WILD RED RASPBERRY

The river runs through the darkness
as the morning rolls forth
a finger and thumb reach out
for a wild red raspberry

long enough for a seed to grow
they settled for a summer in one place
and spotted the same red goodness
ripening as the recognition in their face

with fish abounding as a stream of stars
the silver like the sun and moon on water
they stayed a little longer than before
and brought abundance by being patient

awareness grew like twigs to branches
and leafy canopy of knowledge swung overhead
as fruit fell onto this same location
and held in hand the fleshy pulp with seed

so multiplied until an orchard
sprang amongst the fern and grass
and like the planets spinning in space
held red and orange and green in place

and with this bird and animal attracted
and joined the humble congregation of hope
the spirit compelled this multiplication
divided by the hands that reached

then wolf and coyote lingered close
and goose and duck and cow and lamb
a goat, a ram, a boar, a cat, a chicken
became the fellow followers who ran

and grass began seed and seed begat grain
in fields tended by feet and hands
until the sunshine wore thin in the sky
like a shirt bore down with work

and with the fall of summer the cold set in
determined to have its sway and season
and so with practicality and reason
the little band became a glowing heap

with stick and mud a liveable hut
with warmth from animal for human
and embered burning collection of dried out tree
to fuel the brightness and continue to feel

so summer was carried into the house of winter
and began again with a spring
that thawed with the once lost sun
and a seed that turned ripe red with raspberry.


8/12/12

FLOTILLAS OF GEESE / quarto 1

flotillas of geese
become armadas
coasting the surface of the lagoon
searching for spoils of sweet grass

masters of air, land
                         and sea
they explore their domain
building empires of claim

against the silver background
                                       of light
their browns and greys and whites blend
trailing in lines or vees give breadth

they belonged before
                             we did
tracking the stars and magnetic north
brushing the wind and water and grasses grew forth.


6/17/12

ACROSS THE SKY / . . quarto 2

birds fly across the sky
like a page of music
some swift, some measured
some direct, some lofty

the hidden subtleties of clouds
create drama in the background
and thunder roars its drama
as lightning shocks the ear

the winds whip up into leaves
that break the bond to branch
and lets loose, swirling in abandonment
as if conducted by chaos

the steady buffeting slows to silence
as water stirred now calms
the climax of crescendo reached its climb
and with a whisper of perfect breeze remains sublime.


6/19/12  1:20 a.m.

ACROSS MY FACE / . quarto 3

a thought crosses my mind
like a fleet of sailing ships
each with a mast so high
and hung with wind filled canvas

bows breaking through the waves that rise
and crest upon the brightened skies
with destination so green within the eyes
that takes its flight with hope that flies

and with a seaspray that creates a speed
that slowly from a distance reaches for a horizon
with steady breeze that advances its pace
portrays a pattern of passionate space

and learning from the unintentional race
I listen to the revelatory grace
that proceeds to its indeterminate goal
as these sheets of words glide across my face.


8/12/12

WAVES OF THE LAKE / quarto 4

the waves of the lake
roll in like waves of grass
crescendoing in sound
        and timing

the sun bears down
       in heat and burning
the perspiration stands
      until blown away like sand

the breeze sways with willow strands
      that finger the water's surface
and sings a solemn melody
      that shifts to joyous burst

the sky stays blue but for clouds
      and holds its position of looking
with sun and tint of moon
     that slowly reveals a panoply of stars.


8/27/12  3:26 a.m.

A BOOK

from only group to individual practice
a book is read in solitude
through paper and press the chapters sewn
the knowledge and wisdom for many to own

and as a tree is moved from forest to mast
upon a floating vessel on sea
the wood with wind goes gliding past
allowing the boatman to be free

and as is taken this grassy path
unto the meadow and woods unknown
the spirit is wakened from its wrath
a wistful breeze is newly blown

so venture forth where feet don't go
where solemn mystical majesty rains
the light just swallowed by the distant sky
returns behind your back with star struck gains.


