Cave Art

Once upon a time

tens of thousands of years ago

magnificent panels of art

filled mostly with hunted animals

bears, lions, spotted horses

artist-signed with red handprints

appeared deep underground

in France and Spain

who, what, when, how and why

now haunt these ancient galleries.

Human History

Many crushed in pendulum strokes

in wrong-way sweeps

fluctuating extremes

from enlightenment to fear

luckiest others in the ascent

before change begins again

greater swings on occasion

pushing the future more forward.

Natural Archaeology I and II

Elegant fragments

in every size

I never see a rock

I do not want to pick up

and examine

puzzle pieces

of a vast expanse

I came late

to this relationship

as sand-drenched native

millions, billions

in far-flung middens

once introduced

these magnetic treasures

captured my soul

ready to reveal

encrypted secrets

now true aficionado

connoisseur, collector

ever seeking stories

of the planet's

long-ago passions

in nature's

casually tossed aside

revelatory shards.

Sunset at Haleakala

Memory treasure deeply buried
crystallized as awe-struck moment

glorious sparkles at low-angle light

ground-scattered off augite facets

statuesque, silversword columns
solitary, once-blooming sentries

leading to the amen spectacle

at Haleakala's crater's edge

psychedelic vista above the clouds

studded with neon-colored cones

eternity in theatrical relief

stands audaciously revealed.

Swiss Intermezzo

I heard ten thousand flies buzz

in blooming Alpine meadow

inflorescences small and broad

smothered under hordes of black

raising their hobnobbing chorus

in summerfest celebration

not interested in me

relaxing in mid-hike

sprawled in this noisy midst

of unrestrained rejoicing

still humming that moment in my head

several decades later.

Ubiquitous Fences

Barbed strands

as far as vision stretches

across plains

deserts, badlands

companions

for the highway

shouting out

to all passers-by

'no trespassing

on my wide open spaces.'