Four Poems by Chuck Harper

This post contains four poems by my friend Chuck Harper, a retired pastor (United Church of Christ) but a very active poet.

They're worth reading independently of this, but the immediate motive for posting these here is for folks who may have been listening to "The Sunday Show" on KTAL-LP, 101.5 FM [or stream at www.lccommunityradio.org ] Sunday, May 13th, 2018 (9-10 a.m.).  Chuck was my guest, and I asked him to read the four poems below.  Poems heard on radio can fly by real fast, so for anyone who liked these, . . .

[All Poems Copyright Charles Harper]

ACROSS THE ROOM                                                         

                                                                                     

How often in the evening hours we sit

together, though apart, in this room, each

within a lamp-lit circle, books in hand.

Tonight I lay my book aside, look through

soft shades of intervening space at you,

luminous in amber surround of light.

Sometimes you catch me at this game and ask,

What are you staring at?  Of course, you know.

Tonight you seem oblivious to my gaze

through long, long shadows of the fifty years

between this moment and that night when I

first awkwardly declared my love – or almost did.

Do you remember what I said?  I think

I am falling in love with you. As close

to ecstatic affirmation as this careful

boy could come.  Your response teetered on

the brink of saucy as you teased, You have

my full attention.  Keep me posted.

I did – until one day we both declared,

straight and clear, I love you!  You were nineteen,

spirited and beautiful.  Sometimes I miss

that girl – miss us both as we were.  Tonight

across the room I see this girl again,

radiant with light that only years can give.

I heard him read that at Palacio's one night, then again at the 2017 annual For Love of Lit reading.  It moved me tremendously.  I felt immediately, as I said during the radio interview we recently recorded, that it would be hard to find a more direct and moving portrait of young love . . . lasting decades.  If I recall correctly, he wrote that around the time of their 50th wedding anniversary, several years ago. 

   

About a year ago, Pat died.  (In fact, that For Love of Lit reading occurred while she was already in her terminal illness.)  Not immediately, but when he was ready (or, he likes to say, when Pat told him to go ahead), he wrote poems about, as he would put it, how their life together has changed. The three that follow are from that series, and are in chronological order.  I like each of them, find the progression interesting, and look forward to what's next.  (Fortunately we are in a poetry workshop together!) 

      SACRED SPACE

      We are alone

      in this hospital room

      Your surgeon has just left

      after telling us you are dying –

      a few weeks at most,

      perhaps only days

      Our tears are calm

      like these that now moisten

      my eyes as I write these lines

      I sit on the edge of your bed

      wordless –

      my hand caresses yours

      Time has vanished –

      Silence

      When time returns

      we find words

      to speak of our love,

      the immense good fortune

      of a long life together,

      our sorrow that this adventure

      is soon to end

      Our voices are hushed –

      We are in sacred space

          CONVERSATIONS

          These common daily exchanges

          that old folks, long together, have,

          did not end when you died

          I profess to know nothing

          about what lies beyond

          one’s final breath

          except the obvious decay

          of bone and flesh – and memories

          held close by those we’ve loved

          Yet, my conversation with you

          goes on.  Perhaps a lonely monologue.

          Though deep within my heart

          it seems a dialogue quite like

          we’ve had across our many years

          together – at times with words

          Sometimes a nod, a smile, a knowing

          wink, a hug, a look.  Silences,

          then and now, whispering

ACCOMPANIED

Together

on this cloudless, huge-sky

Saturday morning, trekking

up the mountain to Dripping Springs

I’ve hiked this trail often

but this is a first for you

You reminisce about yesterdays

when, because of chronic back pain,

you sat on the porch of the ranger station

waiting my return

You say you were content

watching the acrobatic antics

of Black Chinned Humming Birds,

reading your book, enjoying your view

of the high desert foot hills

sloping down into the valley

You continue – Since I died

I can go with you anywhere. 

I’m quite free

I’m sorry for your grief and loneliness.

By now you have figured out this is

a chronic condition.  Like my former

pesky back, your pain will fluctuate,

less to more, but never go away.

You can handle it

I am happy that you are happy

with my new freedom to be with you –

wherever

A Jack Rabbit crosses our trail.

Further in the distance three small birds

flash by too quickly to be named.

With binoculars I scan a high ridge

where once I had seen a mountain lion

I pick up the pace.  You stay with me.

Marvelous!

A Glimpse into Sheriff Vigil's Response to Sexual Harassment Allegations

Last October 25, a woman told three DASO Deputies that then-Undersheriff Ken Roberts wouldn't leave her alone: he constantly texted her, even on weekends, often very personal messages. At work he acted possessive. He steered her into meetings with his hand on the small of her back and became angry if she chatted with someone else. 

“Crying and shaking,” she said she feared not responding to his weekend texts because he'd load her up with extra work on Monday morning.

Later another victim told them Roberts entered her office, closed her door, spun her chair around, and sat on her lap, uninvited. “Grinding his butt into her.” (That's a crime, battery. Maybe also false imprisonment.)

As required, the deputies reported these complaints to HR.

The three also spoke to Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil – and recorded that discussion. 

They explain that they couldn't talk to him immediately because he was away, then, when he returned, Roberts was there, and they were “afraid” to talk to him. So they arranged to meet far off-site. 

