A Dictionary of HaikuClassified by Season Words
with Traditional and Modern Methods
by Jane Reichhold
AHA Books
Text Copyright © 1992 by Jane ReichholdHaiku Copyright © 1983, 1988, 1992 by Jane Reichhold
Book Copyright © 1992 by AHA BooksWeb Version Copyright © 2000 by Jane Reichhold
Paper publication as: ISBN: 0-944676-8-1
This edition of
A Dictionary of Haiku
was made with permission
from the web version
published in 2000
and available at
http://www.ahapoetry.com/aadoh/adofinde.htm
Introduction
The Japanese have long wondered how writers in English could ever hope to writehaiku when one of the most-basic writing tools was unavailable to them. Every Japanese writer owns one or more saijiki (sigh-gee-key).
A saijiki is a dictionary of haiku in which the poems are arranged, not alphabetically, but by seasons. Within the five seasons (New Year's Day has a separate section) are usually the seven different categories: Season (weather aspects indicative of that time of year), Celestial Phenomena (stars, sun and moon), Terrestrial Phenomena (geographical aspects such as mountains, fields, rivers, etc.,), Events (or holidays), Life (terms dealing with the daily life of humanity), Animals (deemed appropriate for each season), and Plants (often those most conspicuous for the season).
Within each of these categories the poems are listed in a prescribed order of appearance according to the natural world. In spring (and saijiki traditionally startwith the first and best season) plum blossoms are listed before cherry blossoms because the plum blooms first; slush comes before new grass. In many cases there is a natural sequence; in others - as in animals - it is very arbitrary.
However, for the user, this all makes perfect sense.
It is spring, a haiku writer is feeling the urge to express his/her feelings. Before going on a walk for inspiration, the saijiki is consulted to see what has touched others and how they have formulated their thoughts and feelings. The saijiki is at once a source of ideas and a guide for what has been done and what is yet possible.
Renga (a genre of linked poetry) writers are very dependent upon a saijiki. For example, if one is expected to write a summer link and wants to use an animal orinsect it has to be one that corresponds (according to tradition and other saijiki) to summer. You may be seeing butterflies all over in your summer day, but unlessit is designated as a summer butterfly, a plain old vanilla butterfly is a spring symbol.
In America, saijiki have been misunderstood because certain knowledgeable persons have used Japanese saijiki to "carbon-date" haiku according to the assigned designations as set by the literary center of Japan - Tokyo as a way of criticizing the poem. I feel readers, given the chance to read haiku ordered by seasons and categories, can come naturally to an understanding and appreciationof the use of kigo. Kigo [season words] are accepted designated nouns and noun
phrases which have been traditionally classified according to season. A season word is authorized by literary authorities who accept a haiku using that word and publish it as such in a saijiki.
This brings up another reason no other English saijiki has been compiled. The North American haiku scene, at least the most vocal and visible, has largely ignored the use of kigo. At this point in English haiku, very few writers understand the historical position of the kigo, and even less of that number make use of it.
Renga writers, also, are rarely interested in following the rules for sets of seasonsfor the various links, partly because they had no available standard reference withwhich to check.
However, in the summer of this year [1991] I read the first saijiki published in both English and Japanese. Koko Kato, of the Ko Poetry Association, in Nagoya, Japan, edited a saijiki containing about 1,200 haiku from authors around the world. Among other revelations, I found it to be an excellent solution to a problem I have long pondered.
For as long as I have been publishing haiku - since 1979 - one of the problems forme has been to find a way of presenting a number of haiku to the reader which overcomes certain drawbacks of the genre.
Because of the shortness of a haiku, it is too easy for the eyes to race across the lines without pausing to savor either the language or waiting for the series of images to arise after each poem.
Various solutions are always being experimented with: haiku with illustrations, haiku one to a page, haiku written in all capital letters, haiku on cards, very smallor short "books" of haiku. Sometimes the haiku are arranged in sequences, whichmakes them more cohesive in the reader's mind, but further defeats the purpose of slowing down the inquisitive mind. Still, when faced with a book of haiku, my first impulse is to read it from beginning to end.
I wanted to make a book in which is this is physically impossible and mentally destructive. Reading too many haiku at once is the same as eating the whole box of assorted chocolate creams.
My dream reader would have this book next to the other dictionaries on the desk,or leave it laying on a nightstand, (or even in the little room of great relief) where, in an idle moment when the soul is soft and open, there is time to snatch a glimpse of a poem or two. Soon finding something to ponder, the book would beclosed and laid down with the mind far away in the realm of imagining.
Yet, I wanted the reader to be able to easily find a haiku which was enjoyed or remembered. To my mind, listing the terms alphabetically facilitated this with lessdependence on indexing.
I love looking up one word in a dictionary and then reading further down the pageto see which words surround it. I also feel that when one "needs" to know something, it will pop into one's awareness and while looking up one poem,
another one, never yet read, will reveal itself. Fellow addicts of dictionary (addiction airy) reading will recognize the above symptoms and aha! understand that for haiku to be put into a dictionary form combines the best of my two compulsions.
The haiku in A Dictionary of Haiku are arranged into seasonal categories because,for me, a sense of the season is vital to enjoying and understanding haiku. Lacking our system of seasonal buzz words, it is very often difficult, or impossible, to know if an individual haiku (and here I refer only to English haiku) is set in autumn or winter. By putting many haiku together by season, it was my intention to let the season mood of one poem resonate with the next one, causingthem to have the same vibration indicative of that time of year without the over-use of the actual words spring, summer, fall and winter.
Japanese saijiki have the individual items within a category listed in the arbitrary order of their natural appearance during the season which is often a matter of debate. In Japan, probably 90% of the adrenalin used for writing haiku goes into the arguments about the use and usage of kigo.
By listing the subjects within a category alphabetically, it avoids the above while itcreates leaps within the subject matter of a season spanning such a distance so the reader will stop reading at the beginning of the next subject-word.
Though I have consulted available kigo lists from the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society of United States and Canada, those compiled by Kiyoko Tokatomi, and Koko Kato's Four Seasons, I have deviated from them considerably. For the Japanese reader and friend/defender of saijiki, the first category, especially will be a jolt to the senses.
Usually this section is labeled "season" or "climate" and the kigo express the essence of the time of year with venerated expressions which imply the emotions we equate with the season.
As English writers we too work with these sensibilities but lacking set phrases to stand for them, have had to express these human concepts and emotional states much more subtly. In the English/Japanese saijiki these haiku would be listed as "non-seasonal."
I felt by making a list of essences or moods of the seasons which embody our emotional states relative to that time of year, haiku which do not blatantly state "spring" but which emote the airiness, gentleness, freedom of spring, could be given their rightful place. Many of the kigo for the season/climate category (such as "bright skies" or "south wind") could more accurately fit into celestial phenomenon leaving a category free for emotional states, which to me, as a much a part of any season as a bird or flower.
One of the reasons the Japanese have so many saijiki is every editor has a new idea of how to categorize the indefinable and infinite. Using the knowledge available to me, the Japanese works in English recommended, I have organized my material in a way unlike the others.
I've borrowed ideas and inspiration from the concept to accomplish goals I had for bringing a number of unrelated haiku together in one volume to increase an awareness of the season for readers and writers. I hope you will find some poemshere to please you. May they inspire you to write and treasure your version of your experiences.
Jane ReichholdGualala, CaliforniaOctober, 1991
SPRING
Spring Moods
anticipation
she lifts her heada tapping at the window
is only rain
rainopening the window
a light heart
a south windpolishing my face clean
for this journey
spring windsthe old lady tries again
to tidy her hair
spring mistson these long evenings
someone's coming
an unknown boatcoming into the harbor
touches me
walking to workour sleeves touch
starch on silk
asking for a ridehis answer dotted
with music
static electricitygarbled introductionsthey lean together
panty hoseshe crosses her legs
with whispers
woman and her pillowcurled around a notebook
dawn's first light
lightimprinting the stone
rings
awe
as one of usthe child watches
an earthworm
being loved
warm under quiltsthe young couple lie quiet
in the place of one
rain dropsfalling around the bed
her hair pins
his body a bowhis arrow shot me
full of flowers
spring stormsat their climax
thunder rolls away
rain showerafterwards he reads to me
all of his poems
eyesinto eyes
lights
after lovemakingall is quiet until
rain begins again
a woman's crythe shower begins
with lightning
orgasman explosion of flowers
in wind chimes
tangled in sleepon a sea weed strewn beach
lovers
flooded riversides flowing together
lovers touch
drippingspring rain and your body
in mine
driftwood lairlovers hidden from view
found by the wind
lying in a riverwords of lovein the current
boredom
rainidle fingers strumming
the dulcimer
one earlistening to the river
wet with rain
rain drippingone hour
into another
these long dayswatching the sky fade
with closed eyes
river windsflipping white pages
without poems
rain erases timeone hour reused
the whole day long
in this rain my housea stone in the stream
I a female fossil
scatteredamong driftwood
drifters
companionship
touching his facethe slope of her forehead
echoes
new friends meetsnow-melt streams
into the river
walkingthe river comes
along too
meeting an old friendat the mountain stream
a bear
silencearound loversa silver cord
lovers in churchgiggling at the term
immaculate
afternoon raininto my sleep
your pencil moves
book coversrenewing a friendship
somewhat faded
clipboardunable to tell
your poem from mine
complaints of lovers
daybreakthe person you love
is not perfect
without lovesea kelp growing
a holdfast
alonebut not alone
the sun - the moon
so easy to loveyet she always fumbles
locks and keys
organ dronemother's warningabout choirboys
rain complainingof the steepness of the lane
to his lover's house
partingat the river
weeping willows
unwanted childwearing a namethat doesn't fit
crying at dawngulls
and a lonely woman
desire
morning fogdreams not buried
deep enough
spring sunshinethe strangeness of his perfectly
normal thumbnail
sunny sea windsshoulders ache
for the want of wings
kids laughingin the neighbor's house
the childless couple
moonlight movingwith the gate as the servant girl
takes an evening
unemployed carpenterl-o-v-e
tattooed on his knuckles
Saturday rainthe desire to buy something
extravagant
Saturday raindesire by a warm stove
for an affair
static electricitya silken sleeve is drawn
to the amber
white surfwanting to keep the ocean
free of oil wells
waterfalldelicate forms
for a spirit
buyingScotch magic tape
as it were
dreams
dinosaur clawstaken to a rocky beach
a dreaming mind
ballet moviesall night her dreams
tip-toe
dreaming I wasthe sleeve of your coatI learned your secret
acrobat familymine - if I ran away
to the circus
roar of the surfsleeping on the beach
a child dreams
nappingamong driftwood logs
sleeping
awakeningfurniture
with chipped veneers
ephemeral
up and downdriftwood lairs of lovers
come and go
tide pool stillas if it is tomorrow
I'm not here
fadingcondolence cards
the sting
sea spraya rock writesanother name
spiralsthe world tied together
with double helixes
a watchleft out in the rain
timeless
excitement
three fingertipspressed to a cheek telling
of a new love affair
tide turnsleaping white into the cove
our eyes
raindropsin a waterfallglory-rush
surf's surge and boombrushing my teeth
in a stranger's bathroom
each white wavemounts the black rock
differently
waves crashin the trickling away
another crests
hour by hourthe wave-white seabecomes the wind
spring run-offa little more - a little lesshumans get so excited
expectation
waistlong-gone encircles
a child
rented housethe ocean's roar
in mother's womb
tugging at my sleevethe a wind a voicesaying mommy!