8/25/12

INHERENT IN THE WIND

inherent in the wind
                  is the capacity
to create wings
                  to fly

indigenous to the hollow
                 is a voice that sings


the transpiration of the trees
                                creates an endless rain

the flowering plants their fruited colour
                                evolves our sighted brain


and bees designed for blossoms
                                hold their sway

as birds deliver seeds
                                along their way


arms outstretched extend to grasp the fruit
                                                    upon the branch

the vaulted canopy a home for filtered light
                                                    and climbers' ranch


reality like a river does not
                                        follow you

but in the presence of intelligent dreams selects
                                                        the most compelling hue


the light found its shadow
                              under the moon

the sun and the stars
                              coordinate their union


the string is woven
                             into the nest

words are written on the edge
                             of waves' crest


the coat hangs loosely
                                on the bones

the stream is flooded
                               with river stones.



6/8-15/12

THEY CARRY WORDS / TRILOGY

they carry words in their memory as in a pouch
protecting glowing embers as they crouch
transporting the precious elements through cold and dark
a life sustaining creative spark

and syllables are formed against the tongue
to match in sound and shape and sung
the antelope and landscape distant far
the direction pointed to by a star

the speed of river and its fullness flow
the centre of the forest deep
the heights of promontory and valley low
the times to wake and rest to sleep

and drum beats rhythms through the sky
next in line the villages to hear
the answers to the questions why
arise within the moment they refuse to fear.



9/3/12

FERN / TRILOGY

what confusion artificial boundaries do entail
that obfuscate, overlay and obliterate the native trail
that exists if not on map then on our memory
for hundreds and thousands of years they be

where lakes and channels and rivers flow
the sun and stars stirred by the winds that blow
and gravity best to determine where the rains will go
all streams most favoured still to know

the french, the british, the spanish, immigrant, american
contended for the native land and too canadian
so brothers and sisters now we share the sky
the clouds across all borders scutter by

and lessons of the land are there to learn
as leaders within our hearts are prepared to turn
to the common bond we share and yet so yearn
to recall the central stem and branches of the leafy fern.



9/4/12

KINDER WORDS / TRILOGY

kinder words like a stream through a forest
race with rapids and slow with kinship
pooling in the verdant shadows cool
and sparkling with the sunshine surface dancing

the trunks of slanted trees and willow leaf
reach out upon the swirling sweep
that gently whispers gliding past
the river rocks replete with memory

the sandy bottom holds the secrets
of crayfish and frog and rooted cattail
and birds of many form and colour
reflect with sailing wing and cloud

kinder words need not speak aloud
in brassy tone like bawdy crow
but listens as much as it enunciates
the softer, quieter seasons as they grow.



9/1/12

WE SLUMBER / SLEEP DIPTYCH

with the sun down and moon lit
we slumber in common and repose
like a blue lagoon in semi consciousness
of light streaming kelp, mollusk and sea grape

warm currents of water and breeze commingle
through palm trees and sand
rivulets create ribbed patterns
in sand and sky and water waved

we find our affinity to stars and self
as memory and resolutions dream
and lift our spirits with the wind
to waft unto the shore and leaf

an orchestra crescendos with surf and tree blown ecstasy
of same toned sounds that fill the air
with rising and falling applause to rhythms
that arrive as suddenly as we sleep.



9/7/12

IN MY BED / SLEEP DIPTYCH

the trees devoid of colour
in the dark are charcoal lines
and skies smudged black
with humid atmosphere

the thunder connecting clouds
rumbles in the distant sky
creating resonance of simplicity
that signals impermanence

and in my bed about to sleep
an overhead crack cuts to the deep
as rain released begins to fall
and every leaf resounds withal

with nature present in my ear
and images created by what I hear
the power at play begins to rip
but at my window a simple drip by drip.


9/8/12