore should I lift a finger
or raise a hand

want to pick myself up
and be off,
back to Hotel Aranjuez

so what if earthquakes shake it
now and then

music booming in vehicles pulling up
or going by or the endless roar
of endless motor bikes on my street
and the earth quakes
and hardly ever stops

upheaval that is not at all good
for mind, body or soul

Tat in my life but she's far away
in Limón

I have pictures, her messages
but are these enough
strong enough medicine
against how sick I feel
in my heart and soul tonight


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
5:30 a.m. 21.06.11

Spit & Kisses
for T.L.A.

dirty or clean,
I've kissed my computer screen

your face on it
my lips to press up against yours
flesh against glass

two or three kisses
passionate kisses

our first kiss or first kisses
carried away tonight
this Father's Day

you in Limón with your dad
with your family
with classmates

a joint assignment
some project …

black out
lights out

you do not want to hear, Tat,
the cuss I cuss
how angry I am

BEC unable to keep the lights on
for two seconds

this cotton pickin' little country
as backward as could be
as inefficient as can be

this island, the country's capital
functioning like some out island,
like a remote family island

so much for a poem
about our first kiss
my lips pressed up against glass
your picture upon it

I must attach the picture
which inspired these kisses

I cannot say why
kissable lips
a look in your eyes

and having to live through today
as well as the last few days
with hardly a word from you

more than I can take
more than I can bear

do you know that song, Tat,

if you can't be
with the one you love
then love the one you're with

was it you I kissed
or was it just glass

your ass to kiss instead
wish it were as near

as available as this computer
I am forever before
this computer at which I worship

at least until black out
at least until the lights go out

I cuss bad bad just now
I am happy you were not here
to hear me

my mouth filling up with expletives
I had to spit out - over and over again

until release
until relief


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
9:53 p.m. 19.06.11

By A Stem Attached
for T.L.A.

did I pick her or did she pick me
bitter or sweet,
off of what tree
in what garden growing

her country is Eden,
as green as Genesis
as green as
in the beginning

what about the fruit that I am
and the fruit that she is
nearer ripe or nearer green

or are we both spoiled rotten
by each other
with all our mutual
love and attention
love and affection


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
3:23 p.m. 15.06.11

Beginning to be Able
to See the Bird in the Cage

cage of words with a bird inside
singing

more and more, I am beginning
to comprehend Spanish

poems spoken aloud, CD I play
and fall asleep listening
or when I wake, I listen,
lying in bed

like cages of words
I can see clearly through
I can see clearly into

able to make out more and more
like when the sun is coming up
when day is dawning

night lifts and dew
upon everything everywhere
is left to be seen


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
2:24 p.m. 10.06.11

Self to Leave Behind

feces down the toilet
how many times in six weeks

my feces and my pee
assurance that I would forever
be mixed in with
Costarican rivers, soil

how long will it be
before the part of my pee
that is fresh water
passes through taps
through faucets

until it is Costarican water
that is safe to drink

how long before my feces
is in fruits, in vegetable

is converted into frageant flowers


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
1:28 p.m. 02.06.11

Flash of Peace
for T.L.A.

never fails to get her peace out

sign she forms usually
with two fingers of her left hand

quick to draw, to pull and flash
before the camera flashes

peace she pulls
with one hand or the other
like someone with two guns

like days of old
in the USA, when it was a matter of
who was the fastest gun in the West
who got to survive, to remain alive

pulls her peace as if
it were a life and death matter

even if it is overlooked, it's out,
her peace, out, held up

antithetical actually
to the pulling of knife or gun
to the pulling of weapon

it is for peace that she draws
some of them sometimes
hidden or partially hidden

in the long sleeve of sweater
or jacket or some outfit

usually out though
when the camera clicks,
snaps, flashes


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2001
5:38 p.m. 07.06.11