the widowtaking swimming lessons
from the life guard
on a bridgea young couple discuss
old lovers
expansion
nestthe fullness of spring
with eggs
lunchtime by the brook
spring-fed
always furtherdown the road frogs
and the dark
on the long piera tall father tells his sonhow deep the ocean is
winds on the beachgoing inland to remind you
of my love
thin and palethe air of spring
leaving in flowers
smooth seasupon jagged shores
the power
expectation
a love affairbuilding a fire
in a strange stove
the new coupleone looks upstream
the other down
dropping sticksin the flooded river
their fortune
happiness
riverstaking care of us
small fishes
eartheach spot layered
with stories
sunshineon the hobo's back
hitchhiking
songfrom a fence post
meadow lark
the night is shortenedby your letters on the pillow
here beside me
coming togetheryour nearness
my music
hope
the road before usdeparting clouds bright
with a rising sun
increase
so much rainthis year how the kids
have grown
jealousy
turning greeneach wave crests
higher than the last
thunderhis first date
not hers
joy
spring rainyour gentleness seems to know
no sorrow
to off-shore rocksspring comes rowing
lovers in a boat
parentsshowing the newborn
to the rising sun
lipstake from the springs
whistling
lust
cut crystal rainbowshining where he wanted
to touch her
warmingher feelings of love
the hot springs
duckspaddling around
lovers
invisible thrustingthe mountain raises
all of us
flooded riverrubbing low skieselectric current
a woman's slitsliding over granite
a spring
springthe urge to scratchthe earth with a hoe
randy againher voice on the phone says
"... he wants me"
treasured gifther smooth stone calls
as the phone rings
gentle breathingnight rain comes alivetapping on the window
society dameflirts with an unreal cowboy
her teenage romance
dawn's faint hourawakens under closed eyes
a shiver of pictures
desiring yourain drumsin my ears
love dueteveryone in the music class
crosses their legs
pearl buttonsundoing her blouse
two soft ones
patternsyour words open
the iris
new life
tumbling surfwater voices of children
within the womb
heavy surfthat sound I heard before
being born
soft thingsinheriting a pattern
in time
desert windnaked as the crackwhere I was born
silencebaby's blue eyes
without tears
fingerprintsthe tiny scars
for life
lying in your lapthe dense smell of musk
a birthday gift
the poise of comingforward waves on a beach
a baby's first steps
passion
this need to lovemountains give to spring
flowers
downpouryour fingersinside me
sun settingemerald waves free
our passion
illuminatedin the light from the barn
their first kiss
rainpounding in love
all night
rain on the roofwet around uson the sheets
kissesin your open mouth
the rest of you
in and outof the river's mouth
a tongue of sea
opening my legsto the flooded river
currents meet
jerking offthe love scene played
by marionettes
peace
deep hummingwaves unrolling
the bay
relaxedcherry flowers unfold
peace
across the fencewith his cherry in bloom
I can forgive him
planting peasa harvest today
of peace
asleepmorning seas quiet
pink
raised upwithin the protectiona mountain unfolding
pleasure
a touch of silkcaressing her bodyglistening sperm
vacationutterly exhausted
by pleasure
seduction
local flirttwo pair of wool socksbelow a backless dress
standing stillhis glance begins
the dance
silencebetween eyes
love lights
her hemthe wind liftsa little fog
giving hima bite of her
oldest apple tree- for Marlene Mountain
deep sea green waterssheltered by a cove slipping
into something frothy
unfaithfulness
rented houserows of ocean waves
seem unfaithful
a strange housethe new nightgownseems unfaithful
youthfulness
a young girlchewing gum in conversation
with herself
river childhoodbanging a bucket
boat sides
tea housea child feds the koi fish
his fortune
how proudly it wavesthe American flag T-shirt
on her young breasts
wet dreamsthe man in the moon
was once young
young poet givesto Jane his book of poems
"For Maggy, with love"
Spring Occasions
April Fool
no April Foolsthese crocus buds closed
against the snow
Ash Wednesday
the guru speaksevening steals upon uswith wide-open eyes
baptism
stained glassabove the baptismal font
a babe spotted red
decorating graves
canning jarsoverflowing among the graves
roses
Easter bunny
Easter bunnyleaving a basket
of kittens
Easter eggs
Easter Mondayfinding a solid chocolate egg
under fake grass
Earth Day
earth daymy pencil bounces
as a tree falls
Easter
high mountain villagechurch organ reedy as willows
the noisy brook
telephone callthe addressed Easter card|
not to be sent
Easter morning mountainmy shadow crosses
Death Valley
Easter Sundayhikers arrive
in Cathedral Canyon
after the storma sunny Easter morning
finds opals
atheists' vacationEaster weekendin Death Valley
Fathers' Day
Father's Dayhe names his son
after me
late again jokegift-wrapping popcorn
for Father's Day
Father's Dayshe mows the lawn
and whistles
Good Friday
Good Fridaybuying Easter candy
the second time
Graduation Day
Graduation Daysweat and mothballs
grass so green
graduationwhere green banners wave
grass grows long
graduation nightthe owl printed on a balloon
seems the wisest
gun salute
gun salutefrom a hilltop monastery
monks chanting
Lent
religionon the remote coast
buoy bells
May Day
May dayremoving her wedding band
the last cloud
Memorial Day
Memorial Dayso many flowers broken off
on the ground
Memorial Daywild flowers overpower
the flags
cloudya crowded skyMemorial Day
Memorial Daythe passion flower opens
wholeheartedly
Memorial Daythe honored guests slept
through the parade
Mothers' Day
Mother's Daygiving the old cata dish of cream
Mother's Daythe daughter's callabout her divorce
Mother's Daywearing the silver earrings
from Mexico
Mother's Daydeciding the catmust be spayed
Mother's Dayall of her flowers bloom
along the road
Mother's Daythe photo of her
afternoon
Mother's daygive-away puppies escaping
the banana box
Mother's Dayseaside restaurant special
crab balls
Saint Patrick's Day
wearing of the greenfor a real Irishmana black & blue eye
toy rabbits
during the hailstormthe stuffed Easter rabbit
clutched in her arms
wedding
last day of frostbuying the bride
a bread box
rehearsing vowsin the middle of the night
frogs
honeymoonersboats in the harboranchored together
smiles leavingher bridal jitters
at the altar
Spring Celestial
air
fibersso fine mornings
green the air
before it comesthe knowing of rain
in the air
sea aireach cell fills
with salt water
morning airtightly rolledin her curlers
breeze
morning breezein the flooded river saying"find a spring green stone"
morning breezecoming in the window
surf sounds
clouds
cloudsthe sky divided
into puddles
waveschurning up high
clouds
cloudstouching the sea
with rain
free to flysome of the ocean
in wind-driven colors
wispy cloudssplashed across the sky
sea foam
a point of landbreaking through the clouds
sunshine
pinesunder great white mountains
clouds
changing formsall around the Buddhaclouds in a blue sky
cloudsflooding the river
with spring
spring cloud meltflooding river willows
green leaves
journeyingspring clouds blow over
packed suitcases
rolling downrounded ridges
rain clouds
a cloudy daythe silky softness
of fresh-washed hair
spring windsbetween the tops of bent grass
bottoms of clouds
silencein high winds a cloud
turns around
wispy cloudsa white-water view
of the sky
fog
the pyramidmorning fog and sunslanted by redwoods
treetops greenleaving in fog
clean blue
a winter heartflying into spring
low clouds and fog
sunrisepouring into the valley
fog
cliff sidethe edge of fog
bright green
step by stepa hole in the fog
walking away
moon radiancefilling the river valley
fog
sea fogdarken the trampled grass
beach path at dawn
hail
on the green hillpiles of dark clouds
full of hailstones
after lovemakinghail falls between us
she buttons her blouse
hazy moon
a hazy moonpinpointed by the lights
of fishing boats
light
silencewafted by lightmany colors
a range of lightmorning colors flow
out of the high Sierras
morning lightthe sound of waves
on your sleeping face
without lightsthe brightness of a blue sky
full of stars
dawn's faint hoursqueezes in heart-run veins
light in every limb
light touchingwhere only rain goes
trespassing
tideslight comes and goes
as ocean
first lightthe cove still dark
with low tide
dawn lightrocks and water
full of fire
wings of dawnbirds unfolding
the light
the dark moonpulls out of the ridge
morning light
stars bend downmorning seas light
dawn
ocean so wideand weighty
yet dancing with light
sunriseout of two feet comes eight
foot long shadows
crack of dawnthe thin line
of birds peeping
curving an emberof a not space place
crack of dawn
morning wavesto burnished water
a radiance
ancient cypressleaning over the light
at sunrise
lingering cold
morning brightmeets cabin cold
on quilted mountains
as is the darkwithout the sound of rain
the room grows cold
April weatherall the changesleave us cold
spring pressescold into shadow
shapes
curve of the seacupping her breasts
cold hands
still coldspoons in the sandbox
all empty
long day
shining glassof unlit kerosene lamps
this long evening
expanding the warmththe yellow flowers
of longer days
old snowsoften by bird song
a longer day
a long dayunfolding rock crevices
with light
the long dayholding my eyesagainst the sky
morning
rocks give waymorning light rolls over
eastern peaks
morningdrawing lines on the sea
one for the horizon
morningwetted by the light splash
of small waves
morningside of the mountain
awake
early morningthe weight of paperwaiting for poems
ocean terracelifting to the north-born fog
morning
morning lightdreams climb the dark wall
of the obelisk
yawningsea fog in the valleyrolls into morning
morning sunpulled over the ridge
by sleepy eyes
morning suncoming down the cliff
the ocean night
morning fireblazed forth at lastsun through the fog
moon
a morning moonyour face in sleepturned to the wall
a calm searefusing to acceptthe morning moon
balanced at dawna full moon slides into the sea
without ripples
too perfectthe day moon rises
from snow-capped peaks
wild surftears in the night
a tender new moon
morninga touch of sea wavesand the moon melts
mist
sea lightfilling the valleys
with mist
moving against mistcrumbles from the cliff
stream down
pink misty mountainsgather between the peaks
the rising sun
morning mistfilling the spaces
of night birds
lacking a rednessthe gray mist of morning
not yet an argument
mistsleaving the lake
high
fire angelsriver mists at dawn
manifest
ocean roarat the open window
a breath of mist
mistsoftens the hillsincoming waves
passing of spring
passing of springwater trickles over rock
into the koi pond
rain
a wooden gatethe sky begins to crumble
the upright posts
narrow brookin pouring rainthe smallness
rainfalling in the brook
once again
salt shakerin dawn's pearly light
the pouring rain
in this rain my housea stone in the stream
I a female fossil
March rainsfilling the zodiac
with fish
running from the hillthe haste of rain water
in twisted paths
tops of waveson mountain ridges
rain
such a rain!changing into
a clean nightgown
fallingwith the rain
into bed
raincoming to the wakeful
sleep sounds
waveswind flowing over mountains
in rain
a sound fallingin the night bird feathers
spring rain
fallingthe amount of rain
in a haiku
sky watersyoung between trees
on a high wind
spring rainthe night soundof bird feathers
after the storma thing in the darksomewhere drips
rain cloudsthe tide turnssmall ripples
a rippled poola rain cloud falling
into the sea
raindrops
round puddlein spaces between raindrops
circles
edge of the roofraindrops dripping offseconds of the night
raindropsdrowning in the pool
rings as tombs
raindropswetting rocks dried
by low tide
rainbow
spindriftthe setting sunin a rainbow
segmentsmorning rainbows
in a wet net
cloudsdrifting into sea foam
rainbows
rainbridgecrossing the river
rainbow
showers
after a showerstars also shine
brighter
May showersthe wind so gentle
rain is round
April showersyour sticky diamonds
dry on my leg
a white wave breaksin the death of tumult
a rainbow
sky
morning facesocean and sky
soften pink
waves breakinga paler blue washes
across the sky
line of mountainsstretching the eye
a clear sky
snow
for the maiden dancelight fluffy flakes
of April snow
snow mixingmy breathwith spring
stars
a morning moonnearly touching Venus
with my finger
darknessdawn light entersfilled with stars
faithful 'till sunriseof all the heavenly lights
only the morning star
morning starsalone with me
