Rock Sitting

Sitting rock
front row seat
on mossy path

rolled into place
hospitably
for pond viewing

crisp, brisk day
leaves rattling
few touches of color

cranberry leaf red
golden lily pads
in gray surround

inclusive vista
suspension of time
with no measure

elemental moment
languid and free
swimming with molecules.

Extinguished Path

Vanished imprint
trampled pine needles
along old woods way

leading to dreams
rich imaginings
for sure-footed young

cross-country walkers
adventurous skiers
nature explorers

seeking the magic
among ancient groves
of long-lived stillness

bearing witness
to changeable land
not succeeding itself

another forest lost
captured and boxed
as unholy houses.

On Grandbaby Duty

Sheer bliss to re-live tender time
snuggling in purest delight
without parental strings

cocooning in the present
outside quotidian life
in bendable world of play

pretending to be an elephant
a convenient climbing tree
whatever I am imagined to be

learning again clan language
smiling, touching, singing
fulsome with spontaneous hugs

round and round the mulberry bush
of regenerative experience
ontogeny recapitulates love.

Maple Leaf Moment

Tiny fingers
entwine the stem

crinkle
its golden crown

spring and fall
exchange greetings

then pass
the seasonal baton.

I'm Most Awake at Night

I’m most awake at night
in the darkest quiet

mind lively
skipping randomly around

scavenging ideas
outside daytime noise

pushing conscious edges
beyond banality

until sleep intervenes
mixing up real with dreams

my self and the universe
left unresolved once again.

Ballooning

Aerial escape
with Daedalus’s help

marionette freed
from earthly strings

slipped through a seam
to exotic party

invited to ride
expansive sky

unbounded beyond
to wondrous sights

perhaps I may return with wings
if I do Buddhist things.

Fall Foliage #3

Fiery contagion
generating only beauty
burned to crisps underneath

climax color at red-hot heat
sunlit to glowing pitch
rapturously radiant

yellows, gold succeed
leaping top to top
in total conflagration

the forest succumbs
ghostly, haunting presence
littered with bronze ashes.

Fall Foliage #4

Sunlight at a slant
streaming, streaming
through backlit leaves
resplendent in golds and reds

recasting the forest
in stained-glass frames
autumn illuminated
through intricate panes

tall, dark tree trunks
multiples of thin and thick
taming the brilliance
in vertical dimension

seasonal cathedral
consecrated woods
rendered sacred
by sublime light.

First Botany Lesson

Sitting in ticklish grass
nestled in backyard green
fingers, toes, tongue exploring

each blade a newfound treasure
scrutinized with Buddha looks
for truth-revealed meaning

fluttering leaves overhead
whispering sweet lullabies
pitched solely to an infant ear

indiscriminate fragrances
filtering through layered air
snared by his nose’s interest

all manner of sensations
extending an invitation
to feast at Earth’s botanical table.

At Daybreak

Pinkish shreds
like sugared wisps
spun by the sun
into billowy puffs

pastel fantasies
in stratospheric parade
bleached summarily
in the bright white of day.

Afternoon with an Artifice

Gazer beside a soccer field
one ordinary October day
lazily in wait for eager players

a monarch joins the absent crowd
colored trees rearrange their leaves
around this wide, green arena

ivy-covered towers stand beyond
where scholarship is exercised
in gentle, contemplative study

among books filled with horrific wars
artfully imagined stories
philosophical exegeses

suddenly a shadow overtakes
a hawk with struggling prey
flies home to eat its dinner.

Enfleurage

I never met a flower
that loves me not
blooming transients
eager for communion

colored visions
shimmering palettes
ones hued to many
to enchant me

scented languages
spoken elliptically
by silent tongues
to entice me

botanical magic
exquisitely wrought
by gods unknown
to shape my soul

humanness clarifies
among these blossoms
distilled into
a finer essence.

Crystal Ball

In my dreams
he leaves
repeatedly

disappears
beyond my reach
without farewell

in each
I charm the gods
to no avail

startled awake
I break
this crystal ball.

Aging

The outside
matches less and less the inside

time corrodes
but not the view from inside out

as Future reckons
I spectate through younger eyes

until mirrored
metamorphosed in others’ gazes.

Family Transference

She expertly ferries
overfilled camping gear

his younger, stronger hand
takes the canoe’s tiller

Beautiful and Handsome
two mythic paddlers

across their Odyssean seas
to compassion’s home

newly observant
in our Stygian shallows

watchfulness shifts
from us to Them.