Vigil initially cross-examines the men about how they happened to go into the woman's office. Just past five, there was something they wanted to see in the parking lot, so they stepped across the hall to her office to look out the window. She then told them her story, upset that others in the office thought she and Roberts were having an affair. “Why did it take three of you?” Vigil asks. “I think that's strange.”

He scoffs at the complaints. “C'mon, bullshit! You get angry, you right away take action.” The woman had immediately told her lieutenant, who told her to document things. Later, Vigil repeats, “These are serious allegations” and says the victim should take a lie-detector test and explain why she didn't complain immediately.

Vigil's skepticism is telling: he ain't heard nothin' women have been saying about sexual harassment this year. Roberts is her boss; the whole county knows Vigil thinks Roberts can do no wrong. Roberts is a white male, with a gun. He embarrasses her in the office and loads her down with extra work when she doesn't respond adequately to his off-duty texts. “You get angry, you right away take action,” Mr. Vigil proclaims. Sometimes folks can't. Or feel they can't, because of an unreceptive or vindictive boss. 

Eventually Vigil says that there's an investigation in progress, by an outside investigator hired through the legal department. He also says, “I'll tell you what. These are serious allegations. If they're unfounded, these folks are going to pay for it.” He says twice that he's “not afraid to axe [the women].”

In Vigil's defense, false and malicious allegations would warrant punishment; but he already knows enough to put a reasonable man on notice that there's a reasonable likelihood there's some truth to them. 

Vigil's reaction tends to explain why the unidentified deputies felt the need to meet offsite and tape their conversation with him. 

Vigil says of Roberts's alleged conduct, “That's criminal.” I agree; but if he recognized that, then why, once the investigation sustained charges, did Vigil give Roberts a light slap on the wrist? Isn't criminal conduct against a county employee on county property a firing offense? A storm of outrage reminded Mr. Vigil that it was.

The deputies' fears, Vigil's resistance, and his willingness to tolerate Roberts's misconduct – all symptomize an ailing department that needs new leadership.

                                                    -30-

[The above column appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, Sunday, 6 May 2018, and also on the newspaper's website and on KRWG's website; and a spoken version will air during the week on KRWG and on KTAL-LP 101.5 FM (or stream at www.lccommunityradio.org.)]

 [Whoever the deputies were who recorded the sheriff, and whatever their reasons, the County did the right thing by providing the recording.  It's of public interest and potentially useful for members of the public in evaluating their public officials.  It's the kind of document IPRA requires produced, even if it might be a bit embarrassing.  Today I'll provide copies to media that have asked for them.]

[I should note for the record that I tried repeatedly to reach Sheriff Vigil in recent weeks, but was unable to get him to respond in any fashion -- let alone tell his story.  However, county citizens should be aware that this coming Tuesday (8 May) the Dona Ana County Commission will (a) hear a presentation by Vigil concerning Stonegarden  and the extent to which DASO deputies enforce federal immigration laws against people who've broken no state laws and pose no apparent public danger and (b) consider a motion to terminate the Stonegarden grant because DASO appears to have repeatedly violated county policy.  As I understand it, the presentation will occur fairly close to consideration of the motion, so that although there's normally no public comment allowed on presentations, members of the public will be able to comment on the issues, and on Vigil's remarks, when the action item comes up a few minutes later.]

[I'd intended to insert a couple of clips from the audiotape, but haven't yet managed to.  Listening again to it, I realize the conversation must have occurred in early- to mid-November, because one of the deputies at one point refers to the October 25 conversation as "a couple of weeks ago."  I also noted that one of the other deputies inserts, "I would almost say scared" when the first deputy is describing the victim's manner when she initiated that conversation.  What also stands out is that although Sheriff Vigil (who already knows there's an independent investigation in progress) is most intent on questioning the three deputies about why all three of them happened to be hearing the story from the first victim.  He sounds angry at the victims, though he does mention that if the allegations are sustained Roberts will be dealt with.]     

[I should also note, regarding  last week's column on DASO's participation in enforcing federal immigration laws, despite county policy against such participation, (a) the County Commission has scheduled discussion of a resolution to terminate the Stonegarden grant contract that facilitated that conduct, (b) also on the agenda shortly ahead of that discussion is a "Presentation" by Sheriff Vigil on the subject, and (c) Ben -- I mean, Sheriff Vigil has written a commentary ("arrest reports are misleading") on that column, which appears in the Sun-News today.  Here's a link to the County Commission's agenda.  
For various reasons, including redactions, those "After Action Reports" aren't thoroughly clear.  I'll agree with Sheriff Vigil on that -- and it's why I repeatedly urged him to talk with me on the subject.  But a couple of things are clear: that DASO had involvement, as I said, in a lot of enforcement of federal immigration laws; that in most of those reports it isn't perfectly clear what DASO's exact role was; that in a few, drugs are mentioned, but that there's no mention of drugs or reasonable suspicion of drugs (or guns) in the vast majority; and that in a few, where the accounts are more detailed, it's clear that DASO did turn people over to the feds merely for being here, with no indication drugs were found or suspected.  Further, others sources within DASO say that DASO does turn people over to the feds.
So, Tuesday morning's County Commission meeting should be interesting.]