the beach
morning starsthe call of the sea
over the dunes
in the morning sunthousands of night stars
still in the dew
still a few starsas if they will stay
all morning
in the marrowof my own bonesa morning star
forest clearinga circle of stars
spinning out
sunshine
sunshinemaking light of itsalt water wave
opening the cavethe morning sun
slips in
filling the bayan incoming tide
of sunshine
silencein a rain shower
sunshine
in spring sunshinearound the granite stones
spaces green
sunlightin a slurp of coffeeSunday morning
on the far ridgean arch of fire burns
into Sunday
morning suncreeping from up to down
in the sleeping holes
sunrise
sunrisecoming thru the mountain pass
a yellow line
ocean sunrisethe colors of a grandson
running on the beach
sunriseslipping into view
bird songs
the sun risespetting a yellow cat
with warmth
walking eastdrawn to that place
the sun rises
sun risegiving me a new name
and a shadow
Vernal Equinox
first day of springon the calendar
by the snowy window
rising from earththe spring equinox moon
grows round
desert springs hot tubthe canyon rim warmswith spring's first dawn
spring equinoxfitting into wintera saucer and cup
double helixearth hangs
in a woven net
wind
coming insidespring wind has filledmy pockets with cold
windrubbing the lakethe wrong way
sea windssmells diluted by distance
flow thin as light
lace curtainswhipped by spring winds
billows of clouds
cloud windblowing colors in and out
of the ocean
high windsmemoriesof flight
stars bend downinto the wind of whitecaps
morning light
no trespassing signtorn down by spring winds
the open sky road
a south windironing work shirts on the line
at thirty knots an hour
Spring Terrestrial
beach
a wide beachthe many suns
of foam
beach diamondsa new day crystallized
in sunny surf foam
beach logsbleached silver
beach rain
incoming wavesunroll a foamy carpet
of gray skies
springunrolling on the beach
a great white roar
morningespecially high on the beach
sleeper waves
brook
lost sleepin a babbling brook
loud as the cold
all the noiseof spring-flooded stream
bright green
forgotten brookrunning the centuries down
locked in rock
cliffs
jagged cliffsfalling water torn to shreds
smoothes rocks
sea cliffs touchsoft edges of water
nights
fields
black windsthe moonless earth
deeply plowed
flooding
wheels of waterrims rolling all night
the spring flood
spring rainsswirling flooded waters
driftwood
flood watersspreading valley to valley
mud
cloudsflooding the riverbubble sounds
spring floodsthe river valleyin high spirits
cloud soundthe river floodedwithout a duck
bridgingthe flooded river
my fears
up-canyon windsrushing flood waters
the wrong way
carried alongwith the flooded river
muddy thoughts
white pussy willowsabove a muddy swollen river
fat raindrops
flood watersfilling on a deserted island
a wine bottle
springcomes to the river
flooded
dropby
dropthe river floods
glub glubthe flooded riverdrinking stones
all the noiseof a spring-flooded river
back in the wind
spring floodsthe river valleyup to my toes
spring floodsgrasses on a high hill
lowered
swollen streamflowing sidewaysinto fence rows
blue into blueflood waters risein a pool of iris
rising flood waterstonight's moon is less
than yesterday's
flooded deltain the rocksmany cracks
eventidedesert mountains flooded
with pink
heat shimmer
desert soundsout of the sunclouds moving
heat waves
rippling grasswind moves up the hill
light waves
hills
coastal hillsfrom curling waves
a new green
hill risetrees lending themselves
to the land
high tidessea mists in coastal hills
new green grass
blue veilsbadly wrinkled - barely smoothed
rows of coastal hills
surf rollingmorning sunshine
into green hills
coast hillsone dark rainstorm leaves
a green shimmer
lake
the spring lakerising up to siton the bench
ripplesthe lake ear listening
to us
mesa
skystone dropped by a mesa
a light shine
meadow
after the stormsmall waves on sea meadows
meek sheep
flute melodiesacross green ocean waves
spring meadows
melting snow
the bones the stonesthe last snow melts
again a river
coming between treesslanted sunshine rivulets
melting snow
mountains
soul shapebetween soft evening peaks
a valley cradle
coastal mountainscatching the rain clouds
wet slopes
rising at 6:00 ama wobbly blue line
of distant mountains
morning airthe mountain smells
as if it had slept
up the mountainon the yellow line
someone goes down
mountainsfolding into a valley
bird wings
muddy road
sunshine onthe way to your house
a muddy road
oasis
desert oasisfinding in the water
more "o" sounds
tricklelife in a granite wall
water
puddles
floating cloudsdown from the mountain
a puddle of rain
in mud puddlesin a strange sky over
a stranger land
rain dropsin a puddle crowns
of light jewels
skystonerounding the matrix
a puddle
in puddlesthe pattern of raindrops
dyes the hills green
rivers
lightwinding through the forest
a river
rocks twistthe river smoothes
each one
evening skiesdark comes to the river
cloudless
lightdrawing in the river
boulders
low cloudssqueezing earth
into a river
streaming inmorning light electrifies
the river
river windfrom valley to mountain top
dampness
after the showerthe smell of pine soap
in the forest
pencila color of treeswet with rain
river soundits shape moving
one
a bright eyefollowing the light wood
carried by the river
seepingbetween rocks a river
begins nameless
tumblingwood at high tide
into a river
river valleyletting the sunrise
into the sea
rainthe river beginning
on the roof
amber cloudsin skies shallow with rain
a moving stream
along with the raingoing down the mountain
to the sea
riversconvergingraindrops
clean bright blueredwood shadowson a muddy river
wind in pinesrushing to the river
rain
cloudshanging around the river
rain drop spirits
sunshinein the mud-yellow river
rain
spring raina dance with tiny steps
tree roots growing
run-off
playfully tossingriver smooth stones
spring run-off
spring run-offleaping into the sky
falls
spring run-offdown the face of the rock
jagged joy
escapinga moan from the banks
spring run-off
sea
in the beginningbefore we awakethere's the ocean
daylightleaping out of dark seas
a wave
heaving seas at dawnyou breath as lightly
as the sky
refreshed by sleepmorning seascalm and clear
the face of morningsky shining on the ocean
a blush of pink
land breezesgentled by rollinghills to the sea
morning sunfinding off shore rocks
yet another one
waving every wavethe ocean wildas early spring
surf soundswall to the outer worldpale green and white
the baycurving into the sea
spring
wide oceanending in little waves
covers bare toes
dawnthe moon with mesinks into the sea
morningcoming from the night
the flat ocean
underfootthe ocean rearranges
its rocks
morning mildwaves bring to the shore
misty sunlight
undercurrentssurf roar to Vivaldi
on tape
spinning aroundthe earth curls
each row of waves
spring wavescurled water
coming unrolled
into the covea big wave brings
a bit of sun
gathering energya wave rises up
in me
weaver windsthe white world of waves
spinning
springs
mountain springa damp breathing
from a rock
lipssucking from the spring
a life sound
rocky springlips taking a sip
from lips
taking from the springwords of praise
holy water
tide - high
many days of rainthe ocean at high tide
covers it all
tide turningaround rocks
around the sea
tide - low
low tidea giant wave still fills
the narrow gorge
a month of rainlow tide returns to us
a favorite beach
low-tide rocksresting on the ocean's bottom
this morning
hearing secretsa low tide whispers
about the rocks
pale greenthe ocean's bottom
at low tide
low-tide rocksthe sun in a rack of clouds
far out at sea
deep enoughthe ocean covers a rockwith small white waves
sea caveshollow at low tide
buoy bells
whispersrising up to come ashore
transparent waves
emerald poolsthe color of sleep
at low tide
tide - incoming
incoming tidewets small rockseach with time
pulled from sleepspring high tidescrash and roar
tide pool
magic lightshining from rocks
tide pool
opal lightglancing from salt
waves
land shapedby the heavy blue wind
underwater
waterfall
mountain streamsparkling waterfalls
washed by snow
falling windwater catches sunlight
in white plumes
waterexploded from living rock
falls
tear-wetthe tiny waterfall
no one photographs
canyon wallsslide into the valley
water sounds
water smokerising up the waterfall
rainbows
a shower of lightover the canyon rim
a waterfall
river beda sheet of water
torn to mist
speed-rusha beach waterfall dives
into the sea
mill racespring sunshine
pushing the wheel
waterfallat the top of the hill
Buddha
stone lanterna trickle of lightin the waterfall
water fallingthe crystal parts
of a rock fall
speckled rockdrops from a waterfall
blur
concave rockthe convex bulgeof the waterfall
Spring Livelihood
balloon
a popped balloonbreath
a breeze again
birth
washing the newbornties with rainwater
cloud to earth
newbornwet with the water
unrained
April windsa birth announcementin the wrong mail box
breakfast
flood waters crestsomeone by the river puts water
in a coffee pot
breakfast coffeethe excitement of an ocean
in my cup
threads of smokebreakfast fires of neighbors
tied together
pale spring sunshinespread over breakfast toast
quince jelly
beating egg yolkstwo yellow butterflies
twist in the fog
early morning rainthe dry sound inside the cabin
of oatmeal cooking
building
for sale signsyet nobody can own
the river
a bit of skypushed aside
the new house
wallsof knotty pine
raindrops
sound of rainas a dry roof
arches
archessplashing rainon a tin roof
raindropsflattening the roof
till it shines
running awayfrom four corners of the roof
patter of rain
mashed thumbout of it fliesa purple oath
return of the coldflesh by her thumbnail
splits and bleeds
across the canyonthe neighbor hammers
on an echo
sky bluethe faded quilt warm
in the rain
cloudy daythe pattern in the native rug
looks like rain
change of clothes
spring sunshinewarming the wool
of winter socks
childhood
used clotheschildhood and peanut butter
buying a dress
sun and skinturning cart wheels
a young girl
sliver of moona peeled willow wand
in a boy's hand
flickering shadowsthe way children imitate
ballet dancers on TV
exercise
rain on the roofreading in the novel
of hurrying feet
balance actwith a gust of wind
a crash of bowls
Tai Chi on the beachone gull watches
with outstretched wing
surf sandsinking in
human feet
fasting
fastingthe sunrise brings
nothing to eat
fatherhood
the macho manall of his children
just like him
fishing
on the pierthe old farmer tells us
how to fish
as the tide ebbsfishermen appear
on the sand
ocean fogfishing boats
in the sky
eveningthe river full of fish
fishermen
dusk lakesinking into darkness
fishermen's voices
gone fishingthe fly-specked sign hangs
from one corner
foreignthe fishing boat pushed aside
our familiar kelp
the blue boata hole in the seafilled with fish
Sunday morninga fishing breeze tugs
at his tie
fishinggreen spots in the river
catch the light
river edgedby the squeak of boots
fishermen
surf fishingwhen they saw our catch
beer appeared
tied to the pierthe fishy smellsof empty boats
fishingin the clear pool
a reflected branch
thoughtsdangling in the river
a fishing line
in the fisherman's pailhis gourmet names
for small fry
the childless womanfishes with her man
bracelets of salt
river foguntying the boatfrom a long pier
tarnishedthe silver knife turns red
against fish skin
cleaning her nailsmy husband's lover
sells fish
morning lightcatches fishing boats
far out at sea
scatteredfrom lighthouse to lighthouse
glow of fisherfolk
sunsetdark on the sea
fisher boats
low-tide rockscoast dwellers going home
with a few groceries
fishermenthe one with a pole
watches a gull
fly swatter
no gueststhe fly swatter lies
on the Sunday papers
gather shells
picking up shellsah! there's an old onemoon in a tide pool
hermit crabs click togetherafter my morning hum
applause
looking for shellsabove the dark sand
the sun rose
a box of sea shellsfinding your letters
of long ago
a smooth stonecovered with barnacles
points homeward
low tide weathersalt-stained trouser legs
sandy pockets of air
on the beacha broken sea shell thoughtthe forgotten dentist visit
kites
kite stringa child's name spoken
in a high wind
a kiteraising from sea mists
rainbow colors
watercolor classthe painted blue sky
becomes a kite
beachthe hermit's kite
soaring gulls
flying a kitegulls above the beach stare
at the old couple
a downed kitethe child whispers"sh, it's sleeping"
wind diesas the string goes limp
"wake up kite!"
