Tuesday, April 16, 2019

spring soon

2019 the news grim.
Notre Dame burned.

we drove for breakfast at our favorite place,
looking around for damage. we knew
a portion of the town Shelby two days before
suffered a hit by a tornado.
the restaurant remains unscathed.
later, on the way to the market in Shilo
sheets of roofing metal were strewn across fields,
we passed near a large crumpled metal piece of roofing,
another lie in a field a quarter mile away.
barns had been torn in half while half remained unharmed.
trees are dropped sporadically in wooded areas,
a root ball lies exposed as if plucked from the ground,
with the large trunk lying on its side.
on the way to the Panktown market
we had to divert several times,
half the roads were closed for repair.
in 6 days Spring begins.
hopefully the storms are over.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Flyin'

sleepin' deep
in a hurry tonight,
time is running
8 something to 5 we've marked off.
mornin' take off,
rollin' before dawn.

this is las vegas.
a blanket of silence
would you think...
streets empty
far as i can see ...

all the way up and all the way down.
at this hour ...
plenty folks.
in line, nodded good morning,
behind her eyes shown an understanding, a warmth.


saw baseball hat
with a large red t.
stood for: The

flew all day,
got home.

Friday, April 12, 2019

trip

the days folded like a nomad's tent,
we pegged off a week

visited donna and gerry, we did.
         
drove the mountain ways
under iron filled red cliffs, with
cars and trucks rolling past, thick as
rabits in the wild.

vacationers, population, what hey.

red striations 1 million years old.

rain struck hard on the windshield.
the sound searching, tapping  lonely.

indians could hide
standing in front of you, on the plains.

driving many miles,
nothing out there
 save brush, sand, thin wire fences and
 the distant line of hills.
crusing along
we have no radio on,
there is the hum of the tires on the highway.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

colding.

past week,
hot very to be, said they
predicting weather you know who does.
heat went quickly.
we felt a days worth.

walk out now in chill.

Warmth didn't prevail this time utah,
doesn't matter, we've coolness.
canyons, cliffs  explode in uncontrolable fantasy, colorwise, beyond expectation.

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

snow canyon

eighty degrees, they said it would be,
sixty felt like,
plus overcast,
foot off the gas
Zion ... weather is cool.
takin' it easy.
good talking  gerry brother in law.
books, no bugs out west,
thick gray day. space out here.
no dogs barking today,
cowboys and indians
long ago roamed snow canyon.

Sunday, April 07, 2019

crowd

dreamed a crowd,
a busy day, in the crowd ...
but quiet, didn't hear noise.
packed in, many faces, turning, moving.
looking around, some were vaguely familiar.

i had nothing to say.
where have you been?
remembered songs i had written
and forgotten long ago.
not bad songs, never did anything with them.
they are easy to forget again;
like a poem i find again,
and say, oh, yeah, i remember you, then let go again.

it's more comfortable to take slow speed drives
in the country. passing Mennonite families,
dressed in gray, hats and bonnets,
in their horse drawn buggies.
we wave, they wave, smiles, good day all.

i see the young boys wearing
sturdy, wide brim hats like their fathers,
proud, feeling dressed in style.

girls in solid colors, pastels,
then grays, always solid colors, darker as they are older,
all with aprons.

so there goes dreaming,
this summer have to see the festival fund raiser
they hold for their school.
in the meantime all rolls on.

Saturday, April 06, 2019

coments


been reading comments.
they can't be real, not written by people.
without pertinence, how can that be?
pushed in piles,

selected out of a stack.
how disappointing to spend time reading
comments that come to me, seem like nothing.
without purpose. i don't understand. 

this week i'll see a relative who exercises.
he'll be happy, and i for him.
i'll see what comments he has:
on life, on how to proceed.

i imagine his advice will be to:
move ahead as best one can.
keep alert to adapt to changes that occur.
hope for the best. yeah, to be lucky is good.

easy does it

worked through the morning
coffeeed up, ate toast, now thinking.
62 to be the high and dry, i'm conditioned,
thinking we're headed for a beautiful day.

meanwhile we've packed for Utah.
to see family in the desert.
the change of climate is a break.
a reward for lasting another winter.

it's not Rome, but i'll take it.
easy does it sounds
like a resignation on the road of  life;
i'll take that too.




on the road, to the road,
these are my considerations.
i'll live with  that too.
an example why i need several days to resolve all.

