Afternoon’s piano concert in a barn – June 26, 201

on hay-bale box-seats
in nocturnes
lost

enclosed day turns dreamy night
yet, birds sing
outside
still light

this music
played through life-times
notes and rests
melody and themes
intended images and dreams

now in audience
tactile, tangible
in time

your real
hearing
witnessing mine

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

unlocking the door

june cloudy after rain evening
red red geraniums
kiss’t by hummingbird’s
beak
unseen wings beating
in time

beyond belief

my footfalls on the poach
send him
flashing figure eights
iridescent bottle green
around the yard

i turn my key

Read Full Post »

five poems about spring – a quintet

1

This tall tree

dams the river where it fell

across

gravity

pushes pulls a new

path around

water’s weight and

flow

prevail

2

tiny

rufous hummingbird

repeatedly throws itself, thumps

against nest’s nearby windows

fearing self’s reflection

as other

repeats

protective instinctive reaction

towards self-destruction

or

must

move away and turn, turn

turn a new direction

3

finally May first

the earth inhales the sun

relaxes

– no longer

stiff contracted and protected from

the cold and dark –

branches release their reserves

exhaling

leaves and flowers

4

cleaning my house

i let go

the weight of

too many

precious possessions

to protect

possibilities abound

in

clean and empty space

5

May sun

high noon

breaks bright through grey clouds

reflections

refracted off water drops

hanging

saturated segmented serrated

needles and leaves

wet

concrete ground

each layered surface shining

enlightened

before the rain

returns

washing the world

dull without dimension

Read Full Post »

this is me

cloudless sky
breezes blowing away
the sun light
making brightness cool

i stand
on pebbled path
saturated in these waves, this radiation
from our close star

sun ticks off its timely orbit
each step moves me in space
and time
diurnal walk
i orbit this path
days and weeks and years

these days are so long now
new leaves glow yellow
transparent
feasting on the light
saving up –  even as individuals they must fade
and die

i carry myself
each foot-fall
articulate and purposeful
knowing this; the measure of each foot-fall
the march of my time

yet for a moment
looking inward
i stumble – caught unaware

stop
look
feel

radiant energy all around

sun
high
wide
full

tall grass waves and beckons
wild daises have contorted stems
fat robin hops then flies with no great care or effort
lonely bird calls in the distance
ferns unfold as from Jurassic forests
wild dill grown five feet – plate sized white spidery flowers spill over
blackberries’ tangled thorns threaten to take over
fire weeds’ magenta blossoms flames in a pyramid of blooms
wild cherry and crabapple trees have twisting limbs

we watched a grouse there once

wild roses show off their hips
elk have left paths and their pellets
fir trees, alder, and birch are silhouetted black against cerulan sky
– airplane above! six cylinders shout
electrical wires on wood poles – still tall, once live fir trees
dandelions yellow blossoms and white geometric orbs expanding
exploding
releasing parachuted seeds

forget-me-nots

this whole path a rail-road bed now un-railed
concrete bridge with chain link fences
stream flowing currents making patterns
trout swim constantly rising for food
in shallow water fish and shadow move as one
or in still sections chocked with
duck weed, green algae murky oily water
blue dragon flies, yellow iris

some beer cans sully the scene

sun starts to burn my arms

salmon berries ripe for eating
fox gloves spires with purple purses detailed with dots
wild flowers unnamed and unknown speak to my senses
ivory morning glories spirals unfold each day
axial forces of twining stems choke neighboring shrubs
thistle down fluffy flower and spiked spire
and a small dead weasel grimacing teeth

a vulture with very large wings flies slowly away

feet grounded
this trail and this track and this time
my fingers stretched out like the veins of a leaf
reaching into the light

lymph and sap
warm blood in birds
cold in the fishes
all of us chemical engines
elements and light energy

absorbing
ingesting

Aware

i am this – this is me

Read Full Post »

seen sound

The longer I listen
The more I hear

Birds

Filling up the

space

air

Foreground middle and
Back

Expanding

Painting a picture
Perceived
Patterned
punctuated

seen sound
Strokes of solos’ song
Each individual’s cry
part of a whole

Each to each
class and category
Variety, kind and type all

Call out to the

Noon summer now

Read Full Post »

hammering

i wake with a huge emptiness in me
i walk – try to lessen it
treading this path
by the stream

these unbearable feelings
must be looked at
searched out like hands in a dreaming

standing this painful ground
until i can rest within unblinking view of the sink holes
that broke me and made me lame

can’t the birds in these woods speak for me –
speak in tongues
spiritual songs

unexpected staccato
one low note repeated rhythm
woodpecker’s
determined hammering
breaks through

Read Full Post »

spiritual song

what is the name of that bird
individual of a species
clear and longing
midsummer song
sung

as twilight closes
or dawn opens the day
chorus crescendos
adagios of aching

this bird
and its brethren
intone and chant
long whistle and quick cry
calling and calling
addresses to the edge of light
then quiet

Read Full Post »