Patience

You are the master of wit,
storyteller’s storyteller
A rare book of rare words,
impish grin and wily tricks,
quiet lines and lasting looks
But wow, you pissed me off
Then, before I understood;
earned a few greys myself
Devil’s advocate of debate,
you challenge us to think,
to learn and do; create ourselves
to know when joy is enough
And still you imbue wisdom
but now we can as well
we, your protégés, bickering back
egging you on for more.

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*For Bill G. and all who knew him.

Long-drawn

Burnt my tongue on tea again
This sting of impatience
Impatience, my nemesis
And yet, there is virtue still
following the wisdom, the path
to those Hallelujah moments
(That Leonard Cohen song)
I can wait; I can
dream along the way.

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