Cowboy Junkies at Big Blue (folk fest '24 #2)

ever since the 

Trinity Sessions

you have been a blue moon in my orbit 

and that afternoon show returned the sweetness 

and downbeat cool to my soul 

even though so many moons have passed 

kids and cancer and retirement and grandkids 

and as I sat 

a little bit hobbled 

in a partially shaded spot 

I was young again 

‘cause there is no one quite like you

The War and Treaty (Folk Fest '24 poem #1)

two great big voices 

from the earth 

                      arrow out 

from the stage 

in this grassy field 

turned ampetheater 

turned gathering place 

of folks slowly sinking into earth 

to absorb this music so modern and yet 

reaching back to the days of 

grassy fields and swaying crops

cousins

up on the bunk 

the boy is eight the girl is one 

wearing brown overall shorts

she loves her cousin who makes her 

smile and laugh with the energy of a worker bee 

gathering pollen on the blue flowers outside our sunroom 

he picks her up and runs around the room 

and puts her down 

aden 

she says 

and he does it again 

aden 

and he does it again 

until his legs start to buckle with the weight 

and here they sit on his bunk 

his large eyes looking out 

speaking tomes about what lies behind 

he holds her wrist so she doesn’t fall 

her mouth forming a smile 

so close to her big cousin