Immortals in Our Midst

Sopranos and altos
in cricket chorus

perennial heralds
of Autumn’s eve

ancient messages
from Paleozoic mists

transmitting to
human receivers

undecoded
for one million years

Olympian wisdom
in these long-lived genes.

Modern Hubris

Venues
overflowing with
egocentricity

corner offices
bankers’ quarters

money temples
main streets and malls

political places
executive lairs

as Midas-like greed
narcissistic folly
race

to topple this US of A.

Time

Difficult to stop
like flowing water

ubiquitous as air
unable to grasp

malleable as clay
into memory chunks

mixture of fast and slow
in elastic mode

repeating frames
without hesitation

calibrated only
by living and dying.

Birds and Bees....and Flowers

Birds-and-bees story
riddle for literalists

plot insufficient
without siren blooms

snow-white magnolias
deep-throated lilies

explicit irises
widespread poppies

let-it-all-hang-out orchids
the list goes on

flying beasts the means
but, wow, the flowers!

Omnipotence

Re-routed stream
bright, sunny sky
scudding clouds
innocuous appearing

uprooted trunks
heaped-up gravel bars
freshly scarred hillside
revealing its story

piles of debris
from violence unseen
powerful Nature
re-writing the plot

left-behind trees
especially the evergreens
bowing and scraping
to the northwest wind god.

Cut Flowers

Bouquet of summer flowers
levitating
above the kitchen table

suspended by
brilliant energy
coursing through rainbow colors

prismatic sunlight
trapped inside
kaleidoscopic petals

dropping singly
without notice
at quickening mortal pace.

Tall Grass Music

Phragmites
with perfect pitch
of grasses swishing

green zithers
in concert with
bayside breezes

gently stroking
memory music
in summer rhythms

amplified
reprised across
band-stand marshes.

Husband

He with the magnificent face
worthy of Michelangelo’s chisel

prominent ridges and angles
with Mt. Rushmorean aspect

expressive, upswept brows
frame for cornflower blue eyes

strong Augustan nose
just slightly out of true

skin stretched crinkly taut
across his Norseman’s bony cheeks

gathered into thin, straight lips
thatched with thick mustache

finished by distinguished chin
topped with tousle of snow-white hair

collection of Homeric features
his a most unforgettable face.

Summer Bath

I bathe in
the sensations
of a summer afternoon

immersed in flying colors
familiar twittering tunes
floral exhalations

floating upon
scalloped waves
of intersecting butterflies

a hummingbird glinting
offers greetings
between sips of his sugary brew

flowers invite
a nose plunge
into purple–pink-orange-yellow blossoms

rampant greenery
exudes newly mown aromas
almost too rich for breathing

I splash air
with potted geraniums
beneath a robin’s benevolent gaze

waiting my turn
to rinse among lilies
with skin-drenching fragrance

finally I stand
rotate in receiving circle
dried by sun-scented breezes.

Human Essence

No more swimming with words on the surface
time to dive deeper into meaning
push aside distracting veils
find the golden fleece of essence
that of being human

why the extremes
of love, violence, greed, giving
to motivate existence
why do peacemakers always lose
in the end

passions trump intellect
progress reverts to self-serving
understanding goes astray
rich to richer to exploitation
without reallocation

chained to evolution’s program
vulnerable to nature’s control
hopeful particles on galactic debris
hurtling through infinitude
toward the Unknowable

yet gifted with few conscious moments
in this lottery of life
to discern fantastic landscapes
feel loved if lucky
without doing harm to others.

Above Bangor

Above Bangor the air refreshes
trees extend
releasing pungent vapors
of spruce and balsam fir

Katahdin shows itself
behind a bluish veil
reminder of rocky spine
running deep beneath

white daisies dance
decorate the roadsides
in mixed bouquets
with buttercups and purple vetch

above Bangor real Maine returns
unravaged by concrete
offering once again
a plush, green-carpet welcome.

Neighbor's Legacy

My nonagenarian neighbor
died one decade ago
leaving behind seventy years
of relishing this environ

each day I gaze in her behalf
at nature’s seasonal faces
familiar signs of time passing
in most beauteous parade

perhaps some current neighbor
beyond my earthly tenure
will gather these same views
in my remembered name, too.

