A Dead Spider

These lines speak of a man whowrote poems in his head all day long.For this fellow, it was ‘twenty four seven’. The poems were observations,points of view,not necessarily uniqueor new,but constant. On one occasion,a very large spider died andhung from its web forseveral days.The season of year was fall,one window was open yetand the invitingContinue reading “A Dead Spider”

A Trick To It

What can sun doto brickthat has not already been done? Time, with circumstance,shapes the mud and straw heart,that, still eager for fulfilled promise,will leap, head last,toward the nearest oven. Is it possible,sun might further hardenthat thing,built of rock broken over eons,ground to small grains,mixed with the many tears,strengthened by dry, fibrous life? Is the furnaceContinue reading “A Trick To It”

Something is Wrong With the Moon

There is something wrong with the moon,it doesn’t shine.In utter dark, night tosses but will not get up,fumble with a candle,open a book,pour a glass of warm milk. Tender night fearsit will stub a restless toeon cast off, half-concealed,nearly forgotten woes thatwild day left where they fell. There is talk of one whomfills space withContinue reading “Something is Wrong With the Moon”

Fishing

I see at the great lake’s edge,a boundary shaped by manin concrete,as if true linewere something obscene, two fishers, a pole,a boat, old jeans. I canname a colour for sky,measure stillness of water surface,savour breeze,feel the weight inone summer dayas its line plays out,hook and sinker. Mad birds chatter on aboutsomething while I am leanedagainstContinue reading “Fishing”

Just Enough Birds

How beautiful the birds wereyesterday. Hard at the work of makingliving lookeasy,the fragile creatures flew back and forth,making a God-awful lotofnoise. The most annoying, repetitive soundswere ones having to dowith territorial rightsand love-making,those two things which I do not have. Jeez. I got up and closed the damn windowbuthow beautiful the birds were. Flashes ofContinue reading “Just Enough Birds”

The Trees From Which

Those trees from whichgreat violins were fashionedmade sounds like sighing.Bold limbscreaked and groaned,urged by wind that spentmidnightbeing musical. This is not quite the same musica cricket makes when itrubs its legs together at evening,arousing,but you get the idea. Perhaps Antonio Stradivariheard a branch moan,leaped from his bed, thought,“That is my elusive tone!”and ran to hisContinue reading “The Trees From Which”

The Mountain Poem

The Mountain Poem(march 17, 2023) Today,when I started,I meant to walkthrough the new mountains,where sharp edgesthrust upward.Always embarrassed at their nakedness,the peaks have now slung hasty,below the shoulder,a soft garment of greenwhich teases another season to life. It has been winterand hibernationfor the longest time,with everything visible disguisedby a transitory puritythat now blackens and shrinksunderContinue reading “The Mountain Poem”

The Guest May Never Know

Folks say that it was God,Himself, who bent the sunalong it’s track,sent the other starsand planetsfrom or to then back. A store-front preacher,whom I know,reads from a bookthat’s very old,breathes a quiet soliloquy. The ancient talesdo comfort him andI don’t flat-outdisagree, ‘causethings more strange thansomeone’s super powers,science says, must be. If Quarks with charmdon’t ringContinue reading “The Guest May Never Know”