deer and eagles

we're not in the country

just down the street aways;

enough so when we

look out in the mornings

we see deer now and then

slipping by in quiet hours

with their family.

they have no natural predators

large cats and bear are gone.

in Ohio 184,000 deer were

killed by hunters last year,

the only pretators they have.

when i was young

they were a handful.

now there are 707 bald eagle

nests in ohio.

that was the figure for May.

they're multiplying.

river side

the river i recall
wasn't far at all
from the creeks we walked in
when we talked on
summer days.
 of sweet corn and baseball
and when we'd be old enough
to get a car of our own.
that was just a day cause i know i worked
only thinking this is what i had
my mind on.
the future was too far beyond to consider,
unless it was icecream later in the day,
that i could think, it wasn't far away.
cheers for our summer day.

day's song

starting out warm.
 brief dawn rain.
half the storm hangs there,
half goes down the drain.

flowers, wake and take a drink will you?
take enough to fill you
for today, for today.

2:35

90, humid ... the break
is rain at last ... take your time.
we're ready for wetness.
hear the light thunder
now fading in the background.

rushing leaves with a car going by.
splashing like a dream.
i hear birds calling.
they like the cooling water.

mostly still again.
a crack a thunder broke the silence.
yeah ... and a bird sings

cleaning the mess

morning air fresh
as most any quiet day
as Good as a boat ride
i suppose.
haven't had one for a while;
it's in my head.
just mentioning a float on the water.
while head down she's out there
working in the weeds
making a nest in the grass, practically;
you'd think so anyway,
out there half the day.
if we had some rain to clear
her and the squirrels and chipmunks away.

what can be done? it's only cleaning
the wild away. brush trimmed.
lawn clipped. salvage work
for the yard and her head? you suppose.
it's too cool for me to think too hard about it.
get the warm weather back again why doncha.

June me

last January sure is far away.
now, i've had corn already,.
tasted fine as ever.
where did they grow it?
fields aren't ready round here.
 Hahn, everyone's favorite grower
is retiring. that's big news.
the family has been growing sweet
corn all of my life. the oldest son
died when i was young. the other boys
aren't staying on the farm
.
some nights have gorgeous
stars.
friends are good to recall. '
the best days are fine, and most
summer nights are under stary
skies.
pour out, Ohio beauty,
we can take you in.

light stepping

good shoes, the right jacket.
open land to the end of the field.
cross the piece of woods beyond.
dry weeds crack as you walk
through the short stretch
to the pond. it's morning
and alread.y a pleasant day
is ahead. good sun, light
breeze. sit and listen for a while to the sounds
of the day. a bird or two and
large clouds. enough to make a
full world. make a note: very good
time of day for an easy hike

heats on

waited all winter for warmth

now it's so fine, run the good
by me. i'll stick like glue.

in idle time ...

 looking at Trevi fountain live cam

my bank was around the corner

a minute or two walk away

from the fountain.

i always stopped at the fountain

when i had to go to the bank.

now I've closed my bank account
and returned to america.
i can't walk well enough to get
around. this story is not going
well. so, the days are moving on.
  and i get along with help.

i have to look at it like this.

when the writing is going well

i'm satisfied. how is your head?

heavy sun, no rain

monday is 14 days
after the holiday packed when
folks seemed to forget about the virus
and relax.
so will relapse occur or
seem a joke mistake,
thinkin' it's gone away,
no more than me and you.
how do we figure.
passing the time.
words are clumsey bumbling
waiting to see.
i'll have another long coffee
and watch the sky.

now the weather is a wreck

you can wait, wear a sweater. just
don't think of swimming in the lake,
work on something else will ya.
and remember summer's coming
later this year.
been saying for a month now.
it will be pleasant soon.
corn will grow high,
we'll have breakfast out somewhere.
all the goodness of the season
will leap up in front of us.
what a fine surprise that will be to regard.
i never had a doubt .. a tiny bit, that's all.
with the unexpected virus attack
we've seen a few places closed that
don't look as if they'll ever reopen.
set back a paltry, that's all,
weather probably has nothing to
do with it. hold tight.

Pond wind

the river never still
has movement as a whole.

there is motion,

i see it moving

coming down to the mouth

through the reeds

with the carp, frogs and the lilly pads,

ultimately joining the body of lake

slow rolling toward the ocean

sweet is the wet cool water.

you know how june goes

have seen a few.

Pragna stopped by to compare notes,

we all traded local info

and found out twhat we could.

our best month is here,

and this is day two of it.

we need this month to get

used to perfect.

zoom partied

we did it,

a little difficult, need experience

12 people, that is a guess.

some children too young to count.

wanted to say hi to Lane and Krista,

Meri said Tommy asked me how i was doing.

i couldn't tell,  where was Terry?

Travis from Texas hadn't seen for 22 years.

never got to say hi to him.

hope i said happy birthday to Tommy.

without a moderator confusion reigned.

many faces. session rushed.

couldn't say hi to Dona, too much noise.

Gerry and i communicated the

way old men 75 do,

in a flash of understanding.

getting used to a warm summer days

wearing shorts, until now unheard of.
deliberately a breeze came by...
 drifting, 
and unmistakenly passed with the scent
of field green and wild-flower sweetness

occasionally lifting birds on wing
over singing clusters of bubbles and
trickles from the falls near the pond.

final cool days

runnin' by May

stretched thin,

into warm from cool.

planters rule now:

holy cow.

let the garden grow.

you can watch it,

you can weed some,
up, up, up. here we go

Elvis, oh so bright,
i'll wrap you in a poem tonight.

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.