knuckling wisely fore
the band is truly led by
noble silverback's
For my dear friend Paul Pate
10.29.2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
SILVERBACK
knuckling wisely fore
the band is truly led by
noble silverback's
For my dear friend Paul Pate
10.29.2011
CHANGES
Darwin never said
God didn't start all of this
just wrote all things change
Darwin never said
God didn't start all of this
he saw that things change
10.2011
RAINS RETURN
Rains return
blanching leaves for
matted quilts that will surely
congest my mower's only lung.
The gutters soon report
another year half-spent
drinking overtime.
10.29.2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
BUD
Silvered son of old Mill Creek. South Jackson knew your trampings well, in times hungered
through those Sebastian fields,
fighting radio wars, saved and faded, all your battles won.
Tireless new foot-fall legs, bent on fire, going elsewhere on the help
from mama’s hand and Mail bags trudge gave
homestead and food for all. Hard tack squinted eyes all set to just- enough.
Hot sweated pay for games yet dear, Hardscrabble-rounds grew you from short to tall.
Grizzly cold autumns of turf on the run,
the man-boys struggles for the hummed speakers call.
Back to home-dirt so dear you Conflict-wing-ed son, a dance so sweet with that Hoosier peach
so young, so long, the walk
down the aisle from home. Grass gone to seed down roads to roam.
Grasping tides now two hands one, Never far, Never far, Never too far to somewhere come.
Moving truck family and unboxed looks
from other folks that just stood still. The voice just sings of Home.
Our patterned banner spliced-quilt wave, for chapters each now untold.
So keep soft your heart as the road is long.
We all hail not near, but are banded tight in love, we five strong.
For my father on his 80th birthday
11.2.2011
through those Sebastian fields,
fighting radio wars, saved and faded, all your battles won.
Tireless new foot-fall legs, bent on fire, going elsewhere on the help
from mama’s hand and Mail bags trudge gave
homestead and food for all. Hard tack squinted eyes all set to just- enough.
Hot sweated pay for games yet dear, Hardscrabble-rounds grew you from short to tall.
Grizzly cold autumns of turf on the run,
the man-boys struggles for the hummed speakers call.
Back to home-dirt so dear you Conflict-wing-ed son, a dance so sweet with that Hoosier peach
so young, so long, the walk
down the aisle from home. Grass gone to seed down roads to roam.
Grasping tides now two hands one, Never far, Never far, Never too far to somewhere come.
Moving truck family and unboxed looks
from other folks that just stood still. The voice just sings of Home.
Our patterned banner spliced-quilt wave, for chapters each now untold.
So keep soft your heart as the road is long.
We all hail not near, but are banded tight in love, we five strong.
For my father on his 80th birthday
11.2.2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Day not yet
Slipping out the unzipped door
And swirling into the cold gloam's mist, my heart,
No, my very soul whirl-gigs upwards
To the stars and still-sheathed sun.
Vapors above the pot,
Warmth to dry new wings,
Raise the dough,form the salt
And hue my skin.
Melt and recast,Yea distill me
In your new form
8.20.2011
And swirling into the cold gloam's mist, my heart,
No, my very soul whirl-gigs upwards
To the stars and still-sheathed sun.
Vapors above the pot,
Warmth to dry new wings,
Raise the dough,form the salt
And hue my skin.
Melt and recast,Yea distill me
In your new form
8.20.2011
Billy Boy
You were the dare-devil one of the three boys as I recall,
Hard to keep rare cousins straight at first.
Tilting burred head and sheepy grin, a Summered older kid than I.
Fellows like you, we young ones watched with awe
hoping someday to wander with your stride.
Dad mocked and teased those boys with grins and proclamations
followed by a wink, he would caw at us a false remorse-
“Better hope I never die or you'll be the ugliest man in the world”,
Billy would just drawl a volley back towards
the sender and the source.
