Surprised by Flowers

Red geraniums
Next to the backdoor
In the alleyway
Behind the bookstore

Textual Criticism

Today a young man said I was a nerd,
To be honest this took me by surprise,
I thought I was too old, but when I heard
His remark it struck me as kind of wise.

Nothing makes me happier than sitting
Among stacks of almost forgotten books,
Discovering why a phrase is fitting
Or how an author misquoted and took

A word, phrase, or sentence out of context,
Hoping that no one would ever notice,
Or take the time to track down the source text,
Revealing the reasoning as bogus.

Thoughts are like trails with many twists and turns,
Around that curve is something more to learn.