Friday, April 05, 2019

changes

school out at 3,
now comes the bus;
3:45, see that? last kid off.
makes to and from in forty five minutes,
an exercise in patience,
in using time to the best of their ability.
i hope so. i never took a bus,
don't know a good example.
oh, the kid got off wearing ear phones, plugs or buds.
something studious or rock music.

and we had tickets for a Brahms concert
couldn't take a thirty minute drive up and back,
not in the mood, not last night;
read instead and went to bed early.
amid thoughts of April showers, flowers,
Easter on the way.
those bunnies, eggs and chocolate
are long gone now for me, thank god.
that's good news.
don't need it. the world changes, thank god, again.

Monday, April 01, 2019

apparent dream

i want
to remember my dream,
not all, a fraction. a minuscule dollop.
last night's i reason.
didn't it just happen?
seems that-away.
i showered, made the bed
am drinking coffee.
hear what i said?

it's simple, dream searching,
the tiniest morsel of recent dream
has hidden.
look at this, i can't recall a fleck.
when i began writing poems,
roughly, more or less, but much
but much (worth repeating) escapes me.

never dreamed

Sunday, March 31, 2019

april eve


the month is spring, the calendar says
Easter, flowers, soft wind, warmth.
though many years it's Ohio's
time of one last heavy snow.

not what i wish
when April comes to mind,
but i'm aware.

last year we didn't have an April snow,
nor the year before.
i mention it now because we're due.
today's projected high is a degree over freezing,
and now the sky is full cloudy, heavy, steel grey.

i want warm. today is April eve,
and i'm not looking out at Spring.
we had ground covering snow last night,
will it melt in seasonal warmth,
or pile on more white?
enough...i'll think Spring flowers.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

past year's


in half a reflection
i see past years become pastures

because of the long fields
we pass each week,
a variety, changing always.
i nearly mentioned seasons,

in Ohio changing fields are endless.

now in march, looking around it seems forever cold.
this year, last year, the years before that.
now the end of winter we're between seasons,
nothing definite. one not gone,
the new not underway.

in a week or few we'll be in warm,
let that seem forever, always warm.
ah...the satisfaction.
that'll go nicely in the pastures.
with wheat, goats, cows, horses and corn.
all the way.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

the village

on the near corner
a street cleaner rolls by loudly humming
no discernible tune.
not a man with a straw broom,
a large, blue truck with spinning brushes
on the bottom,
shaking houses a block away.
this is life in the village.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

soon it will be spring

took the winding road, familiar drive
for breakfast at our same spot Shelby,
an easy, country ride all the way.
wound past Plymouth and New Haven,
beyond the falling down, drive-in theater
to our unsung, out of the way village
where same spot parking is a comfort.
again we found the restaurant tranquil,
no music, light chatter, usual crew working.
customers at ease, composed.
seems everyone's half pilgrim.
had eggs again, cooked to satisfaction.
farm fresh, must be chickens nearby.
a degree or so more and we'd have warm spring.
it soon will be.

Monday, March 25, 2019

cooking it


i am looking at a plantain recipe,
stick with me,
it's right here on this paper.
now, i'll set it on the table.
see here,
the recipe says i should cut the plantains
in circles? how in hell do i do that?
it’s a banana not a melon.
well, it looks like a banana.
slices, you could say slices.
they'd be circular, maybe that's it.
another thing, here, this is good,
why is everything fried
until it’s "golden brown".
did you notice?
is that the only attractive cooking color, brown?
isn’t there another shade?
forget i asked, close your eyes,
breath easy...in, out.
now fry the damn plantain.
they're delicious.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

robin vision


from the porch
75 yards away i see...
the porch isn't 75 yards away.
75 yards away from the porch
i see a robin on a rooftop.
not a starling, a robin;
pause now to let that sink in.