Dusty Jacksboro cricket nights, and buckets of small
army soldiers waging ceaseless wars. Never to tire of ink-smell
rolled soft atop news print. We get to feed yesterday’s old
news back to the maw of the Linotype.
A carpet of discarded pages underfoot. The words not yet right.
BB gun hunts down alley ways, with Daisy’s tight in hand,
the wired birds take to wing, safely to the sky for
Billy was the surer shot, more than Roy and more than me.
Fat-oily-onion air swirled out of Mary’s whispering of dollar French fry heaven.
Ketchup was always free.
A Tiger of the football team, he roamed Jack County miles,
till life's call urged him to go. We lunched with him a time or so,
then perhaps a million days ago he faded far too soon.
Cleaning his gun, one warm May afternoon.
Surely Bill was never meant to be, the ugliest man in the world.
For Billy Dennis my cousin who only made it to 20
April 27, 1954 May 11, 1974
11.8.2011
Hard to keep rare cousins straight at first.
Tilting burred head and sheepy grin, a Summered older kid than I.
Fellows like you, we young ones watched with awe
hoping someday to wander with your stride.
Dad mocked and teased those boys with grins and proclamations
followed by a wink, he would caw at us a false remorse-
“Better hope I never die or you'll be the ugliest man in the world”,
Billy would just drawl a volley back towards
the sender and the source.
Dusty Jacksboro cricket nights, and buckets of small
army soldiers waging ceaseless wars. Never to tire of ink-smell
rolled soft atop news print. We get to feed yesterday’s old
news back to the maw of the Linotype.
A carpet of discarded pages underfoot. The words not yet right.
BB gun hunts down alley ways, with Daisy’s tight in hand,
the wired birds take to wing, safely to the sky for
Billy was the surer shot, more than Roy and more than me.
Fat-oily-onion air swirled out of Mary’s whispering of dollar French fry heaven.
Ketchup was always free.
A Tiger of the football team, he roamed Jack County miles,
till life's call urged him to go. We lunched with him a time or so,
then perhaps a million days ago he faded far too soon.
Cleaning his gun, one warm May afternoon.
Surely Bill was never meant to be, the ugliest man in the world.
For Billy Dennis my cousin who only made it to 20
April 27, 1954 May 11, 1974
11.8.2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
NOVEMBER COMES
Whispering through the sash at my bedside
your crisp-night-breath tucks me into sleep and then
curls upon my quilt slowly looking for my toes.
Pinwheels of cold clean sharp rain .......cloud and then calm
circle through the calendar days by the score.
Drops drum down softly from the attic.....lap.....lapping
though fine iridescent moss, re-gilding every
edge and step and limb and crevice with freshened velveteen
filtering new puddles of
sea-bound drops.
10.23.2011
your crisp-night-breath tucks me into sleep and then
curls upon my quilt slowly looking for my toes.
Pinwheels of cold clean sharp rain .......cloud and then calm
circle through the calendar days by the score.
Drops drum down softly from the attic.....lap.....lapping
though fine iridescent moss, re-gilding every
edge and step and limb and crevice with freshened velveteen
filtering new puddles of
sea-bound drops.
10.23.2011
GLEANERS
Holding their cardboard headstones, lives and prayers
hang upon these silent corner ghosts
gathering coins
to rent
more time
to wait.
while otra wordless trabajadores stand vigil
flirting with each passing truck
enlist
and wait
for work
they are bartering toil for true sleep and dreams.
10.23.2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Multnomah
pinwheel clouds spin rain
down engorged green mountains to
the roots of Stumptown
12.15.1996
Jon and Henry's Inspiration
Upon moving to Portland Oregon in 1996 my good and long time friend, Jon Secrest, gave me a book to read - "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau - A fortuitous thing since I had not read it but it was where unknowingly one of my favorite quotes of all time had been hatched from.
Now I have read it and reread it and I'm the better for it.It has led me back to visit all the classic's I missed my appointments with to read those many years ago.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life they imagined, they will meet with success unexpected in common hours"
Thank you Jon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)