lovers
driftwood lairlovers hidden from viewdiscovered by the wind
midday nap
beach napplugged into the power
of incoming waves
motherhood
her swollen bellygiving a shapeto baby clothes
her waistlong-gone encircling
a child
flood-swollen streamthe pregnant woman waits
at home
young motherwith a squeaky toy
explains the birthmark
doctor's officethe new mother sings
off key
stars come outcounting baby toes
one by one
a wombhome to a womb
daughter
mountain climbing
mountain climbingpausing in the level place
to dance
music
wind soughsin harp strings
chords
melodyfrom the ocean's surface
a ripple of harp
another songthe drone of a dulcimer
rain on a cedar roof
old melodypicked out of the airone note at a time
a minuetand you
sharpening pencils
singinggentle sounds of rain
silence a voice
water flowingaround the round notes
organ music
out of a dark cloudthe piano solo
arpeggio of rain
cat's cradleall of the strings
of a clarinet
gentle breathingbefore the performance
rhythms of rain
water colorsthe flute concert
steals gray
flute concerttaming the wind storm
with a symphony
newly-weds
hailstormthe bride's first pea soup
uneaten
rain dropsa blanket of gray silk
on the bed
painting
the beachinto watercolors
blowing sand
photographing
bright colorsof her photograph
when he lived
planting
early springonly the hoe handle
is warm to touch
the rockcarried yesterday pulls on
tonight's shoulder
such a spring daydad spades his garden
wherever he is
dark moonsomething moves deep with
a carrot seed
strawberries plantedthe blister on her palm
glows bright red
plowing
April snowblack plowed earth
turned to white
prayers for rain
raindancerfrom his face drops
beads of sweat
with waterbegging the soil soon
for lettuce
repairing fences
nail in a fence postwarming in the sun
for the first time
sailing
foggy yacht harborboats and sailors
still asleep
rocking gentlylate in the morning boats
still asleep
snowmen melting
snowmanbowing down
to spring
as the snowman shrinksthe day is lengthened
by the March wind
spring sunshinethe snowman too
loses his head
spring housecleaning
stove blacksimple life springhouse cleaning
cabin beda blanket of moldgreening spring
a spring stormthe bath brush bristles
bent to one side
freshly washed jeanshaiku in the pocket
are also clean
laundry hung outthe old cat and I
sit together
a day of sunshinecaught on a clothes line
covers the bed
spring cleaningthe last of the lint
in my navel
rotting April snowthe refrigerator defrosts
automatically
fog rolls inbare windows curtained
with sea green silk
seaside housein a sunny cornerwaves of warmth
incoming tidemoving the chairs
to the porch
shopping
scene from the steeplea field of umbrellashas come to market
soap bubbles
breath takingliquid air swirled rainbows
in soap bubbles
faint shadowson the earth at eclipse
soap bubbles
wedding
grandmother's shawlwrapping it about her shoulders
she decides to marry
torn silkblown into a mistBridal Veil Falls
buying a moonstonewith a bogus check
the wedding gift
wedding ceremonyshaping his hand
into a club
weeding
liver of lambtomorrow will weed
hills of potatoes
earth cools the woodof a smooth handled hoe
even song
wild grassesunable to escapethe chopping hoe
wind chimes
dawnwind chimes melody
by a light breeze
SPRING Animals
abalone
shades of art decolying on the beach
abalone shells
mouthsdissolving rock faces
abalone
colors of seafoamin the abalonea cup of fog
anemone
tides turninganemone
open
barnacles
designing barnaclesfoam on the shore
of shells
bees
still stingingyesterday's bee
dead
bees at the oasisbringing desert sun
in to drink
bee linesexciting the airbetween flowers
beetles
a bulldozerthe small black bug
backs up
baby birds
breakfastfat lips of baby birds
open the day
picnic in the woodspapa brings a prize bug
to baby birds
baby rabbits
morning magic shownow you see the baby rabbits
now you don't
the ears of a rabbitaglow in the morning sun
and down a hole
birds
sunriseon the ridge a white ring
around a bird's eye
birdsfilled with air
fly into it
the tempest returnsto a rain puddlea bathing bird
bird feathers
bird feathersin the night sound
spring rain
fading the colorsof a peacock feather
an iris blooms
joined by listeningthe breath of disciples
in baby birds
bird song
above the snowat the level of bird song
spring begins
from afara bird's beak opening
the gentle air
adding scrollworkto a summer morning
bird song
white sparksfrom a bird's beak
the first notes
air of rainfilled with drops
of bird song
bird calltwo notes
of my pulse
between rocksat low tidebird song
first lightin dawn's forest
a bird peeps
geometry of birdsin the clearing a triangle
of call to call
the guru speaksthe microphone picks up
bird song
bird songnights
where you touch me
bird songthe wordless poems
of early morning
sunsetthe last light
bird song
thunder smashingbird song against the earth
petals on the ground
twilightthe calls of birds
growing dark
blackbirds - red-winged
blackbirdstying cattails
to the sky
not yet springa blackbird leaves a branch
shivering
bluebirds
dawn songthe sky lightened
by bluebirds
blue jays
raindropsthe pitter-patter
of blue jays
borderingthe wooded path
blue jay cries
caterpillar
my eyethe spot on the larva's back
where wings emerge
cat
dry scrapingcat paws on a wooden floor
early morning rain
my chairtoo small for the catby a tail and a leg
two feet plus two feetthe cat jumps down
to the chair's four feet
all the edgesof a yellow cat
all cat
free-to-a-good-hometurns out to befull of kittens
in the darkthe young catfull of kittens
a yellow catstalking the coward
in the mirror
pacemakerold puss purrson his chest
toothbrushesthe swish of cat claw
in attack
listening to Mozartwith her tail over her nose
the cat's ears flatten
the kittenless cather uneasiness at dusk
petted by grandma
a radianceclinging to the ends
of cat hair
black and jaggedin the yellow cat's mouth
a mewing bird
curled up asleepthe cat after eating
a snake
paint brushesLilac the cat drinks
rose water
the catwants in and out
April snow
moving tall grasson a wind-rippled hill
cat fur
bird songeaten by the silence
of a cat
the guru speaksa cat climbs a ladder
to sit on the roof
open windowthe cat stares into space
as the guru speaks
the guru murmurstwo cats fight
over a dead bird
violin concertthe cat scratches her tummy
and walks out
Beethoven's Fifththe cat gives birthto another kitten
looking the samethe now-tuned harp
well-fed cat
paw printcatching the morning sun
in wet sand
a sitting cather one eye reading
my book
white whiskersa spray of milk
on a pink tongue
a cat dreamingher striped tail switches
into a snake
the old cattoo sick
to cover it up
a sliver moonsinking into delirium
the sick cat
among the starsunseen planets
the cat dies
cats in love
up and downon wooden stairs
cats in love
howling desert windsin salt cedar trees
mating cats
howling tomcatstwo old guys discussing
impotence
chicks
bulgingwithin an egg the chick's
blind eye
chickadees
sprinklesbetween raindrops
chickadees
cormorant
a black rockthe sea wave explodesa crown of cormorants
cows
leaving cowson a sea cliff meadow
a tiny man
sea cliff meadowsheavy fog lifting
two ... no, ten cows
crab
crab ballson the menu - no wonder
they walk funny
crane
raising his foota crane scatters stars
sunk in the pond
cuckoo
knowing of cuckoosI refuse to send to hera Mother's Day card
eagle
tense neck muscleswatching the eagle
in morning's swift flight
eggs
within this eggfestival of the seventh day
a heart beats
fawn
morningwearing the gentle colors
of baby deer
thunderstormcovered with a caul
the fawn is born
after a thunderstormdrops slide down her flanks
the fawn is born
firefly
lightningfireflies peek at themselves
in a puddle
fish
a waning moonscales of a ling cod
fly from a knife
carp bannersin the slipstream
of spring
youngthe lily pads you can see through
white koi fish
river ripplesin the tiniestfish scales
finches
chirping here and therefinches draw magic diagrams
in the spring air
frogs
a rain barreloverflowing
one frog
ocean's roara sound in the frog's mouth
home again
billowingfrog voices in spring air
damask curtains
scattered cloudsshaped by frogs
croaking
twilightneither night nor day
frogs and bats
abandoned theaterthe moon spotlights
a frog-prince
in the shallowsa child learns to swim
by frog eyes
frogssitting in the river
all of us
creaking voicefrog joints as stiff as mine
rainy days
pond ripplesheartbeat of a frozen frog
warms again
a new puddlefrogs joiningold star light
frog silencepond shadow
in my ear
monks chantingonly at first are they
still temple frogs
frogsnaming the first stars
aloud
quiet watersfrogs all listening
to my shower
leaping into the riverthe frog watches me
still as a rock
grunion
floating the moonthe silver tide of grunion
ride on the beach
gulls
sea gullssoaring above cliffs
freshly painted
morning lightfrom dark rock crevices
gull wings
roundsa sea gull circles
surf songs
high windsblowing gulls
into blue-white
hermit crabs
ebb tideshells walking into the sea
hermit crabs
a hermit crabhaving for breakfast
someone else
borrowed shelltaking home a fluted whelk
and hermit crab
heifers
taste of butterheifers in the meadow
sunshine flowers
hummingbirds
spinning mobilehome to hummingbirds
unmoved
humming bird wingsthe rhododendron blossom
that flutters
killdeer
waiting for the wavethe killdeer practices
his cry of surprise
kitten
curtainscalico
with kittens
lambs
twin lambsnewborn in the wide meadow
stand touching
eveningclimbing a gentle hill
lamb and mother
the crysleet turning to snow
a newborn lamb
sheep foldssqueezing out
a newborn lamb
parting fogon wind barren meadows
birth of a lamb
larks
rivers to the seabending with the songs
of meadow larks
shell-veinedbreast of a lark swelling
sea cliff meadows
soaringthe bird out flies
its name
larva
bubbleslarva in pond scum
fly away
limpets
cold windon the beach only limpets
feel at home
migrating birds' return
whispering welcometo our winter-weary selves
returning geese
milk goats
goats to be milkedlower under heavy skies
bucket cloudy white
minnows
minnowsrippling river sandtwo-year old toes
springminnows patterned
by fallen leaves
a point of landout in the river
a minnow
moth
cloudy dawnon my pillow
moth wing dust
nest
in a mouse nestone pink nose
on a cat
spring floodstiny fishes swimming by
a bird's nest
nestfilled with spring time
eggs
forming eggsthe roundness of a breast
in a nest
silencearound a bird
the nest
lady carpenterby her house the bluebird
builds her nest
within a shelleggs laid warmin a hollow nest
nightingale
shadows hatchednightingales
in morning light
oyster
oyster barbecuea mother of six watches
the pile of shells
pony
moving into the sunthe pony takes with himsome mountain shadow
feeding her poniesall of her stories
the precious hours
the pony's pathgood luck signs
each step
spring windsrunning over the pasture
lift the pony's tail
puppies
free puppies' eyesin dirty store windows
filmy blue
ebb tidea young puppy searching
for place to pee
robin
blushing a bitthe rising spring sunon the robin's breast
at the bird feederrobins fighting
over wives
she doesn't noticea child with the doll carriage
the mother robin
a robin singsas if it was he
who planted the garden
rooster
a rooster crowsby just that muchthe day is longer
salamanders
tiny salamandera look as long and ancient
as your mating
sea shells
silencefrom a sea shella heart's mirror
a whorled shellpale ear pressed in sand
surf sounds
in one skyx-ray photos of sea shells
wet wisps of fog
sea lions
sea lions barkand then turn back
the sea is pink
sea lions barktheir breath comes ashore
as mist
shorn sheep
into the sunny meadowshorn sheep covered
with night cold
after the stormsmall waves on sea meadows
meek sheep
days of the weeksheep enter the fold
of night
white waves splashon the hillside
scattered sheep
slugs
sleeping lateon the doorstep
two slugs
waiting for rainthe slow way slugs
make love
snails - land
a phi-based spiralunwinds a snail's
slippery path
snails - sea
periwinklessigning secret names
in wet sand
snake
following a snakethe river wiggles
down canyon
squatters rightsdebated by the snake
in the lettuce
nervousthe thin weed touched
by a snake
winding the roada snake
into a flat tire
sparrows
a twitternest-building sparrows
a passing shower
spider - spring
door chimesthe spring spider moves
eight legs
rainbowssunlight segmentedby a spring spider
starfish
a day moonon glistening low-tide rocks
golden starfish
lying on the beacharms spread - legs together
a starfish
sailingto dream the dreams
of starfish
curve of the seafitting into the dome of sky
starfish
starfishseeing blue skyfor the first time
stork
storks have returnedsuddenly this old barn roof
brooding
swallows
home againfluttering in the eaves
barn swallows
spotlessly cleanthe swallow's nest
made of mud
from the broken bellthe chatter of swallows
nest building
tadpoles
dark barrelsun in the tadpole's mouth
metamorphosing
on the same daytadpoles get their hind legs
bulging eyes
clouds on the pondpopped by kisses of tadpoles
coming up for air
termites
strange facesin wind-curved cypress
termites
ticks
fresh pickeda bouquet of flowers alive
with ticks
thrush
pouring dropsfrom pitcher to inkstone
a thrush sings
rain fallingthe thrush pulls up a worm
inch by inch
SPRING Plants
apple blossoms
light carried in my armsapple blossoms from a neighbor
on my doorstep
clusters talkingtogether in admiration
apple blossoms
sun transformedinto apple blossomsthe ground is level
the dam is brokenspring cascades into valleys
as apple blossoms
apple trees
apple treesdead white before flowering
fuzzy buds
spring sunshinetoo-early guests waitunder budding trees
abandoned orcharddesert apple trees bloom
pioneer spirits
beans
pea soup lunchout in garden rows
planting beans
beeches
without rainbeech leaves unfolding
slick and shiny
blossoms
knotted fragranceon spring bare branches
blossoms
cloud blossomsbrush strokes between clusters
story-telling branch
silencein the blind wind's dance
blossoms
moonlightamong blossoming trees
a white parasol
silencethe blossoms
dance
bracken
a cascadebracken sprouts unroll
spring
budding birches
snowy mountainsgreen shadows of budding
birches
mountain curvesunfolding in new green
birches
white and thinthe light of springwhere buds dare
budding limbsclouds raked
into new trees
bushes
without a wordeach man goes outdoors
talks to the bushes
late springlawn dwarfs disappearing
into a leafy bush
buds
shapes of spacea flower folded
in a bud
California poppy
expanding the warmththe first poppies
in spring sunshine
calla lily
dizzyat the end of its spiral
calla lily whiteness
late springa dried-up streambed
full of lilies
on all four sidesof the long-gone shack
calla lilies
cherry blossoms
mountain hollowin the radiance of fog
cherry blossoms
hearing bellscherry blossoms shaken
by a breeze
cherry blossomsfirelight comes down
to bare earth
fragrantthe sound of cherry blossoms
rattled by wind
laceon her Sunday dress
cherry blossoms