the figure of an hourglass, swelt.
the younger generationals
may not know an hourglass.
i understand why you not would,
a negative know about.

a fine figured bird as you can imagine.
standing tall, not ball shaped
like those squatty starlings.
the robin, princess of the aviary,
a well-formed chick, not spherical.
tiny eagle-like of your dreams,
though if you seldom dream of robins.
i understand completely, who can blame you.



march, the middle


sitting on the bench
on the porch in the sun,
nothing done, especially,
the day's early, relatively.

all is fine. the time is mine,
it's quiet and a slow start...
they say it will be warmer later,
they is the weather people.

for me to do now? i'm going in.
thinking up new passwords, isn't necessary,
google probably thinks i should.
is this practically a romantic poem yet?

at this moment i'll clear my head.
enough said, except about the weather;
it'll be 45 degrees today, i'm excited.
spring degrees are a reasonable presumption.

that's what winter in ohio does to you.
enough writing in here, it's march,
i'm going back on the porch
while the sun is still up.

Friday, March 22, 2019

have a nice day

ohio weather - 10 day summary
cloudy, wind, morning snow showers,
sunny, cloudy, mostly sunny, sleet,
partly cloudy. have a nice day.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

comfort


old classmates getting together,
at noon, a good time for us.
been friends a while,
nine of us together,
a class fraction, maybe a fifth,
i'd have to think to give a number.
exactly nine counting me,
of this i'm sure.
we had a few empty seats.
are we getting tired or just old?
well, we had fun seeing each other;
there is comfort in that,
i'm sure.

the result: looking for the next time.
and this the first day of spring.
a lot to be thankful for,
somewhat.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

for comments

anonymous is fine

no tunes


it's warmer.
the birds are back to nest in the eves.
they remember or, one of them does,
where they were born,
where he or she was born.
sparrows on one corner, starlings the other
they're flying around, they are ready.
this year i'm not whistling their song,
not now.
so far they're not nest building.
i won't sound inviting tunes,
maybe they'll build somewhere else.
i'm tempted,  it's easy,  i enjoy talking to them, but
will keep my whistle shut.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

wall sun

looking bright,
the sun on the wall
had me thinking of  what i forgot already,
confusing when i put it in words;
playing mental slow ball this morn,
idly putting pieces together,
fascinated by the gold color of the sun reflected on the wall...
sure is a fine time of day.
said that before.
had an orange, made a coffee,
brown sugar today, wasn't going to, did anyway.
keeping a low profile,
nothing getting started.
i'll write this down and see what happens next.
no appointments, that's good.
reading the son by phillip meyer, enjoying
time with the native americans,
a world with nature,
a hundred years before i got here.
would you know, it was not
so long ago.

 

Monday, March 18, 2019

jotting down between storms

the wooden table from the mountain
stands dark against the wall
undisturbed...
by the window in the hall i write;
end the sentence there,
look out at at the no rain, no snow morning...
where's the unpleasant weather?
here's light frost in ohio,
i'm thinking of swinging under the golden gate,
no swinging, just heading, into the bay,
running with the tide in my Monterrey,
coming in under the great bridge,
years ago...a good time then
when running with the tide in light weather.
california, you did me well.
and the swell i rode in on.
and now recall, best of all,
when weather was no problem...
sometime i wonder where the old boat is now.
someone is treating it right, no doubt.
i'm happy to remember.
though ohio is no problem...
here cruising along,
part humming a song
recalling my boat...
working through the days,
while making note.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

a break

today we got a break in the weather,
it's about time.
we were getting tired waiting;
seemed winter wouldn't let go.
now we feel the weather could be getting warmer soon,
good news if it happens.
i saw a few birds...
come ahead now,  springtime,
we're ready for you.
it rained hard...
now it's snowing.


