Unexpected

A museum in Savannah -
There's some Warhol on display,
Specifically the ones about
The death of J.F.K.

A sign precedes your entry
Warning that there is on view
A depiction so disturbing
It may not be right for you.

We were drawn like moths to fire
To the designated spot,
Where a little screen played endlessly
The film Zapruder shot.

It's been colorized and so we saw
The pink of Jackie's suit
As her husband's blood got splattered;
We just stood there staring, mute.

Through a dozen loops, we watched it
And we couldn't tear away,
Remembering how everything
Was altered on that day.

Vacations can surprise us
And this one's made me reflect
That there's always something to be found
You didn't quite expect.

Beating the Storm

My husband made our travel plans -
He likes to and I don't,
So though I never should complain,
It's doubtful that I won't.

Together we'd decided on
Two cities to explore,
But just three days in Memphis?
I was really wanting more.

Yet reservations had been made
So we left Tennessee;
It's lucky I was not in charge
Or there we still would be.

For Mother Nature zapped that state
With quite an icy storm
And we're here in Savannah,
Where it's short-sleeve weather warm.

Fate could be the reason
We avoided getting stuck,
Or my husband is a genius -
But it's probably dumb luck.

In Person

When a place becomes immortalized
In song or written word,
You wonder if the image matches
What you've read or heard.

It's similar to when you get
A real-life close-up look
At a painting you have only seen
In prints or in a book.

So now I've been to Memphis
Every song will be more real -
I'll understand the references
To music heard on Beale.

I've stood at the Lorraine Motel
Where Dr. King was shot;
It all was so familiar,
I was rooted to the spot.

The picture only comes alive
When you are there, up close.
If travel is the cure,
I recommend a double dose!

Landsman

I never thought that there would be
A landsman here in Tennessee,
Who shares my background and my ways
And celebrates my holidays.

A chance encounter - who'd expect
The east and south to so connect?
A few quick words, enough to tell
This person knows from kvetch and kvell.

Surprisingly, our paths crossed twice.
In Memphis, once would not suffice;
Where strangers want to share their food,
There's haimish in that attitude.

It might be fate that brought this meeting -
Lively, fun but oh, so fleeting,
To remind us - look around
For kindred spirits may be found.

Piano Man

In Memphis, on Beale Street,
The piano man played,
A whiskey on ice at his side.
He commanded his fingers
And oh, they obeyed
And we all tagged along for the ride.

He sang what he liked
And he'd take a request
And he did a fine job at the keys.
If it were an interview,
He'd passed the test
For his voice and his playing did please.

The few of us there
Tossed some tips in his jar
And we clapped and I'm sure he felt good,
But there's one just like him
In so many a bar,
Never earning the money he should.

But he raised up our night,
Gamely playing his role
And we're lucky we walked through that door;
Yet no matter how much
He gave out of his soul,
He'll be back the next night, giving more.

Cold Call

A train derailed, the newsman said,
And there are people hurt and dead.
If someone that you love was there,
Then call this number, if you dare.

Imagine if you had to choose
To call or wait to have some news.
The agony of knowing not
Would try what patience someone’s got.

Though phoning could provide relief,
For some, there might be only grief,
Discovering an act of fate
Has made their loved one doubly late.

Anxiety

It’s natural to be nervous
When you’re trying something new.
Your mind won’t be of service
If it lets your panic through.

Anxiety’s expected
When you cross unknown terrain
And the problems you projected
May be hard to ascertain.

So accept that your misgivings
Are the standard and the norm,
Since each minute we are living’s
Got potential to transform.

Take a breath and then get ready
When it’s time to take the plunge.
Take those negatives, so petty,
Slap them silly, then expunge.

Though it’s really not that easy,
Somehow most of us get through it.
Yes, you might feel sick or queasy,
But much better once you do it.