cherry treesin full bloom he photographs
his fat wife
amidst the cherrieshe photographs his wifethe pimple on her nose
cherry blossomstheir only warmthcool in moonlight
still beautifulthe barren woman admires
flowering cherry
a young beautycherry trees bloomafter transplanting
putting smileson cherry blossoms
photographers
balloon mancherry blooms float
on tree-trunk strings
spring sunshinefloating among cherry trees
gay balloons
ahthe exhaled breath of tourists
cherry flow-ers
shaming the ladiesin bright colored clothes
cherry blossoms
cherry blossomsa truck goes by advertising
"Wonder Bread"
cherry blossomspermitting picnickers
a fragrant lunch
a childoffers the cherry flowers
a bite
after viewing cherrieshe blows up a paper sack
and pops it
a bee alightson a page of poems
cherry blossoms
across the bordersoldiers and a cherry tree
relatives of mine
cherry budding
a spring napdownstream cherry trees
in bud
cherry petals
a long journeysome cherry petals
begin to fall
garden waterfallcherry petals float to earth
in the sound
beacon for beesa pink and white fan
of cherry petals
the fragrancefilling empty lunch boxes
cherry petals
waterfallscherry petals
also
clogging the streamthe scent of cherry petals
in the air
old couple sleepingunder trees twined together
cherry petals
turning to leavecherry petals flutter around
departing guests
in the remote valleyspring arrives with hail
bruised petals
a fireabove sun-warmed bricks
cherry petals
pencil poisednothing on the paper
but cherry petals
evening cloudstinted pink in clusters
of cherry petals
weeping willowsover the stream clogged
with petals
cherry trees
vacant skiescherry trees bloomall the white light
pale skiescherry trees capture
all the white light
tree trunksdark nails hold festival posters
cherry time
scarred trunksof cherry treesa bee walks on
cherry tree trunkstwisted tapers with white light
flower fire
Yoshino cherry treesnodding over a book
borrowed from the library
a cooling breezeYoshino cherry trees
in Santa Rosa
lace on blue skywearing nothing under
cherry trees
daffodils
old man nappingin spring sunshine at noon
daffodils nod too
mile markersdaffodils gone wild
on highway one
rejection slipthe daffodil remains
unmoved
rainy dayspilling out of a pitcher
daffodil sunshine
daisy
sea fogthe far meadow dusted
with daisies
dandelions
spring warmthdandelions bloom
more suns
in the shadea spot of sun
a stray dandelion
ferns
under fernsthe roar of the creek
seeping in
first flowers
bowing on short stemsflowers first day of spring
in the wind
flowers
rain coloredby the light falling
into a flower
bedtimesea winds laid inclosed flowers
footprintsin cracks of granite rocks
flowers
blushed with pollenher nose in a flower
wet on purpose
forget-me-not
tiny blue stonespaving the path to you
forget-me-nots
fuchsias
morning sunfinding the fuchsia
already pink
gardens
garden dreamingthe many shapes and colors
with fragrance
grass - new
March snowfootprints turning back
into grass
new grassechoing from yard to yard
lawn mowers
green
greenthe knowing name
of glen spirits
redwoodwhen one is cutgreen sprouts
spirit dwellingholes in rocks
sprouting green
hawthorn
hawthorn hedgerowon new-ploughed earth
scattered petals
iris
a roundnesspushing outward
the iris opens
this iris opensthe furled flagof other worlds
blooming/witheringon one straight stalk
iris
a ballerinaunfolding the iris
other music
never known to beesthe iris withers in rooms
of a maiden aunt
on a stalkthe butterfly wings
an iris
waiting with itone iris withers
evening
openingthe iris
the poem
iris bloomingthe seventh one opens
differently
skyentering the iris
as it opens
eyesenter the irisopen wide
a breezebumping blossoms
bees
folding paperthe faded iris
withers
shape-changingin the witch's eye
an iris opens
archingthe iris opens
a rainbow
spreading sepalsone more poemopens the iris
windfallthe broken iris blooms
high in a vase
iris bloomsleaving the clear calyx
its purple touch
messages movingwithout muscles
iris fragrance
a blue cupon the table an iris
half open
fading the colorsof a peacock feather
an iris blooms
applausesepals of the iris
unclapping
eyes in secret placesdeep in the purple middle
of an iris
eyeson the purple petals
of iris
eyesentering the iris
half-closed
trinity inblue, gold and purple
iris
listening for purplethe iris opens
with a pop
a shared shapeiris leaves
swollen with buds
purple bluewithout moving a muscle
the iris opens
all maleeven when in bloom
bearded iris
blue irispool rippled water
in the leaves
her angerpainting the iris black
the child in her
lupine
sea side meadowsocean's lupine
a deeper purple
last lightthe brightness of lupine
growing low
lettuce
home-grown lettucethe taste of well water
green
lilac
a hillunder a cloud
of lilac
between the fieldsa break in the evening mist
three lilac bushes
lilies
lightburied in a bulb
lilies
magnolia
snow meltingmagnolia buds
higher
mimosa
sunlighttaking just one spray
of mimosa
miner's lettuce
two sides of a pondhere miner's lettucethere a skim of ice
narcissus
sea cliff meadowsthe bull sneezes
narcissus
new leaves
silencecolumns of earth sprouting
new leaves
springmorning finds a new sign
on every leaf
leafing treesin evening's purple glow
no longer bare
fillinga spring-flooded river
new green leaves
edges of oakextended by new leaves
bright as blossoms
sea windpushing up the mountain
new green leaves
pale lightcool in the dim forest
new leaves
onion sets
planting onion setsthe roar of surf
that much louder
onions plantedpushed into soft earth
bombs in Libya
pansies
pansiesin a canning jar
baby photos
peeping through snowthe folded up faces
of pansies
peas
winter endsa row of peas covered
with earth
plum blossoms
plum blossomsthe smell of white sheets
with white...
plum blossomsa fragrance in the air
star-shaped
plum treeremembering us
that time
plum treethrowing off its bareness
pure white perfume
where sleep the birdswith dry feathers
a white-plum night
primrose
primrosedthe spring sun
among green leaves
days measuredby wild primrose clocks
crocus calendars
radishes
in the mailboxa bunch of radishes
from a neighbor
roots of radishessand caught in tiny hairs
her laughing lips
pussy willows
gone fishingthe only takerspussy willows
redbud
bed springs creakby snow-melt freshets
a redbud branch
rhododendron
far from mallscity women in the woods
pick rhododendron
It's Maythe somber pine forest
pink with rhodies
mountain bouquetthe whole forest full
of rhodies
raindropsopening rhododendrons
at dusk
outdoor showerrhododendrons stare
at my nipples
leave the laundryrhododendrons can be
our bright colors
chattering visitorsfinally silent beforethe rhododendron
fogthe first rhodie
fades
after bloomingthe rhododendron bushessink back into the woods
roots
root circlea pool of water
growing in a tree
dark soilpushed from a seed
a blind root
spring raina dance with tiny stepsof tree roots growing
rose
white rose petalstransparent in the night sky
a not-round moon
fragrancetied in a knot
rosebuds
curlingpainted roses
where the roof leaks
safflower
a field of safflowerthere at the top of the hill
leaning on the sky
saplings
dead cypressin its wind-shadow
saplings
transplantedsaplings from the far ridge
all these thoughts
scotch broom
between rainshowers the slanted rays
of the scotch bloom
sea weed
escaping springtangled in sea weed
a sharp smell
blue sky held bystill wet laver leaves
held by a rock
seeds
under the earthnewly planted seedspart of the moonrise
seedlings
seedlinglarger by a drop of water
caught on its leaf
an arched backthe seedling bursts
into the light
shepherd's purse
shepherd's pursegrowing as highas my hip pocket
strawberries
bending lowa heart leans to the soil
picking strawberries
tendrils
early morningvine tendrils curl and hold
the day still
trees
river veinsand tree root muscles
green leaf skin
trees held togetherupright white pillars
of light
silence in woodbetween the growing
rings
everything greenyet some trees naked
with moss
cold light of dayit makes the trees stop
night whispers
whirlpoolsfrom earth to sky
tree sap
trillium
deep in the woodsthe May month trillium
deep in a dream
tulips
tulip fieldsthe elegance of folk
wearing wooden shoes
standing beforea wide field of flowers
one tulip
bright by the candlethe tulips alsoare burning
wild flowers
picking wild flowersthe early spring sun
in my hand
wild flowersabandoned by the road
a strange car
sea fragrancerising from the cliff
breath of wild flowers
desertwild flower colors
all rock
a meadowmade by a violinwild flower notes
wild lilac
puffs of smokelogging trucks' exhaust
among wild lilac
hillsidesclouds in the bushes
of wild lilac
lost on the mountainthe smell of wild lilac
sickening sweet
wild mustard
sunshinecaught by wild mustard
passed to the gorse
wild plum
ancestorsthe wild plumblooms again
willows
timeunmeasured by willows
swaying
water-dowsingthe willows tremble
in spring floods
slanted sunshinethe river breaks and dapples
beneath the willows
spring rainsthe willow strings
raindrops
long hard rainhanging in the willows
tender new leaves
springhigh in the willows
flood waters
wind murmuringas it spreads pollenthe arched willow
nude beachthe first ones out
pussy willows
spring bare sunby winter's high waters
willows laid low
water witchingwillow wandsbend the river
willow shadowsthe length of a napon the river bank
contrailspussy willows fluff
in spring skies
moraine crevassesa line of willows
winding the creek
river willowheavy drops onglistening wands
willow branchesholding together
raindrops
April stormsgreen willow wands
sweeping snow
young leaves
spring rainyoung leaves the fragrance
of moistened soil
This ends the SPRING section of A Dictionary of Haiku by Jane Reichhold.
SUMMER Moods
being loved
wind perfumedfrom a woman's shoulder
desert night
after loving
leaving the beachonly she has sand
on her back
sandwhere lovers laid
a shallow depression
summer sundrops of sweat mingle
with sperm
eyelids closedthe naked sleepers
curled into fish
lying nakedopen to summer stars
this old couple
the whole bedyet he lays his head
in my hand
sea foghiding morning-mussed hair
places you've kissed
sweeping the floorsunrise on papers
left by lovers
anger
he's angry againalone on the porch
with a red star
hot airhis arguments
on my face
crumpled silenceafter the argument
moth wings
our angry silenceold faithful geyserblows off steam
this heatthe harp tooout of tune
the neighbor ladyscolding her child
is also god
being lazy
picking up sleepwhere you left it at dawn
afternoon nap
sun from the eastocean waves from the west
our entertainment
dancing
dancing on the beachI jab a stick into the sky
to break up the blue
white dancein the beach walk skirt
folds of moonlight
I come to you clothedonly in the dampness of fog
and our dancing
delight in the new
hard glancesthe sun on the sea
a virile man
sheshowing him a sea cave
and more
almond nailspressed into brown skin
a faint perfume
moon lightshouses of hermit crabs
my damp blanket
desire to travel
star pathsthe tender roots
of passion
voicesbridging the stream
stepping stones
your voicetying me to the desert
toast pops up
airport phone callthe heart leaveswithout luggage
flyingthe mountains bend down
to our meeting
dread of autumn
koi dart and hidefrom the net dippedcoming of autumn
departing summerand when it's gone
the river's low
one leaf floatsin the sand castle's moat
end of summer
circus acrobatscome to the end of summer
leaping and falling
dreaming
asleep in a boatto dream the dreams
of water lilies
desert nightsthe clarity of dreams
warm and real
dream dancersleeping without a pillow
on scarred boards
remembering a dreamand then the circus
was over
eyes closedknowing by heart
the rest
– for Virgilio
–
enjoyment
days so completewords become the calls of birds
the high tide wind
only borrowedthis summer day
this beach
wet silkcupping her breast
night river
outdoor showerbathed in sun colors
of hot water
slipping into the poolnaked divides the night
sun-warmed waters
gentle nightsof desert wind
a woman's breast
touching myselfyour nameon my lips
placing the fluteagainst her lips something
slips into place
fickleness
British puban unfaithful man blows
suds from his beer
getting into bedthe stranger
even browner
eating melonbites given on the point
of his knife
fullness
the blood circlemother and daughter wading
in the surf
I'm not oldall night my eyes have held
the ancient stars
with the ocean's roarI climb the hills home
not alone
sweeping bare floorsthe summer empty cabin
very full
happiness
glowinga flag unfurls
native happiness
long summer dayhow many animals
I've been
on a bright sunny daycomes your smiling face
light added to light
just two starsyet our eyes are closed
in ecstasy
high cliffthe heart beats the blue sky
like a flaying stick
kissing
kissingtogether in a glassour toothbrushes
desert kisseshotter
than ever before
morning stars fadewaking a small bird
our lips
laughter
summer nightempty mountain road filled
with our laughter
- for Kenichi Sato
laughter added to the heatmy lover's farts can't kill
mosquitoes
angel wingspropelled through the air
by laughter
loving
tonguetastingpink
shapespure light the face
of a loved one
blue spotstattooed with love
from his teeth
loverspulse of fire godsin bubbling waters
loverscradled in caves
lovers
hot tonguesthe little language
of lovers
loversthe lamplighted lane
a way away
nightsthe grove of little trees
swollen with lovers
moon white waterlovers in the secret cove
Saturday night
just as tangledpaths in the berry patch
lovers
loversheat of a summer night
fill the moon
making lovethe unevenness of boards
on the porch
skintouchingwhispers
a butterflyfrom your finger
light touches
following wet tracksinto the secret garden
he enters
hovering humsmosquitoes watch us
making love
memories
packingbetween unworn shirts
sea sounds
moments of foreverbeach day chitin
fossil in lava
gazing into firesseals in my mind
wind-water pictures
red marksfrom your white teeth
mosquito bites
curving sandstone cliffsthe yellow school buswhere time stands still
memoriesover a river of sunlight
a time bridge
oneness
the narrow bedwe breath each other
all afternoon
on bare armsthe noon-day sun melted
hot metal sweet
before the summer stormrises the close smell
of two skins
after payingthe whore seems to be
someone's sister
applausescenery painted
by a one-armed boy
openness
company's comingover-friendly flies
buzzing at the door
prostitutenow a freeway rest area
her mother's home
outdoor fun
finally it's Fridaythe passion flower bloomswrinkling the bedspread
crawling on the bedtendrils of passion flowers
thick on the porch
shadows of leavescover the open holesher flute forgotten
the sun and hungerwatches without winding
on a summer day
panic
tourist fearthe ocean will ruinLand's End clothes
clasped handsholding the nervousness in
his thumbs
in rain in sunhow do you run from your hours
window box zinnia?
shelling peasthe pregnant woman asks
"Is forty old?"