Saturday, March 16, 2019

an education

an education?​
rich kids cheating,
gain fame, admiration,
endorsements,notoriety,
a side step up in our culture.
entitled, disgusting.
why this echelon exists
is beyond cultural limits.
where is reading? 
leave me by the table lamp
to study, to wonder...
oh,  by the way, nice shoes.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

spring to be

waiting with the weather,
from the inside looking out.
no doubt it will be spring,
going to get here, however,
it's not leaping out to grab us.
we'll bump along through flakes of snow,
occasional blustery rain,
all portents of this spring to be.
can't rush it.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

in the country


honey bunch
why  doncha pack a lunch
i'll hold you when we get there
in the sun. see it.

we'll sit down
hang around
what you say?
it's our day of sunshine.

hold on, look. 
blue sky above, and laughter,
we'll be feeling love, my dove,
tell me, what do you say?


Friday, March 08, 2019

months bundle


nothing changes,
there is variety.

I'll have one to go.
wrap them up.
February always runs quickly,

then before you know
skip to May,
okay, we're halfway.

check the moon,
then it's June

seems what's close.
all so soon.
July again before you know it.

roll them on
moon lover.
take them quickly
as they come


light weather ahead
no more winter to speak of,
winter is a season complete.
any snow and cold ahead
will be bearable.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

5 march

in Rome you could wear a hat
here in ohio you will, no doubt,
because it's very cold this march.
take your mind off of it.

pancakes keep me going
and they only happen once a week or so,
that's how powerful they are;
and warm and liquidy
with butter and syrup,
real maple syrup.

got everything set but
candles on the table,
now look! through the window near.
i'm pointing. i see flurries.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

dumped a ton of comments

change

now i will, i was wrong
i will publish comments from anonymous


now i'm thinking
of "ton a comments".
that's how it rolls
dialectically in ohioan.

left my


left my beret in Finney Hall,
Oberlin Conservatory of music.
called this morning to say i left my “derby”;
called back to say it's a “beret”.
last night's concert featured a
great mezzo soprano, and piano,
then player on stand up bass made in 1741,
then came in the rest -
trumpet, drums, an accordionist
with instrument from Brazil.
they entirety gave and got a “wow”,
top line classical and jazz performance.
everyone took solos,
artists as accomplished as possible.
surprised i didn't leave with cold feet
cause they knocked my socks off.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

to write



hard board and chalk
a chair and a light,
then ready to write.
...how about a thought?

that's good, just don't over do it.
you're not out to prove anything.
readers will draw their own conclusions,
that's what the chalk is for.

wild wind


the wild wind almost knocked me down,
otherwise the day is fine,
warmer.
solid sleep then eggs for breakfast.

made a coffee, sipped it down,
moved around,
took out the trash,
practically walking ok.

ok this day.
took a blast of wind
enough for now.
holy cow.

inside is warm, comfortable.
i look out the window and smile.
this note is enough to write
for now. my heart's fine.

no rain, just wind.
it's that kind of day again.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

keep going


kevlar, tevlar, a tough cover
what you need.
there is that word “need” again.
Schnevlar.

no, “need”. you “need”,
keeps you working to keep up,
get along. not on top,
just getting along.

i need a tough shield, sort of.
or to move along like i have one.
look both ways.
keep going. It'll all work out.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

over and out


Miracle whip, a salad dressing.
Salad oil, salad grease.
Salad sauce, i'd say.
salad sauce of happiness, call it that.
there is no miracle involved.
don't go in, the salad's dressing.
a good job, naming stuff?
one good name, you're finished,
next week find new job

Sunday, February 17, 2019

sunday now


have my day right,
clouds bright in one spot this morning.
the sun is back there
covered by slow, high grey cloud swirls.
no breeze out here in front.
leaveless trees are standing still.
cold outside for sure
the prediction calls for
snow this afternoon, this morning is dry.
we'll see what winter means.
i count on any snowfall today to be beautiful.

Saturday, February 16, 2019

it's saturday


flurries fall slow enough to see between,
cold enough to stay around
on the ground.
it's winter cold.
it's february, what you'd expect,
what we see when we wake
on saturday.
quite a day.
another one in winter.

