the heat's here, they say

the weather's

set to heat.

been waiting.

now we've got it can we take it?

sure, it's nothing, wait and see.

we'll see, i say.

could be uncomfortable.

and if that's not worst of it;

it's been worth the long winter's wait.

blurry times

don't make me ask, tell me you've

been taking care of yourself,

keeping everything in order.

i know the virus is a worry,

other thoughts get blurry

when fear is in the way.

takes up time.

so stay in line.

next time act the same.

it's what you do.

chipmunks too.

so what we're a little older.

soon it'll be summer

nothing special this year.
i expect constant rainy days
will suddenly turn to heat.
that's our treat after a  rough winter.
how about sun and beautiful clouds.
we'll drive by the long fields
see the corn and wheat growing.
that's a deal, thinking of snowing
and cold. at least books
will fill us up.  a warm week and thunderstorms.
remembering dear friends. wondering
when we get back to see them
on the west coast and in Italy.
we want to sit down and relax.

Turkey buzzard

sure i knew it'd draw you in.
doesn't involve difficult figuring.
had to see one first.
outside fort plank town.
soared in. on a wire,
got my attention.
rain going on for the umpteenth
day in a row. never the less we
stopped to see Mark for plants.
the day went fine. we left with
the buzzard on the wire.

moon some

between clouds there's the shine,
a rolling May moon divine,
yes, to adore.
sublime to the core.
pal o' mine.
need i say more.

Bridge blockers

you're driving along and
 get to a bridge, suddenly
the roadsides are built up
so you can't look over and
see the water as you
cross the bridge.
what did they do that for?
 no need to see
the river when crossing ...
you might enjoy the view too much.
it's enchanting, for sure.
a while back some nitwits
thought it distracting;
takes your mind off boredom.
if you have a good thought you
might want to return; the town folk
 prefer you just keep going.

display of rain

in the early afternoon, it arrives.
out front two cardinals and a robin love it.
three hours later most of the
town has basements flooding.
pounding rain quits moments before
water comes under our front door.
it's easy to worry while watching the rising water.
the yard has large puddles, but the rain has stopped.
 i'll sleep well not thinking about it anymore.

bumps some

 we had poetry night,
an hour, six or eight of us.
 how many lasted,
how many cut away, i can't say.
we attended by computer
as the virus keeps us apart.
 Reverend Mary led us...
she has the link.
the rest of us are incompetent.
faces in squares on the screen.
we're computer lean, so to say.
 we attend okay.
from home, it's the way.
also' it's rainy grey again today.
May on display
i'm crumbling.
the sky's grumbling.

water

when i'm at the sink
a minute alone
washing off a spoon
i think of people in their home
with no clean running water

zip quickly

a chipmunk moves
with a heart rate
of 350 blurry
beats per minute
then calming to a hibernation
rate of 4 beats per minute.

chipmunk run 33 mph.
squirrels 24.
they both look quick
when they're zipping around
back and forth in the yard.

Testing, work-up

testing & amp; tracking.
suit up,
here we go in the chamber
see us round. don't touch anything.
keep us sound. semi-permeable membranes.
we haven't seen the end of it.
just passed chickens.
i'm serious now. changes everything.

thump a little

a chipmunk moves around
with a heart rate of 350 blurry
beats per minute during activity.

then calming to a
hibernation rate of
4 beats per minute.


little chipmunks run 33mph.
squirrels 24mph
for me ... i never go
an entire mile.  they can't
figure mph on me.

i could guess ... one thing,
is that with or without ice cream?

early may

woke 9 May
to snow on the ground.
way out of season, don't you know.
surprised me.
baby, it's cold outside,
what is the reason?
i haven't been told.
part of strange weather going round.
 i'll settle for that

modern times

home computers enable you

to keep up to the minute on

weather forecast changes ...

if you want to check that often.

checking every minute is extreme.
usually, you check and wait a while.

Also, the moon gets much attention.

how much change is there for

a floating rock in space with no flowers?

the moon shadow changes.

not generally a big deal.

what is interesting to me about the weather,

i like to know if i need a jacket and hat

when i go out the door ... here on earth,
that door right over there.

right now the wind is blowing enough

to hear it whistling in the chimney. 

a check with mark's

Mark's is filled with plants,
ready for another year. his is
a country store away from town.
never in want of customers
because they remember his
 fair prices, friendly ways
and quality goods, and come back
in good number.
doors were open early in the morning.
many entered with fat asses
and pulled along children, as sleet fell
at the Plank town area flower market
called Lu Ray Garden.
we've returned several years.
i waited patiently in the car.
when she finished there we drove a few miles
and stopped at a second plant mill.
quickly m checked that one out. this morning
i spent the entire time writing these words.
plant shopping complete, a long, quiet farm
road took us North toward home.

a most decent day

a most decent day of the year
well beyond the winter snows
before the sweet corn grows
here in northern Ohio
where the virus has us controlled
where to sit
masks we wear.
how far apart we be.
one hundred people went into the store
masked to hell and back.
then came out and scooted off to  get back home.
feeling okay? easy now.
today take sunshine.

our plot will soon be filled with plants.
picking, planning.
then one more run to Planktown
to fill it up.
render satisfaction.

cloudy

after nine already.
had rain for an hour.
steady.
won't be a crack of sun.
i'd say none.
not our way, not this day.
it's the last of April. who'd suspect?
i guess summer will jump on us suddenly.
weatherwise the seasonal change has been slow.
deliberate is another way of thinking.
stepping slowly like a bad monster. 
i suppose it has been the confinement by the virus
giving us another way to think about it all.
at least we're taking what is given.

definitely a new way of living going on.
of course, what else can we do?