silencein a knot hole
stares
pride
traveling throughBasho in your town
you in mine
- for Kenichi Sato
relaxed
beach partylosing in the sandher many years
a world closedthe roar of surfplugs my ears
quiet eveningall the wind
back in the flute
on vacationthe summer sun
far out to sea
relief
summer starsfinding all the familiar things
edged with morning
campfire embersall the demons nearly gone
in the morning sun
distance softensand rounds the hills
our relationship
satisfaction
his penis in herlightning strikes
very close
a gentle rainin me
your poems
curve of a waveholding perfecta summer day
satisfactionthe cooling breeze
between lovers
my headresting on the pillow
of your voice
we share these hoursgifts with many small parts
complete together
beaches where no one goestheir share of sand
gentle waves
tiny cabindistant shelter of woods
and sky within me
temptation
caught between rocksseaweed in the rising tide
seems to wave to me
smooth sandfollowing wavesback to the sea
tired
summer wearythe sky leans down an arch
of cypress
asleepholding your breath
in my hand
wanting to be loved
beach-blownmy sea-foam bodyawaits your hand
hot nightlegs spread wide
where sleep should be
neon lights blinkglances pass underneath
dark lashes
hung over the bedthe unpainted painting
mosquito netting
SUMMER Occasions
circus
swirling dustexcitement flickers
within the tent
circusred flags flutter
hearts
acrobatsunfolding the circus tent
first
outdoor circusin the center ring
a butterfly
juggling sunshineon clapping handslittle red hearts
outdoor circussun on the brightest costumes
fading
family circusacrobats lifted high
on joined hands
championon the flying trapeze
a butterfly
hearts flyingon the high trapezea blond young man
trapeze artistscatching the sun
each other
mountain villagein the one-ring circus
a balance act
jugglerthe children's eyes
in his hands
juggling illusionsthe circus manwith many balls
circus bleachersold enemies crowd
close together
circusbackstage the heateveryone squirms
tinsel flashunder shiny sweat
goose bumps
magic actwondering where the scarf went
when the wind blew
high wire acton the ground children dance
arms outstretched
intermissionall the real clowns stand up
and smile
between actsthe quiet musicof bowing trees
clown actwithout a tent
the wind as wild
part of the jokeclapping for stagehands
who fix the pole
empty morning lightthe trampled grass circle
of the circus tent
dog days
dog daysa bitch in heatlaceless shoes
Flag Day
a field of starssquare and curvedthe American flag
sea windscutting into a blue sky
a square of flag
Fourth of July
Independence Dayall the fireworks
in your eyes
sparklersin the night sky
stars
sun burntand from fireworks
star-crazy
patriotsetched in their eyes
sparklers
sea shellsand sky rocketsbeach holiday
another wavethe last sparkler
a bent wire
Independence Daythe empty flagpole
poking stars
Independence Daythe lower road bridge
collapses
two crowsand a sea gull having someone
else's picnic
Independence Daythe county courthouse
blown sky-high
-Point Arena's Hall of Justice
Independence Daythe parade majorettewith the shorter skirt
holidaya marshmallow windon browning bodies
5th of Julythe portable ice chest
drying inside out
school's out
a single momthe paper days until
school is out
summer breezethe shouts out of school
children again
summer skiesthe clearness of children's voices
out of school
school picnicsomeone very young teaches him
to boogie
school picnicthe ticket seller raises her fingers
as she adds
Summer Solstice
Mid-summer's Evelately bracken fern
invisible
mid-summerday and night balanced
no wind
a broken shoe stringsummer begins
barefoot
holes in the hammockthoughts run throughmy mind unfiltered
black pineagainst the never dark sky
Mid-summer's Eve
Midsummer's Eveher brief white gownshortens the night
Tanabata- a Japanese holiday to celebratestars and romance
Tanabataand beside me tonight
an empty pillow
vacation
seaside vacationunwinding the kite string
unwinding
in desert sandcinder temples seem to be
from China
Grand Canyontourists sucked out of California
by a big hole
Grand Canyondeeper with each camera click
the tourists' smile
in the roarof Yosemite Falls photos
kids' scared smiles
under Cathedral Spirestwo ancient Sequoias
and a trash bin
quacking duckson my favorite beach
tourists coming
clouds come and gojust as quickly on the beach
tourists
Lake Tahoetired eyes stare down
at a tiny rivulet
desert povertyeven dirt has been left
in the casino
bare topsDeath Valley tourists
on a hot day
touristsoverlooking Badwater
each with a Coke
tourists in ItalyPan's pipes and the Crucifix
in one museum
out-of-season touristsat San Juan Capistrano
hummingbirds
scenic spotsfull of a centuryof tourists' eyes
mountain gorgebefore the great view falling
asleep
snobbish hotelthe rusty old cars
of employees
around the pooltheir nipples exposed
men!
mountain rivershriveled to harmlessness
summer tourists
surf soundsthen my motel neighbor
turns off the shower
lying on the bedlayered with other lives
motel night
motel morningthe strange bird's songin another migration
vacationfinally relaxingfog dissolves
vacation endsone last splash of a wave
I am gone too
SUMMER Celestial
afternoon
drowsy-coloredthe summer afternoon
weighs nothing
air
desert airinvisible smoke of sagebrush
clear
softnessdesert air flows
through giant rocks
breeze
coming to sea cliffsthe off-shore breeze raises
a flower fragrance
cloud
beach tent billowsin the summer blue
white clouds
desert soundsout of the sun's way
clouds moving
morning downpourraised to new heights
afternoon clouds
dancing lightsclouds sprinkle the sun
across water
cloudscolored by open wall
a driftwood lair
curving with the landa rainbow of cloudsmoves out to sea
ocean cloudshere and therea sailor's wish
sea cloudsfilm long exposed toa white water river
shell-shapedthe highest peaks
swirl clouds
majestic peaksmaking majestic clouds
we shield our eyes
cloudscanyon wallsof Yosemite
thunderrolling up the mountain
great white clouds
after the rainbreathing deeply
white valley clouds
western peaksthe last clouds
set afire
coolness
between boardsshadows on a sunny porch
a slender coolness
lightrippling the lakewith coolness
the August moonrises with the coolness
of a thunderstorm
daylight
daylightin paths of falling stars
flights of birds
day moon
aloneclimbing the afternoon peaks
the day moon
day stars
sparklingon bright water
unseen day stars
dawn
first lightpouring into lava mountains
cloud red
dawnwith the light
winds
dew
morning sunthe twinkle of stars
still in the dew
downpour
sudden downpournow we outdoor folks
own a waterbed
drought
drought whitea withered tree hangs
over the bath tub
unearthlysilence of a drought year
drying
constipationfrom dry desert winds
only farts
rustling on the roofleaves of a drought year
in the rain gutter
fog
behind mefog closes in
the Golden Gate
ocean foghangs in the pine trees
a white hammock
sunrise findsfog in the valleysfingers in sand
fogthe sun and I shout
the morning
evening foga door slams
softly
heat
crackle of paperan afternoon of shopping
the heat
hot nightsleep too
has melted
heat shimmer
vibrating crystalsthe heat
moving mountains
heat waves
heat wavesbringing to the desert
an ocean view
heat wavethe nautilus shell
unwinds
horizon
a high wavebumping the horizon
curled by blue
eveningdrawing a line of pink
mountains
on the horizonwaves by the buoy
bump the sky
hot day
incoming tidecovers sun blackened rocks
with a hot day
sun in a toweldrying a wet body
the hot day
light
summer lightspun into a handmade rug
lambs wool
gazing at sunsetthe dark road home
filled with light
last lightrising out of the cliff
seven gulls
today's lightgoes into the seaan open window
lightning
power lineslacing the skywith electricity
out of darknessthat covers stars
lightning
forked lightningthe river begins
in the sky
car lights curvenights along the coast
flashes of lightning
in a streaklightning across the floor
a scorpion
long day
long daywaiting for the cove
to fill with water
longer daythe sun lingersin the warmth
moonlight
moonlightunfolded from clean sheets
covers the bed
moonlighta child's high voiceabove the darkness
morning
pink and bluebirth of ocean-sky
morning
nearly awakesea-gathered morning
on sleeping faces
morning lightthings of the day
taking shape
morning lightthe open eyes
of basket shadows
springing upinto colorful cliffs
morning sun
morning windseases the slender moon
from the ridge
noon
noon cloudson lava mountains
burned shapes
noon cloudsa dark spirit shape
on lava buttes
noon sunstraight downthe steep cliff
noonturning low hills
into clouds
noon-day sunrolling the fog out to sea
the round ball
night
as nightthe bump and thump
of ocean waves
night lightsin the secret covemoonlit sea foam
nightsshowing us inside
mountains
desert lakenight enters the blue
coolness
evening skiesin a high mountain lake
open to night
nightsa window
to another world
partly cloudy
partly cloudypacking the few things
to leave the ocean
rains
summer rainsthe umbrella also
wet waiting for you
vacationthe weather report
all wet
summer rainsdrumming
your fingers in me
rain stopswe sleep
still dripping
whisper of rainon a sunny day the surf
wets my feet
late summer rainsurprising
an open window
rain lets upcolors come to life
with a breath of wind
rainbow
cloudscurved in sea foam
rainbows
waterfallcompleting the rainbow
a woman's body
waterfallcoming apart
rainbows
rainbow houracross the lake
mountains of sun
out of a waverainbows of high tide
arching wind
rain clouds
under rain cloudsthe far valley full of light
at sunset
broken rain cloudsone sunset slips
into another
broken rain cloudsslanted sunset lightmoving mountains
low cloudsskirting the mountain
a line of white
ragged rain cloudsblurring the sharpness
of lava peaks
rain drops
sweeping the porchbright prints of raindrops
followed by splashes
desert washvariegated stones speckled
with raindrops
hot humid dayin a sudden breeze
raindrops of wind chimes
windin a dry riverbed
raindrops
rising sun
towers of rising sunspread over the dark lake
wispy clouds
short night
short nightcolors of a sighing
in the wind
sky
painting skiessoft hills brush clouds
warm colors
evening colorsfire rock mountains
enter the sky
evening skiesthe pink of hills rises
above them
evening blueshadows from the hills
float to the sky
without starsthe sky eases pink
into the lake
drifting out to seasky colors warmed
in the hills
between the two elmshow that patch of blue changes
in the high wind
south wind
a south windthe yellow cat lies down
under a chair
solar eclipse
fire-white haloat the moment of eclipse
I notice your face
solar dustvisible during eclipse
all over the room
dappled forest floorthe eclipsed sun
in a myriad of leaves
under treesa thousand crescent suns
eclipsed by leaves
stars
spindriftfalling into the sea
stars
between starsharp chords stringing
unearthly lights
sleeplessanother bright star descends
into sea mist
glass in granitetide pools glitter
stars
all the starsat my feet
the flashlight wavers
crossing darknessof deep space
each star
flat sea nightfaint wake of clear eyes
gazing star to star
Venus and the moonin conjunction with
my blankets and me
twinkling with laughterstars
my old flashlight
low desert campfirea shower of sparks
again stars
white waterthe path to the valley
full of stars
a window openson the midnight sea
all the stars
a shower of starsdampened by the roar
of a wave
a rimof wild foaming surf
crab nebula
high windsstars spinning byin perfect circles
Venuswatching you sleep
with me
into the seaa shower of starsdark edge of land
night skyso filled with stars
gulls do sleep
open windowstars drift inon sea mist
starsin a basket broken
on white stones
my staring eyescreating in the night skyone star after another
starsscratched in the night
light wheels
sunsetthe show begins
with stars
velvet nightsthe desert windwarm with stars
a blazeout of the big dipper
a shooting star
sharing the nightatop a remote mountain
the brightest star
extinguisheda candle leaves the night
filled with stars
summer nightevery staralso hot
hot nightall the stars out
naked
counting starsthese two small eyes
close in sleep
night of starson her lips hisstars of night
twinkling starssplashes of lighton dark wet oars
August nightthe melon moon seeding
the stars
riddlesthe starsanswer
woods so stillone can hear the stars
burning close
storm
storm purple hillsgrass green hills pinnedwith a wet blue fence
summer moon
summer moonfeeling our lovewarm the night
summer moonin our eyes
only each other
summer moonlistening to our words
hides in the pines
summer moon-viewingkids squat in a circle
to knuckle-shoot marbles
meeting the moonon ash meadows
summer hiker
melted a holethe moon slipped in
a summer sky
summer moonon the tails of fireflies
fire flies
summer moona jar of fireflies
by a sleeping child
hot weatherthe inflated moon rises
in the heat
sun
seaside sunburnished by waves
salt air
hot tuba blazing sun
enters the ocean
rolling east to westthe desert sun flattens
low hills
cooling shadowsthe curve of rockaround the sun
desert sungreeting the morning
in a hot tub
purple skiesmelting into lava peaks
sun glow
without winddesert sun slides intothe narrowest crack
dark brownthe desert sun tanswooden buildings
golden graniterolls to the horizon
a desert sun
desert sunon leafless things
growing
sunrise
cloudy sunriseall the bird song colorson rounded raindrops