Friday, February 15, 2019

little to go


grey is the morning,
now without rain.
the month is quick.
screaming through February.
nowhere particular to go.
making notes, reading
and writing what is needed.
i can coffee up
and plan ahead,
keeping order, regarding
as best i can.


Tuesday, February 12, 2019

blue shadow


a snow melt again
in a day's light rain.
warm, but not to get excited;
more cold to come.
today's rain water will
freeze again tonight,
more winter on the way they say;
we'll see enough
to decorate the ground white,
and cast a blue shadow.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

come alive


so i'll paint the upstairs walls
in pastels, swirls, tubes, circles
dots, clefs and parallel lines
until the room looks like one of my modern art engravings
come alive

Monday, February 04, 2019

go away winter


warm we can get used to;
it is about time.
surrender winter,
glad to see you go.

Sunday, February 03, 2019

big sun


temperatures higher now,
fifty degrees at noon and climbing.
i go to the porch where
it feels familiar though not quite spring,
working in that direction.
Tecumseh, you passed by; were born here
two hundred years ago.
what is new for you, are you
more familiar with this land?
water flowing these streams.
winter's not as tough for you now.
all is quiet in the fields.
the deer are still here.
not as many, yet plenty.
we see them, and now birds
have begun to stir after a tough winter's quiet.
much land is taken over by roads, towns.
trees are fewer yet
forests remain;
thank goodness.

Saturday, February 02, 2019

a break


a break in the cold. the freezing,
a little, some better, some say...
we'll see and hope so,
all the way.
161 snow records broken in January,
forty percent of the US covered in snow,
it's winter enough.
look ahead for goodness.
we'll take spring, i know.
all of us are ready.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

wait the weather


Chicago is expecting minus 60 Fahrenheit.
every is expecting agonizing low temperatures,
now while sitting at the table
talking about tomorrow's weather.
we will think of it, but not
spend a large amount of time
futurizing weather conditions.
numbers are predicted, then are changed,
we get distracted during the day
and wait to see what happens.

Monday, January 28, 2019

rise, sun


looking out i saw it
such color.
the sun rise exploded pink.
in blistering cold, no wind.
never felt a day like it.
in two more it will drop well below freezing.
this is 29 january 2019 happening now.
see you, pal;
we'll see how it goes.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

irregular



didn't cross the field.
came straight down the sidewalk.
i saw the tracks,
not large as i'd expect;
has little bunny feet.

i looked as he crossed the street
then sat up large as a pooka.
his jacket would be a rabbit extra large.
must live under those pine trees;
glad i never walk there.

Friday, January 25, 2019

wild morning light


twisted, rolling clouds lite up,
blown about.
the sun is pow-wild bright.
you forget this is a winter morning
when you're watching wild morning light.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

over melt


rain all day on top of
hard pack snow heaps.
they say, again they do the talking,
twelve hours straight of falling water, oh yeah.

how much melt?
it's a matter of warm
don't you suppose, and there is.
warming, then cold again.

lets have
soup for lunch. don't worry
your pretty well
over melt.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

heading up


pro foootball players make big money.
you watch them on TV,
that's why they get the gravy.
they get a million dollars
every time they turn around.
buy a ticket and keep 'em going.
i am sorry they bang heads.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

january, there is snow


woke to drifts over two feet.
still falling, blowing this morning,
snow like i've never seen.
safe at home.
couldn't get to the street anyway,
no traffic is moving.
twenty-something degrees outside...
wait, i checked, make that 13 and dropping.

i'm staying home; big football on TV;
at the end of baseball season i didn't care,
now can't miss it, it is better than the Superbowl today,
New England Patriots versus Kansas City Chiefs.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

here to there


m and i used to be there.
what i see, that's how it is.
an internet live camera looks down on the piazza,
and it tugs at my heart to see Rome this way,

from here; and there it is.
look, now it's afternoon here
and being six hours ahead,
it's nighttime there already.

take a breath.
we'll work it out
and be together
Rome.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

glance


waiting snow predictions, revisions,
while it is dusting white,
yielding little flurries;
the storm has not begun;

not the one to shut us in for a few days
or make a drive to the airport perilous.
long ago we'd look and guess the weather,
now we glance and know it will snow at 2pm.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

until then


moving is jarring at first,
to find new paint, new walls,
favorite possessions moved to new places.
old tables suddenly turned around take on a look of new.

