A MURDER OF FOCUS

A swarm of crows came over the canyon wall,


noisy, and headed straight across the canyon –

dipping and yawing, but straight.



Where big birds circle the air currents, spiraling –

playing with the wind –

these crows beat their wings hard

efforting like a college crew team

or a pirate ship of rowers in high seas.



Sudden downdrafts take them as much as 10 feet,

but they struggle to rise again to the main wave

straight as an arrow across the canyon's gulf.

  (draft July, edit August 2012)

CLOUDS ARE AIR MADE VISIBLE

Billows and streams and patchy fields


Layers, eddies and whirlpools

Chasing and racing

Watching, waiting and playing

Air is alive with wind, rain and heat

Minerals, meteorites

Dust and dust mites

Currents of Earthy life complete

Clouds are air made visible



(first draft July, edit August 2012)

FREEDOM AT THE ARBORETUM

This past Independence Day, I was invited to an event in Spokane, Wash., that was one of my favorite 4th of July holidays to-date: we simply spent a part of the afternoon reading the Declaration of Independence.
Brilliant.
The old-timers also led the group in a rendition of “Rally ’Round the Flag” and we recited the Pledge of Allegiance (haven’t done that since … grade school?).

There was picnicking, and live music, and we enjoyed a few short sincere political speeches with a true feeling of Come one, Come all.
As Americans, we value the notion of “freedom” and our rights to our passionate opinions in a respectful and civil discourse. This event embodied these values. What a beautiful Independence Day.
Thank you, organizers, for Freedom at the Arboretum 2012, the 50th anniversary of this event in Spokane. You make me proud to be an American, and hopeful for our future as a nation and a people.

(July 2012)

SPRING EQUINOX 2012

Hawk cry, faint.




Scan the horizon –

low, high

on the canyon side

low, high

on the railroad side



Hawk cry, sharp.



Scan the canyon –

low, swooping up

out of the canyon bottom

low, high over the trees

and circle

circle

circle



right before me



sunshine

blue sky

hawk cry



fire in the belly


(March 2012)

ODD BIRD

I’m an odd bird

because

I think we’re all odd birds

here to explore and share

our odd-bird-ness

with the world



(March 2012)