Saturday, August 28, 2021

the beauty of bluegrass

yes 
hearts do break 
when people cheat or say goodbye 

and yes
lonely souls pine on river banks 
and life sometimes doesn’t seem worth living 

        wind keening along flat prairie 
        yellowed with drought 

but when wailed 
in high close harmony 
and danced along the tight strings 
of banjo and mandolin 

something breaks in the body 
like a wave on the shore 
and we tap our toes to the tragedy 

Monday, August 9, 2021

Andre speaks to his family

leaf flag flutters shoulders 
stands bare feet 
faces screen 
Oakleys nestled in hair 

gold not yet around neck 

they can see him there 
in the heat of Tokyo tired 
from the torrid pace of fastest man through 200 

feet flitting track 
stride after stride 
breath after breath 

sun and moon and 
sky and earth 
all merge and compress 
into experience and weight on the soul 
that still soars through ache and loss 

and he can see them 
mother and children jumping in joy 
to see their dad 
and says I love you 
see you soon 

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

garden journal #3

potato plants dying
lying brown on droughted soil
treasures underneath

Monday, August 2, 2021

garden journal #2

carrots and beets in
boxes stunted unfruited
many maple roots