sun light comes in and through unexpected places.
new window views take getting used to.
waiting a few days will make all become familiar.
until seasons change and tilt the light

Sunday, January 13, 2019

cover



woke to the silent white,
a coverlet of snow.
it's heavy, you can feel it.
and not a sound outside.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

in the country


lady walked by
where i'm sitting, waiting,
nothing in particular.
she smiles at me.
i take a second to react,
then remember where we are;
although she's not Mennonite
or anything particular, just a middle aged lady,
we are out in the country
where people are kinder.
so i relax and smile back.

Tuesday, January 08, 2019

Eddie katzman


my friend Eddie
has gone among the stars
no time to fold his tent,
a step and he is gone;
he always traveled light.

- - - - - - -
sifu, gorilla lover.
Oh, Eddie, sunlight reminds me of you.
Bac wa, tai chi, chi gung
so long Eddie Katzman,
your teachings are with me;
friend i am to you

Friday, December 28, 2018

my phone rings


business is going to hell
if companies think
calling me will lead
them to making money


in line


there are favorites
often repeated.
naturally i thought i'd seen every combination;
woke, glanced over;
what i saw on the clock surprised me.
a new one, 1 2 3 4

Thursday, December 27, 2018

on the morn


wind on wreaths
shakes 'em so
they blow in the breeze;
this morning they do,
i see that.

when then on a sudden,
it's quiet for certain;
like that you know.
so loosely hang this time,
all working out fine,
no wind, no blow.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

my pictures


save my pictures,
keep them flat and dry,
with not a wrinkle.
store them away like sweet dreams;
we spent time together.

do review what I have painted,
now and then,
remember way-back when.

i tell you this:
on cold winter mornings they would build
a keep-warm fire.
you could catch the heat of flames,
a big one. It felt good,
it distracted from the cold.

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

table in the sun


Giancarlino came by and greeted me
as i sat having coffee with Alberto.
ah, the magic of art and artists
develops at a table in the sun.

È venuto Giancarlino e mi ha salutato
mentre sedevo a prendere un caffè con Alberto.
ah, la magia dell'arte e degli artisti
si sviluppa a un tavolo al sole.

remembers


by the forno
a worker walked by, said ciao, Jack.
the face i knew, forgot his name.

hello, good bye, my friends,
the month went quickly,
old friends, familiar places.

so good to see them all...
i knew when we were young.

Monday, December 03, 2018

monday morning


the week begins with
7 under the wet tent;
each know the chores,
working separately, together;
cutting, cleaning, preparing vegetables
so the market can live again.
food shoppers brave spattering, cool, winter rains,
amid happy chatter.
all jobs will be done.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

time


saw a former neighbor lady
from a while ago.
we smiled.
i didn't know what to say;
asked of her child.
feminine, she replied,
sixteen years old.

view

icebergs are melting,
there’s floating trash in the oceans.
the universe is expanding.
scientists have conflicting notions.

is it hotter
or colder,
or the same.
what’s the trend?

i don’t care, it really doesn’t matter to me.
i need to know only two things:
when i go outside do I need a jacket?
and what’s for dinner?

Thursday, November 22, 2018

in waves


pages turn
then closing my eyes
goes like rain
after another, another

not rapid though smooth, 
continuous. it's a dream, 
on a train. scenes passing. 
heads down cows on green far hills.

constant movement in waves
then coffee in an unfamiliar bar
somewhat dim, comfortable, pleasant.
worn, rolling wood, beautifully polished.

sun's warmth on my back, and i remember the train.
calmly i gaze out the window; 
so apparent, how pleasant
a nap can be

Saturday, November 10, 2018

sitting in the right seat


give me that shot of sun in the eye like you did this morning,
i'd sure like to keep it with me all day,
the warm spot,
all over my face.
you make me happy, sun.