Dinosaur Redux

One pterodactyl flew over
two T. Rexes roared by
three brontosauri grazed beyond

deep in hallucinatory sleep
dreaming tall, prehistoric tales
consorting with these fossil beasts

I quickly conceal myself
in luxuriant, marshy grass
eager not to be eaten

just as suddenly awakened
confidently reassured
of relative corporeal safety

transported back to familiar mazes
populated with houses and cars
except for neighborhood bog

mallards and geese swarming upon
gentle reservoir waters
watched over by one dinosauric heron.

Medical Allergy

Preferred avoidance
of medical venues
with advancing age

older specimen
viewed with parts
needing frequent repair

easy target
for this test and that
though asymptomatic

appointment queues
elongated waits
inexact results

more blood extracted
x-rays taken
biopsies sliced

finally released
from invisible cage
with wings still unclipped.

Morpheus's Seductions

Haunting the bedroom
setting soft, lush traps

seeking intimacy
with Venuses reclining

unconscious surrender
succumbing to his advances

suspended physicality
during nightly rendezvous

dreaming perfect union
within forgetful sleep

unremembered comfort
in Morpheus’s arms.

Plumped Up

Not necessary for raisins
although done

not for prunes
shrunk from plums

certainly corn kernels
sweeter to eat

tomatoes especially
stuffed with quintessence

definitely grapes
for Bacchanalian tastes

babies absolutely
made edibly delicious!

What I See in Early Morning Outside My Bedroom Window

Pillar of the sky
half gothic arch
giant beanstalk
white pine trunk

cosmos connector
gravity’s opposite
vertical adventure
grounded presence

golden-rose glow
streaming brilliance
darkening shadow
mundane gray-brown

time to get up and climb again
the illusivemythicwishfulreal tree of life.

Today's Gifts

Wrapped in lovely lavender
patch of wild geraniums

pots of dandelion gold
arranged in ragged rows

indiscriminate white bluets
scattered in mille-fleur style

promise of delicious fruits
hid in strawberry blooms

sweet, duet encounter
warbling with yellowthroat

surprise scarlet flashes
two redwings wheel beside

glittery black squirrel
dashing by from Wonderland

rich Christmas harvest
gifted one random May day.

Spring Break at Arnold Arboretum

Doubly, triply bosomed
syringa vulgaris

luscious, grapelike clusters
hanging pendulously down

magnets for easy grabbing
free caresses for the taking

soft, alluring cleavages
seductively perfumed

ready-to-fondle blooms
on their lilac mistresses.

Alice's Magic Shop

Overstuffed with magic potions
lustrous flasks, thick jars and pots
necessary for alterations

trays of abracadabra tools
hot wands, exotic clippers
for prestidigitative touch

strange contraptions against the walls
wired for white-rabbit treatments
in mad-hatted, séance sessions

in glittering cape the maestro reigns
with splendid sleight-of-hand panache
unmatched as hair-design magician

Alice’s patrons always the fairest
admiring of their Snow-White selves
in her miraculous mirror.

Leaf Birds

Familiar visitors
overstaying winter
hopping, skipping, flipping

always brown
field-marked with curly wingtips
flying with the wind

one warm spring day
all raked away
returning with the fall.

Apocalyptic Hint

No blood-curdling screams
mushrooming clouds
just quiet exits for bats and bees

no crustal shivers
raging atmospherics
yet sudden demise of bats and bees

without loud alarums
somber tolling of bells
only death-bed whispers from bats and bees

species silence
then dominos more
with exponential momentum.

Entrances and Exits

Morning and evensong
eternal refrains

eyes blinking open
receiving the sun
dim infinitude
closing some others

newborn miracles
swaddled in affection
memories shrouded
in forgetful dementia

tabulae rasae
Rorschaches of promise
scripts Shakespearean
fraught with sad farewells

momentous events
entrances and exits.

Our Cosmology

Slowly spinning invisibly in an incalculable void
riding on racing waves of hyperspace-time
through an infinity of reverberating silence

no above, below, sideways, surface, bottom, edge
without beginning, without end
continual creation within cosmic pandemonium

mini, micro, crypto, nano-bits are we
eternal molecules resurrecting again and again
in planetary matter, exploding stars, burgeoning universes.