grandmother and her sisters

four girls in light summer dresses,
side by side for a photo.
looking through the
bright desert sun, not knowing
what the passing years would become.
their faces are of the family
more than eighty years after the
day of their photo in Globe, Arizona.
married to one of the granddaughters
the family resemblance reflects
in all her worth.

another week of rain water

the trouble with a forecast
you can look ahead and see the deluge,
not today, but believe
it will be soon enough. now
another rain day complete.

inside looking out. 

be sure and dress for it

if you're going about.
simply water everywhere.

 heard it half the night.

gallons. more than seemed reasonable.
splashes, patter. dripping.

 splatter. drops.

you want an umbrella? 

look, there are doves out there.

i guess they can stand the rain.

and they're hungry.

breakfast club

before nine A.M. feeders:

blue jay, chipmunk, cardinal, two squirrels;

lined up, were busily hoppin' about.

then heard the Blam as a sparrow hit the kitchen window.

laid on its side for several minutes,

then slowly rolled on the ground to an upright position.

didn't move for a while.

thirty minutes later it stood up,

began walking around, seeking, nibbling.

then perched in a bush. looked around. not ready to fly.

other morning nibblers are out.

two squirrels. big robin came to the regular spot.

two goldfinches at the feeder.

a male cardinal pecked on the ground.

collision sparrow flew away.

sun poking through the cloud cover.

shall warm the day by afternoon.

rain returns tonight

another crunch

so days roll, i note
nothing going on, poor news.
as spring begins, i'm ready
for flowers, for showers.
it's good as can be.
well could be warmer, that will happen.
so will beauty and color.
i think it will seem great out
when the temperature is warmer.
that is all we need. the rest will
fall into place. the virus will quit
and Trump will go away.
then even pizza will taste better

ducks

ducks can hang around somewhat,
but not with humans.
don't bother trying to get close,
they can't take it.
a few hundred yards away is as
close as they can stand to be.

only once in a while
they'd land in my little pond by accident.
it's only fifteen feet in diameter.
must have wanted to check it out
or had to get their feet wet.

if i was there i'd keep still.
if i did more than look their way
they'd take off in a hurry.
imagine how much power it would
take for you to go from floating on water,
leap up and begin to fly.

hello ducks, nice surprise,
good to see you.
goodbye ducks.

when we went to shiloh

used to go to Shiloh regular.
to the good breakfast spot
right there on the main street,
the one that ran down the middle.

the breakfast spot did well
now i'll tell you 
the restaurant did right for everyone;
 until it sold and never opened it's doors again.

whew, that shook our boots. hardly
a warning. yes, we heard talk but,
 didn't want to believe it.  took
a while until we forgot about it.

the Amish poet. we met him there.
gave him a ride to the auction site.
stopped at Plank town.
discovered it then.

the old was finished, never
opened again. that's when Planktown
began for us. a spot on the
road. with parking for buggys.

the way

on the way

on a sweet day of spring,

ready to put this one to use.

with donned hats and jackets

wheeled South for Plank town.

 

ride on.

chickens out peckin'

seen us whiz by in a flash.

spring starter plants are waiting.

i'm thinking of the five deer

in our yard a month ago and wondering

what are we going to do besides wait

for their return ... they eat what grows.

i know i like Swiss chard and they do too.

chilly and quiet today.

blue sky showin' through

puffy gray clouds blowin'

sail on all ...

ok for now
holy cow

Passenger me

i'm talking,
so you know;
case you forgot.
starting here ... this point.

bumped into the wall.
this is serious,
in the middle of the night
 when I got up.
didn't hurt myself.
It's dark ... was humming.
walked around a few minutes
couldn't see ... It was black.
3 o'clock, too early to stay up.
went back to bed.
slept and all went well in
dreams i don't remember.

this morning she wanted mulch from
an hour east, Medina.
Still driving get a phone call from Missouri.
no, I didn't answer.
 i've done that.
always a recorded response.
no one ever talks to me
i've given up.
maybe It's better that way.
another unknown call an hour later - declined

Sunny and 55;
what a nice day.

days move along

snow on the ground will melt today.
all away.
we've seen the last coming down.
nothing more have i to say, about snow.
gone, you know ...
for this year.
getting ready now for pizza,
and warm afternoons.
want to pass through the virus phase,
come out the other side.
see friends face to face.
the regular old human race.
go out for breakfast.
take our time rolling through the back-country.
watching the sun-shine,
and the corn grow.

get to planktown

where are those ideas so grand?
how did they slip through the overnight.
perhaps when i awoke i looked away,
skipped around, had coffee too soon.

next time i'll shower, dress and get rolling.

head South. get moving.
very light traffic.
a poem idea inside of me is ready to emerge.


the secret to writing well:
review it all, a piece at a time.
every morsel.
 stack the good stuff over on one side.

put it together.
 look at the sky now.
clouds are heavy if you try to lift them with water in.

kettle shaking

 tea water is boiling.
settle kettle, you're jumping.
i turned water to off and it did.

this is not makebelieve.
what a difference.
the world is changing in some ways.

some things remain
the same.
how do you like your tea?

woodland color chart

in my chair near the window
book open, looking out
to see all sunny and quiet.
no wind. got the picture?

in a patch of sun stands a robin.
white, orange, brown, black, a variety of color,
and my head had it robins were dull.
not at all.they're filled with solid color and particularly gay.

not back-grounders for any picture, not at all.
you take all the birds and put them in
with the woods setting and
they fit in just fine.

alert continues

this morning content i note
the threatening storm of last night didn't get here;
yet again strong wind and rain is predicted.
maybe this time it'll reach us.
the forecast says confusion will reign.
 
apparently,  the squirrel somehow
dodges soaking droplets.
quick and oily i imagine.
the rapid hopping got my attention.