Friday, November 09, 2018

cold outside


do your best, it's important;
but don't knock yourself out.
wear a hat when you go out,
and take your time, don't slip;
the rain is turning to snow.
baby, it's cold outside.

Monday, October 29, 2018

quiet ahead


look now...
see morning's dull beige, long rolling, calm, open fields.
a creek meanders the lower section.
crops have been harvested.
all is buttoned up. farms are still.

what few birds haven't gone south
are down at this hour; geese and scavengers.
dark gray skies have a glow in the east.
chip monks are in hiding,
resting geese a field away.

a good hour to appreciate the view.
winter's here in a month or two,
freeze everything, turn it white,
settle all down until spring.
these are the farmer's easy, between times.
good for planning, thinking.
quiet abounds.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

autumn joy


finally the final days
of October got to the leaves,
squeezed out the color.
see it now abound;
the booming joy called autumn is here.
wind blows, relax,
it is the season.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

this morning


the wonder sun is cracking
above far trees and buildings
and taps my eye;
that's the start of the day.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

changes


along our way
the calendar unwinds,
weeks into seasons;
how well do you keep track?
it happens to me when
occasionally i think of it.
as garden vegetables change,
picked ripe, some eaten
some preserved out of sight;
books are read, time moves.
when winter develops
delights she had saved
now ready for eating;
design becomes surprises,
how tasty; thanks, planter and planner.

Friday, October 19, 2018

starting



starting early
before dawn;
creeping right along.
pants on, moving.
found my shoes
hum a song.
hear her making coffee.
i'm ready.
come on day.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

alive cows


eating grass
looking around,
calm in the pasture,
no sound...not making a

Friday, October 12, 2018

Cool and rain



cool and rain.
a sudden autumn chill
came sooner than expected.
cap and jacket
serve you well,
the season changed,
time to give into it.
find the joy.


Wednesday, October 10, 2018

all share


breakfast in Shelby,
two hours after dawn,
half hour to home;
deliberately taking small roads;
got behind two women riding
a horse drawn cart.
smiling, talking, just older than girls,
their strong brown horse, beautiful.
they in cart, we in car
All share these country lanes
this partly gold sun morn.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

go ibid


last week heard cleveland orchestra
in oberlin. tiny hall.
phrases loud as i've ever heard
also softness in the extreme.
strange selections, locally written.
the french pianist played his entire movement
with his left hand

good job, wild program, not your regular.
now, heard the orchestra again last night
with lang lang on piano.
why is he renown?
folks. he's smooth.
long fast runs...quiet, quick.
clean as i've never heard in any recording.
he's got it.

29 september 2018 was


yesterday evening we went to Severance Hall
for the 100th anniversary gala of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Franz Welsor-Most conducted,
Lang Lang played the piano,
M drove.

the audience in formal wear
went for a dinner after the concert
we went home,
it was bedtime.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

phone proclamation


i received a phone call that began "Hello."
in that one word i heard
the voice and education of a 1950s show girl.
she continued lightly admonishing,
slightly breathy, "I'm calling from
the U.S. Treasury Department..." that was enough;
i smiled and disconnected. she failed the audition.
i hung up.

Friday, September 14, 2018

day begins


air still and foggy,
different the way this day begins.
i could be working early;
am thinking of the mystery in the fields,
beautiful out this morning.
first coffee starts me off;
playing it familiar.
i'll think about the fields
then decide which pot to stir.
taking the morning easy.

Monday, September 10, 2018

fall so


the bottom dropped
out of the thermometer.
it's September, after all.
from shorts to long pants;
the transition to fall.

Sunday, September 09, 2018

aleppo pepper


quiet morning
at the country store,
one other customer at the register;
a Mennonite woman
buying a large assortment of bananas.
m wondered what recipe she had;
waited as bananas were
individually weighed.
m picked up aleppo pepper from Syria,
the fiery taste of the Mediterranean;
we'd sprinkle it on fried eggs;
a brilliant tang for breakfast:
leapers

Friday, September 07, 2018

Ganges, Oh


out back crossed
Ganges, Ohio;
too small
to poem.