Plenipotentiary Wren

Jaunty with upturned tail
costumed in warmest browns

facile ambassador
far beyond usual bounds

curiosity-driven
inveterate human watcher

negotiating daily
cross-species relationships

in woodlots, unplowed fields
cultivated habitats

easy camaraderie
with Carolina courtesy.

Winds of Change

Northeast
northeast
northwest
northeast

northeast
northwest
northwest
southeast

northwest
northwest
southeast
southeast

north
southwest
southwest
northeast

northeast
south
southwest
southwest

relentless
relentless
relentless
push of spring.

Transformational Moments

Waiting for a transformational poetic moment as

red-dot ladybug climbs up sheer, vertical pane
sun-burst bouquet of daffodils stuns the senses
bright, shiny blue day ushers in the equinox
tiny, crocus shoots stand against blustery winds
leafless trees hold unseen promises of green
honeybees tend to spring hive-cleaning chores
bluebirds stake nesting claim to vacant premises
spring peepers practice for their hallelujah chorus
full March-moon sheds its exotic light

now gathering up more transformational moments.

Philosophical Imperative

No religionist I
wrapped around
fantasy dogma

no existentialist
trapped in each day
lost in nothingness

no spiritualist
craving messages
from hoped-for beyond

a beholder though
savoring beauty
in nature’s offerings.

Tree-Trunk Buffet

Sap sucking
fly catching
wood pecking
tree creeping
nut hatching
above the bark

ant drilling
termite chewing
beetle boring
aphid sipping
fungus digesting
beneath the bark

picnicking niches
the Feast of St. Tree.

Crossing the Line

Accepting
the idea
crosses the line

rational talk
of torture
disturbs

even if
even if
it works

always
brutality
ensnares

dashing again
evolution’s hope
for love.

Winter Gothic

Scarlet streak
before the eyes
behind

left
right
peripheral glimpses

scoping
scanning
spotting

on nearby branch
garish
against the snow.

Requiem for the Future

Overwhelmed by
inchoate sadness

unfocused loss
deep down grieving

ululating cries
across oceans

demise of billions
begun in earnest

planet breached
beyond redemption.

Hula Class

Four small palm trees
awkwardly twisting
under her tutelage

fan-spread branches
dancing with the wind
to tropical rhythms

finely fingered fronds
embracing each breeze
before gently letting go

grande dame of motion
orchestrating sways
into endless alohas.

Tropical Dreamscape

Swimming through thick air
heavy-footed
in slow motion

palm sails overhead
sinuous masts
bleached bone-white

gritty mineral bits
river of sand
sliding sideways

pancake-flat sea
alternating ribbons
turquoise and blue

mesmeric pull
abstract peacefulness
to its never-ending edge

awakened
gasping for air
I hold a coconut.

In the Dark

Images develop
in black and white
and touch tones

white vanity top
banister handholds
staircase steps

welcome waiting
to downstairs hush
lush in its closeness

intimate hugs
with familiar shadows
sharing the dark

convening
friendly genies
appear for tea.

Kneading Time

I hold time with slightly stiffer hands
kneading Christmas cookie dough

resisting diminished returns
kneading Christmas cookie dough

I grasp measured-out days
kneading Christmas cookie dough

adding more family increments
kneading Christmas cookie dough

bequeathing to fifth link in kin
kneading Christmas cookie dough

I embrace immortality
kneading this Christmas cookie dough.

Visitation

Peering out the window
into pre-dawn darkness
draped in silent white
surprising, spectral presence
to my conjuring eyes

four-legged shadow emerges
in statuesque proportions
antlered silhouette at forest edge
striding lustily across the snow
as Zeus’s alter ego.

Dialectic or What's the Answer?

Why do humans
love, eat, drink
maim and torture one another
go to school, go to work
ravish forests, obliterate the buffalo
mow lawns, wash cars, grill steaks
use every drop of oil
play ball, swim, climb trees and mountains
pave and pollute the planet
paint houses and masterpieces
run from rampaging armies
fly to the moon
demolish, destroy, annihilate
explore the oceans
think up concentration camps and killing fields
study the tiniest thing
rob friends and neighbors
watch sunrises and sunsets
burn books, despise learning
stroll a sandy beach, sail the endless seas
bomb cathedrals and museums
fly a kite, sing a lullaby
overpopulate the earth
gaze into space
enslave others
want to know more and more
disdain nature’s ways
live peaceably
die violently?

Is selfish greed evolution’s only answer?