a warm glowover lava mountains
sunrise
morning risethe desert sun comes
cooled
to returnto this place the sun
rises higher
sunset
waiting for sunsetthe eastern hills redden
at our impatience
sunsetfrom below the canyon
night
sunset cloudsGrand Canyon
in the sky
sunsetsbelow the canyon rim
another world
sunsetsnapping twigs
a campfire
warm/coolthe mountain/valley
sunset/moonrise
blood-red skiessweeping out to sea
sunset
sunsetlava mountain
fires again
incoming tideto cover wet rocksthe glare of sunset
sunsetbeyond land's end
fire into water
Pacific rimmedfire explodes into water
sunset sky
sunseta hunter hawk dropsback into his shadow
setting sunon riverside cabinswindows of water
back in their carssunset leaves
in the tourist's eyes
sunsetsinto a valley
a column of light
sunseta vacation ends
in the sea
red hot skiescoming home at sunset
fire gods
on the stairsthe sinking sunclimbs up again
sunseta western range rises
as night sky
sunshine
sunshinea path through mountains
east to west
beach housesblowing bright sunshine
between them
desert salt lakepreserving the last
sunlight
off and onthe message of sunlight
on a calm lake
sunlightthe yellow tablecloth
rumpled by our laughter
sunspots
blown aboutby magnetic stormssun spots draw us
thunder
stutteringrolls from hill to hill
thunder
Yosemite fallsthunderheads gather
more at the top
electricityinto tree roots
thunder
heavy thunderdropping down
of light rain
thunderstorm
thunderstormyet on the far ridge sunset
perfect stillness
thunderstormin the stovepipe
soot falls
old filmon remote mountain TVthunder and lightning
quiet noweveryone talking
about the thunderstorm
twilight
twilightsome of the light underwater
in a white stone
wind
wind timedesert clouds blowlight into sunrise
desert windpale blue shadowmoving slightly
desert windsblowing mountains
into the sun
summer windslined by the appetites
of spiders
rock formationssomeone in the wind
with a fantasy
sunset windsa screen door opens
and closes itself
wind - cool
red rock wallsthe cool wind
as wide as holes
curvedblue side of the rock
of cool winds
wind - warm
warm windchildren's voicesmelt in the night
SUMMER Terrestrial
bay
a quiet baywith seaweed and rocks
the sun at rest
beach
a forest walkending at the beach
roots
morning beachblue sand still quiet
in the tracks
cold windon the beach
foam fans
beach fireflowing into waves
flames
rushing in - rushing outthe wave's mini-vacation
on the beach
darkening beachthe warmth of a person's eyes
for the sinking sun
scattered in sandembers of a saltwood fire
face to face with stars
shell beachwind blowing through
a train whistle
city folksplaying on the beach
board games
city voiceson the beach
the litter
sunny dayblown on the beachclouds of sea foam
damp beach sandwhere a naked witch squats
her heart
lonely beach walklosing in the sand
car keys
trackingthe cliff-bound beach
noon clouds
beach firepale calla liliesflame bright
again on the beachdrifting with dreams
she tracks sand
the beachblowing sand
in water colors
a windless daythe beach colored
sea foam
pocket beachafter the climb back up
sand in mine
gravel beachesthe corners of the river
elbowing
summer fogthe beach wrapped up
in itself
bridge
wooden bridgewords found by a splinter
in bare feet
bridge timbersa rumble in the creekflowing under them
bridge songvocal chordsof the river
brook
meandering brookmy good intentions
melting away
canyon
canyon washclean
and dry
canyonclosing outsea sounds
rain-torncanyon wallscatch the sun
canyon wallsslip into the valley
river gravel
noon cloudsfinding in the canyon
opals
wall by wallthe canyon releases blue rock
deep night sky
box canyonin a dried up washancient river rock
ancient river rockrunning once again
down a muddy canyon
paint box canyonthe river a rainbow
of rocks
oldest rosestone canyon walls
folded in time
caves
cave wallsturning to sand
footprints
translucent wallin the sea cave
a shell
cliff
avalancheblue sky presses
into the cliffs
cliffssloping into the sea
gull wings
sheer beautycliffs drop straight down
raising spirits
taking sunshineinto a secret cove
steepest cliffs
green growingsteeper than seacliff meadows
a lush smell
coastal range
coast rangesdistance spillsinto the sea
cove
leaping upa wave comes into
a secret cove
cupping the eyethe quiet cove
on a rocky coast
crater
Uhebehe Crater*the inverted mountain
made of wind
* in Death Valley, California
crater rimour kissing
with open mouths
creek
taken by a creekboth feet exploring
wet
desert
desertflapping in the wind
the whole town
deserta stretched horizon
of silence
desert towntropical fish store
well stocked
- Twenty-Nine Palms, California
dunes
sandcuring the glare
high noon
sand dunes rimmedcreosote bushes bloom
sunset colors
rain-wet dunesscraped with yellow light
of sunset showers
noon shadowsfollowing the contours
of desert dunes
living in desert dunesthe ups and downs
of curved sand
hot springin desert dunes noon
memory
dunesmountain peaksas hot and dry
retreatingfrom the eastern world
coastal dunes
night dunesin the warm places
ants
dust
droughton the way to churchdust devils in the road
earthquake
earthawakequake
remodeling plansthe whole house sways
earthquake!
tremblingthe earth touches
us all
shoreline highwaymoving over the sea cliff
off shore rocks
earthquakein the Thrifty drug store
prices fall
harbor
beyond the bardancing lights the sun
in the harbor
hills
the hillstouching each other
at the river
-(one of my favorite haiku of mine)
washedhills dribble down
muddy waters
painted hillsmorning freshens
the colors
hillsmounding up a cloud
full of thunder
dirt-poor farmerhigh on the hill
a priceless ocean view
mountain womancadence of rolling hills
in her breast
- for Marlene Mountain
hot springs
desert stormfrom undergroundhot bubbling water
hot springsnot far from the desert sun
fire spirits
bubbling hot springsin dry desert sands
fire opals
between ushot springs salt water
our electricity
hot springssoaking from earth
happy bodies
desert nightsin the hot springs
all the lives
nightsin the hot tub
dreams
soaked in hot springscrystal-filled watershome in the stars
mineral hot springsall day wearing crystals
bare
islandswhite bones
rolled between islands
starssprinkling in the sea
islands
land's end
land's enda rock crumblesin damp sand
sweepingout to the lighthousea long sand beach
landslide
landslideyears slipping away
from the cliffs
landslidethe cliff revealsits other age
lake
leavingthe lake waters
calm
valley lakebelow sea level
dried salt
dark bluecoolness crosses the lake
in ripples
without starsthe sky eases pink
into the lake
meadow
meadow knowledgeby sleeping on the ground
death isn't bad
foaming between rocksfragrance of seaside meadows
at high tide
the stillnessbetween tides
meadow fragrance
midnight meadowlying in moonshadows
poison ivy
mountain
turning the earthas mountains rise
they crumble
riverside cliffsthe current recycles
mountains
jagged blueflames of eveningmountain peaks
lost paint boxmountains have borrowed
all the colors
desert misersin a wide blue skyone low mountain
lying in a meadowkneecap to kneecapwith the mountain
deserthoarding
mountains
morning mountain topmy shadow crosses
Death Valley
jagged mountain peakssharpening my pencilfor another scribble
snow mountain lakedesert river damned
LA toasters toast toast
noon skyred rock mountains
jut into blue
tunnelthrough the mountain's heart
headlights
mountain echoages waitingfor its return
desert mountainsall four seasonsmelt into one
desert mountainall four directions
meet in one
stone mountaina gravel road winds down
the slim edge
mountain pass
mountain passthe setting sunmeets the moon
writingon mountain peaks
tablets of stone
summit warmthwrapped aroundby mountains
between mountainsdesert night windon a full breast
mountain peakswatching a million years
pass by
dizzywobbly line of mountains
at the summit
mountain topsilence slammed
by a car door
mountain stream
mountain streambell tones of rocks
barely wet
oasis
summerat the oasisevening cool
ocean
dawn seasthe ebbing lightleaves shell pink
ocean wavestide sends windshome to the ridge
sea foamblowing from a wild surf
gulls
given depthby a passing cloud
ocean colors
ocean wildno need to see
a whale
summer daythe ocean invents
aquamarine
holding handsa blazing log
-and ocean roar
squirting waterbetween old rocks the ocean
plays with itself
pebble
mighty rivera white line through
this pebble
pond
torchlightinviting rocks by the pond
to dance on water
green round pondlily pads of late summer
mossy pennies
summer departsthe stagnant pondstays right here
reef
alone in the stormanchored to a rocky reef
clang of a buoy bell
river
narrow riveropening just a crack
the wide ocean
white with foamthe ocean entersthe river's mouth
reservoiran ancient river
refilled
river daysa stream of light
flows by
river mouthbridgedby gulls
redwood rootsthe river's coursebends and twists
deep belowrunning in the sea
other rivers
rushing riverbrushes the air
with white ripples
walking the mountainsthe river goes along
with us
mid-morningthe river refreshes itself
with a little breeze
the earth turnsnow and then
the river bends
hot sun presseswater into a river
summer flood
from the riverwinding up the rivera stream of cool air
sleepingvalley river sounds
dream
sleepingbelow the noisy river
the other one
stopping by the riversunlight
a bank of fog
rocky streama dropped feather
dyes it blue
riverbed
dry riverbedcovered in the mornings
with puffy clouds
restingthe riverin its bed
streambedbent to fit the earth
a fallen willow
rocks
face to facewith ancient rocks
the tourist touches hers
sea spraya rock drawn in the air
its water shape
mountain bouldersbreaking up
the light
desert rockslistening to the music
of water
monolithsholding the rosy sunagainst blue night
broken rockhalf hothalf cold
rockslegendsin sand
rocksleaving clearly
sand
rocksin veins of ore
roots
magneticlines in the rockwriting it down
evening reflectedby glowing granitelighted from within
rocksat the foot of the bed
waves splash
water fallson Japanese landscapes
sea rocks
a crackin the monolith
one star
the top of the rockin the bottom of the pool
bright with sun
cracking a smilefaces in sandstone
slanted sun
splashing each othercenturies in the surf
brother rocks
after the rainall the desert colors
in wet rocks
red rock wallsecho
blue rock walls
forces of naturea sense of theater
with rocks
mountain peakstars burned into rocks
glitter all day
high tidelapping the fire
in a rock
salt flats
road to the moonbetween ash meadows
salt ponds
reflectedon the moon
salt flats
Death Valleysalts a bright blue lake
at twilight
earth fissureslacing the pond
dried salt
the linebetween water and hills
a salt sea
desert beachgreen moss white
with salts
lining the hillsedges of the sea
with salt
sand
rolling overinto dry sandthe 7th wave
snow-capped peaksthen the wave spreads
over a sandy beach
sea
dark and growlingfrom land a summer storm
becomes a glass sea
lying lowbefore storm clouds
a smooth sea
distant horizonsea miles markedby different colors
water drawinga straight line between
sea and sky
splashesreturn to the sea
a dance
sea stacks
sea stacksthe white smoke
of spindrift
sky country
two crows landwith sun on their backs
sky country
spindrift
undercurrentsbelow spindrifta mellow flute
spindriftabove the ocean wave
a prayer flag
spindrifta cloud hangs
where a wave broke
stones
night fallyet not one stone
moves
painting stonesa mountain brook moving
tree shadows
alluvial fansthe valley heaton stone fields
shimmeringabove the hot stones
summer sea
one stoneclimbing the mountain
in my shoe
covered with stonesthe stream makes a path
to the river
streets/roads/paths
fire in the mistrushing down the highway
far mountains
mountain paththe roundness of the eartharches between my feet
poem mapsunder summer feet
paths
midnight carlining the coast
with highway one
headlightson a rain-drenched pass
slanted sunlight
yellow lineon a black highway
last sun rays
desert highwaythe poet writes a haiku
on the yellow line
mountainstwisting roads
in us
following the riverfollowing the sun
through mountains
riversbuilding roadsin mountains
desert pathsthe smell of water
paving the way
without movingour road goes from town to town
changing its name
a summer showerthe asphalt roadrising in steam
beach roadsummer smoothfrom sandy feet
a mountainbends in the road
heaped high
mountain roadgoing and going and yet
time stands still
freewaya truckload of art
passing tanks
dustthe road disappears
in itself
roadwinding around the mountain
mountain views
down from the passstill the black road
wiggles
stream
in the streamwaiting for wind ripplesto move the mountain
this beach streamhangs our sandals on two fingers
runs to the sea
surf
an open windowsurf sounds
square
night surfthe bright waves
of flame
surf's boomsun beats into water
sound on metal
earth spinssurf soundsin dry sand
boiling seasinto a wild surf
a hot sun
swamp
black cypressdraining into the swamp
strands of color
tides
home againa pulse of tides
in our blood
tiltedthis side of the ocean
dries in the sun
dry rocksbubbling up between
the incoming tide
incoming tidethe sun-dried rock
wetted
rattle of rocksat high tide the stars
an earthly tone
night tideblack rocks blacker
as a dark moon
freshly washed hairreceding tide leaves
wet rocks
high and lowtides weaving
sand
the tide turnsa whoosh of wave
splashes white
picturesin the burning wood
tide lines
rippling lightnight tide flows back
to a sunlit sea
