1.7 Kilograms of Grace

I’ve just found out that Trump wants the UK
to repeal LGBT hate speech bans
before he signs a trade deal. Cue dismay.
I hope the UK will not change their stance.
He’s also deporting and detaining
US-born citizens who are not white.
And his health secretary is making
false claims against autistics. These aren’t right.
Last month, at the airport, my partner’s bag
was overweight. A black woman checked it
in without penalty, attached the tag,
and smiled at me. ‘Twas a gracious permit.
My same-sex partner and I are Asians
thankful for such grace from other humans.

Returning to writing: Italian sonnet

I realize I don’t know how to write
About joy. Of course I’d done it before,
But if wounded, that’s when I bleed words more.
I’d waxed poetic at a lovely sight:
The Northern lights during a five-hour flight
Or turquoise seas with a white powder shore.
But now there’s a new kind that I adore–
A new source of joy, my sun that beams bright.
She has dimples when she smiles, and her strength
Of character amazes me. Her skill
At work impresses me. Her voice disarms
My heart. Can I write about her at length?
A single poem can’t contain what I will
Express, for years to come, about her charms.