Thursday, September 06, 2018

everything is temporary


not extremely hot, no rain today.
the city guys in hard hats
are tearing out the sidewalk
in front of our house
and all the way down the street,
preparing for a new gas line,
a better line,
fat plastic, so it won't rust
and will last a century
or until there is something better;
they talk among themselves
and explained to us
so we'd know:
everything is temporary.

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

Easter Island statues


Easter Island statues;
want to wake to see
one like it in your yard?
are forty feet tall,
weigh 75 tons.
mow around it.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

oil an


oil an onions
and tortillas
and cheese
are good
together fried,
sprinkle salt

Saturday, August 18, 2018

the season


cloudy and humid
so what, hey it's august,
i wait all year for this discomfort;
it could be an island with the sea
but i don't have to use bug repellent.
feel it getting better?
watermelon is in season.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

august moving


august: the quickest moving month in the northern hemisphere,
now midway
marking summer on the wane.
time to diminish in intensity.
can you believe it?
so soon again.
sweetcorn is the good of it

Monday, August 13, 2018

morning, august


a sunny, warm, still morning
for bees and hummingbirds.
sip your coffee,
take a look.
enjoy the day.
could use a pile of days like this.

.

Tuesday, August 07, 2018

going to rain


the booms swept north to south
shook the windows,
and the house,
explosions of glorious thunder,
only a pause...before rain pounded.

carefully i planned words to write this,
fell back asleep...
woke remembering little;
sidewalks are damp

Sunday, August 05, 2018

Thankyou




Annie and Tom,
Thanks for your support.
I should work harder.
Oh, Annie, I forgot how to publish comments.
i think they are on.

.

waiting weather


attractive cloud formations,
that's it...no rain,
not out there...here.
nothing expected, forget it,

a dull okay, that's good enough.
can't have it all; would like it cooler,
there i go.
what do i want?

i think, first - not to be foolish;
we can't have it all:
there are good starting points...
like nice clouds.

Saturday, August 04, 2018

so, heat's here


will be warm today, say hot, they say;
so summer, show me what you've got today.

Thursday, August 02, 2018

good new travels


my friend plans
ten days with his son, mountain camping
away from the heat, sounds good;
oh yes, whatever your program: enjoy summer

Sunday, July 29, 2018

buggies, sunday


back around New Haven...
we saw eight in a row,
slow trotting, horse drawn, buggies;
all made the turn onto a smaller side road,
on their way to Sunday meeting;

anytime we pass a buggy, the driver,
man or woman, will raise a hand,
catch our eye and smile;
granting us permission to be there...
by saying a friendly hello.

we see faces and hands as
happy children wave out from
the buggy's rear window.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

hey, how about it


like a super-size pillow
see it? i like 'em.
dark and white clouds billow...
floating by...see 'em?
look up and wonder; will it rain,
or pass us by? what do you say?
i'd say though it's seems so...
kind of darn dry, you know.
we wait rain, we do.

pour it out, could you?
fill us up, Water Maker.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

rain would help


my feet look older
maybe it's the heat.
there are clouds passing by;
dampness would help.

Saturday, July 07, 2018

trees and beans


being anxious as you
to see what this contains,
i'll say the title was written,
the following day a poem developed.

bees: make it trees and bees, better eh?
i did, so you have to,
i'd say so, so it is said.
now i'll clear this out,

write it and read it.
july 7, 2018...it'll be 78 degrees in fahrenheit.
no breeze to speak of...
no smoking either...
maybe that's the root of what this is about

Thursday, July 05, 2018

when it


don't have my nicotine
mine, all mine. personal.
doing without, am i fooling myself?
folding myself

correcting settings on my machine, began to read these words out loud. became angry, not too much, just enough.

fill me in, what's easier.
the distraction will remove fault,
take the rest away.
who needs auto correct?
yes, it functions well.
am i smoothing out yet?
mentioning is a kin to ...

watermelon filled the space.

Wednesday, July 04, 2018

mark the date in stone


crawl on by, keep going
you moaning yearning, i feel you
reaching vainly,
deep hunger.