on the 4th anniversary of his crossing over

my teacher

he taught me

feeling : real
observation : real
dreamspace : real
memory : real
vision : real
thought : real
being : real
connection : real

and don't doubt it

What is real?

you are
now is

microcosm : macrocosm

Garden News, Summer Solstice 2011

it smelled of lilacs
and then the rain

now Egyptian perfume
is on the breath of the iris
so pale blue
it's pearl white

chamomile blossoms
bits of sunshine

luminescent sage flowers
butterflies of purple

and hummingbirds
in the columbine

red strawberries
green gooseberries
currant buds
apple starts
raspberries ready to grow
vegetables. planted.

blessed be this abundance

-skyhawk-

Clutter

The re-arranging piles
are now
piles of constants,
in rows.
Satisfying, somehow -
this small order
from chaos.

Sincerity

I grew up
not knowing sarcasm
Only experiencing it
occasionally
as barbs of veiled
intentions

My father was strict
on this notion -
Anything but Sincerity
is a Colossal
Waste of Time

It's deeply ingrained
and I Sincerely
thank him
for the lesson

Birds in Winter

baby birds grown,
nests exposed, and
summer's lessons tested

first snow flakes
fall slushily
on crispy maple leaves

tree architecture, naked
shows the still life
of birds in winter

Native No More

This canyon echoes rumbling rails

while ancient creek bed holds its tales,

and diving falcons practice fleet

with dancers - now all whirling birds.

As fish swim close to banks of words

sprayed ‘neath the beasts of steel, discrete,

I think of those who went before –

they traveled far to fish a store

of salmon jumping up the street.

The salmon jump, alas, no more,

And those who lived were shown the door –

the Chief, he rests his weary feet

along the Falls now owned by men

who might not care for fish or fen

(they sit inside a room to meet).

The river runs through PCBs –

polluters seem to sleep with ease.

The sun shines on with light and heat

and we keep on our meet and greet,

while birds of prey hunt on for meat:

in place of salmon … nothing’s sweet.