high tidesharing a small beach
with wet feet
tide pool
meltingin a tide pool
sun on still waters
tremors
deep in the earthtremors in our knees
magnified
after tremorsin the fear and trembling
frog voices
valley
rockscrumble into valleys
evening colors
deepeningthe lowest point in USA
night shadow
jagged mountainsthe wide slope of valley
smoothes the air
mountain shadowstracing valley contours
across the sky
layers of colorthe cliff eases into valleys
blue dusk
San Joaquin valley:sand walking valleyafter all my years
Queen Valley*mother earthfull of gold
* a mining area in Death Valley
empty night skyfills the desert valley
with city lights
the breaking wavecough drop colored
cool mint
between raincloudssunlight slants
deep into valleys
mountain greatnessthe gentle easing
into valleys
raincloudsblowing into the valleysunset's golden light
village
bell tonesof the country side
village names
volcano
eveningssetting the sky on fire
lava mountains
red into blacksummit passes
into sunset
mid-dayheat of volcanoesstill in the rocks
lava rocks flowingwith the river
night-long shadows
lava rocksflowing with the river
dry summer heat
black lavapushing into bloodred
sunset peaks
waves
sunshinethe tops of waves melting
into hard metal
sun in frontof each crested wave
its own radiance
night airbreathing deeply the waves
wet dry sand
walls of waterwaves in rock
a tearing sound
waves crashin the curve of the bay
unbroken by man
wave upon wavesun beats the water
into a hard curve
earth turninga wave roundsthe blue green
elephant rockstomping on the beach
ocean waves
asleepyet waves remember
to come ashore
a wave breaksout in laughter
two people
wavesunrollingseafoam
mounting upa wave rides a rock
ashore
rolling in wavesthe white foam clouds
thunder
solid wavesflowing into the surf
dunes
arching into the skythe wave takes on
more blue
teary eyesseeing with binoculars
salt waves
white laced wavestearing silk
across the sand
each wave curves upwardcatches a gleam of sunlight
then moves on
seas of silkshapes without scissors
waves torn asunder
wavesfeelingtime
waterfall
a womana step downa waterfall
taking to the waterfallthe everyday worries
washed away
mountain waterfallfog flows backwards
into clouds
breath of angelsair of waterfallsup one's nose
foot of the fallstourists stoppedin their tracks
foot of the fallsthe roaring openstourists' mouths
writing its nameon a granite cliff
water falls
quiet riverall of the windout of its falls
water dropsa radiancein the falls
woods
beyond the campfiredarkness draws together
the woods at night
SUMMER Livelihood
airport
airportup in the smoke
faces I've met there
waiting areamom and dad's faces
grounded
airport carpetingthe dizziness
above and below
before boardinga finger on the wingtip
cold and sweaty
among strangerssun rises without a night
flares on metal wings
bare feet
barefoother sweat socks
still do
smooth sandchasing children down the beach
their foot prints
beachcomber
watered silkbright surf catches
her pants leg
a huge waverolling up her pants
still wet
missing the mallson the ocean beachshe gathers shells
the fat childgathers the most sea shells
pockets bulging
high tidethe beach leaves a mark
in her book
afternoon windall the beachcomber's words
blown out to sea
heat waveon the beach crowds
cool fog
cold beach walkon sun-warmed car seats
two sweatshirts
curls of wavesyet on the beach all dayher hair goes straight
smuggler's covestones wash on the beach
the size of skulls
a special beachI put a pebble in my mouth
before leaving
car doors slamessence of starfish comes
home with us
beachcombergift of civilization
a hairbrush
beach bumsat a sermon of gullsone tries to sleep
smelling the lighton her tanned shoulderhome from the beach
biking
cyclistpicking up a nailfrom a crosswalk
flat country lanea man on a bikeslices the sky
boating
touriststoo tipsy to drive
out in a canoe
choppy wavesthe small boat between
two worlds
behind the speedboatwater bent and broken
mends with ripples
streaked with goldsunset in the rich folks' harbor
the tallest mast
in a canoea man eating a banana
peeled
a summer daydrifting byin a canoe
river's bendwave lengths of setting sun
broken by a canoe
rowing on the lakeboats filled
with empty sounds
stopped downby the river's pace
drifting boats
studying waveshe drifts off
to sleep
cabin
cabin closedthe waiting in the woods
as we come
the tiny cabinlistening to pine windits very own planks
early summercabin walls leaking
late night cold
back againin the summer cabin
winter dreams
tin roofhearing the edge of a cloud
wet with rain
warm dry airthe river low in August
a door opening
leaving for homesummer cabin floors
swept bare
building a hut
campingman's first home
a wall of green wind
pillared by pinedriftwood logs
slanted sunlight
a driftwood shackremembering other times
places
fights forgottenneighbor kids building
a club house
the open windowscreened with a web
leaf shadows
camping
remaking the bedthe river flows bythe campground
nearly awakesea-gathered lighton sleeping faces
environmentally soundwiping the new-age camper
with recycled paper
circus
summertimethe way to the circus
childish voices
carouselthe sun goes around
up and down
city life
Berkeley sidewalksthe rest of my education
on the street
selling peace buttonshe buys the mulatto a coffee
room for the night
street womanher tits at home
in T-shirts
city parkhands of the blind
sparrows
cutting grains
home from hayingthe weight of a wooden rake
on sun burnt shoulders
a giving soundwheat leans into
the mowing machine
it is still hottractors coming home
with headlights
fan
sound of a fanblowing a cool holeback into summer
paper and sticksthe coolness of a ocean
painted on a fan
forest fires
dry windthe smell of smoke
bright red
hot moonmarked and spotted gray
by forest fires
plowing a firebreakthe dry earth
a cloud of smoke
clearing a trailit only seems clean
after a shower
fruitstand
fruitstandthe girl-watcher pinches
a peach
garden
your long lettera garden around me
tall white summer skies
gardensvoices among flowers
patterned paths
gardening
evening songthe scythe set a stone
leans on the fence
snapping beansshe doesn't look upwhen the gate slams
garden spiderat home in a hat
dangles at my ear
a new hoechopping the grasses
of last spring
cabbage gardenerseeing white butterflies
in a new light
going home
long walk homethe incoming tiderefills footprints
hot stonesfootprints of swimmers
going home
homeward boundour days of vacation
in brown skin
driving in timerivers flow backwardsas we leave the sea
going homedown the mountain road
sunset
leavingthe ocean waves
come back
tracks on the beachall the feet have returned
to the city
welcome homethe far ridge filled
with thunder
coming hometo the rest of rain
all day long
the way homea scent of open firesclinging to my wrist
ginko * successfinding back home
sand between my toes
*ginko - Japanese for a walk taken with the purpose of writing haiku
the weight of eyelidshome from the beach
full of sand
home againa bath and the towelwith a blue border
hiking
hikers restat the waterfall
coming down to earth
heavy sweatingthe taste of mountain
on a hot day
squeaky knee jointscanyon river soundscoming up the hill
canyon springswhere water rest in light
travelers pause
going down the mountainits rocky river words
still in our ears
tired bonesback-packed ina mountain hike
"the back of my hand"he said
and we were lost
looking downthe tops of trees
rooted in the canyon
hitch hikerleaving the no-camping area
his pack all lumpy
one pathheel to toeand warm
mountain climberstheir voices higher
than the rocks
climberseffortless the assent
of their voices
soft pink hillsthe hiker invited to rest
way over there
in the valleystretched to the setting sun
soles of hiker's feet
hikers restingyet the mountain moves
its morning shadow
humming"Pomp and Circumstances"
mountain hikers
mountain hikersmorning as wideas spirit shapes
Sierra hiketaking John Muir's word
home again
hitch-hiker
hitch-hikeron the picnic basketseveral small bugs
hitch hikersa car full of flies
going to LA
kids
sun on her kneestuck on raspberry jamdripping through toast
August beachesfor moms and crabs
the nitty-gritty
teenagerstumbling on the sands
over-playful waves
afternoon quietthe grandson's crayon
melts on the porch
evening cloudsstretched low on the horizona child's name being called
lace
on her breastbrightness next to shadow
of lace
ocean foamall night the loveliness
of a lace gown
laundry
laundry daythe gardenia blooms
clear white
billowing whitefilled with a summer dayclouds on a clothesline
laundry driesa change of sea wind
dampens it again
bottom of the basketthe sandy beaches
of dirty clothes
home againthe mountain that remains
laundry
lighthouse
land's endthe low star turnsinto a lighthouse
the lighthousemirrors over the sea
a yellow pyramid
lollipop
two lollipopswrapped in cellophane
matching sisters
mid-day nap
a noon naprock shadows
restless
picking up sleepwhere you left it at dawn
afternoon nap
roadside rest stopgetting out of the car
all the tiredness
not really tireda summer day
lays down to rest
beach sandmeasuring a poet
stretched out
wakingshadows from a nap
have moved
mountain climbing
slick rock facesclimbers' strainagainst the rope
dots of shadowclimbing the mountain
flute notes on both sides
to the summitto view the lowest point
in the valley
movies
ridge darkin town
a good movie
outdoor moviesaround the old films
moths
after the showthe smell of rainon hot asphalt
nakedness
summer afternoonthe coolness of white
naked on a quilt
moss-green bankthe woman reclining nude
as is the river
nude beachnothing new
under the sun
nakedon the porch
passion flowers
newbornswimming in the river nude
on your birthday
on the nude beachfrom her tits to her toes
it's Saturday night
outdoor concert
outdoor flute concertthe second movement
the wind
singing lowsea-white fog disappears
in an outdoor concert
following stringsstars hum alongwith the guitar
harpsichordtightened spinal cords
jangle
hot summer nightall that jazz
shared by neighbors
going insaneradio rock
a block away
stop lightmusic from other cars
perfume
pastimes
in her handscoming out of the hills
clay pots
beach clayin her hands palm prints
a vase for flowers
how quietthe cove where divers left
their trash
dune buggiesin the desert night
electric fireflies
dune buggiesnights in valley lights
parked
inspiring vieweating cerealwith a pencil
row upon rowtorn from a notebook
mountain lines
sea paintinga child's water color box
full of sand
watercolor paperstopping a wave
with a brush
sunlighttrying to paint highlights
on tops of waves
wavesfollowing the brushinto a watercolor
watercolor classthe beach giving lessons
in making waves
a Sunday painterthe lighthouse just as big
as a gnarled thumb
dried upin a box of paints
summer sea colors
a hummed tunepainting a wave
realistic
in exchangefor a special rock
flute notes
a gentle breezeriver willows not moving
lost fishing lines
looking upfrom the crime story
passion flowers
as everyone knewpoets who write by the sea
are all wet
emptydesert notebookfills with sand
the book closedyet hearing the poems
thunderstorm
green faded ribbonthe English lute
hangs songs on a nail
sounds of a harpdrifting into the forest
into birdsong
- for Elizabeth Searle Lamb
in rowsbees and his lips
at harmonica holes
- for Jack Stamm
tuning the dulcimerlegs of a spider
crawling out
country marketthe humane society sponsors
a flea market
alonethe world stopsjust to find it
picnic
raspberry jamon a peanut butter sandwich
high noon lips
weathered picnic tablesafter the summer shower
mustard stains wet
photograph
ocean viewtourists taking photos
leaving trash
touriststaken by the view
snapshots
curvedon the ground lensa wind-swept pine
sunsetwhen the show's the best
the lights go out
canyon rim photoafter the click he sees
his toes in space
loaded with camerasdonkeys with a master's degree
in photography
worn smooththe wind-swept cedareveryone photographs
in the deserta sudden whirring
camera's automatic rewind
crumpledsilver sunshine
on a photo
pool
summer afternoonfilling the pool
with neighbor's kids
pregnancy
at the gynecologistknitting a baby blanket
for the seventh grandchild
for Caitlin Steiner
relaxing
restless wavestourists
newly arrived
restless seahouses of folkstaking it easy
night rocksin beach fog
drunken voices
newcomersdigging their toes in sand
cliffs of California
reliving history
playing my fluteIndians
ten thousand years ago
aboriginesmy mind still fitsthe grinding place
desertbare bones
living
roughing it
watering the deserta small yellow stream
between her feet
uphilla load of firewood heats
wheelbarrow handles
mountain lightsthe glow of candles
in jelly glasses
rusty pumpcussing and swearing
it goes again
campfirecooking cloudsin oyster stew
outdoor plumbingshowering with stars
sandy soap
outdoor showerin a path of moonlight
surf sounds
outdoor tubbathing in the scent of pine
still on the trees
city girlhow to brush her teeth
with a wet finger
in the tubheat of the day
goes down the drain
squatting over earthjust as I pee
thunder
droughtthe scorched earth
where he always pees
sleeping on the flooran Indian rug curls up
beside me
wakeful hoursbending a square of moonlight
a rag rug
dried prune facesguests when they hearwe have only a privy
stern childon the wall behind the hippie
her baby picture
sandals
all day outlinesdust on her sandals
where toes were
sleeping outdoors
hot weatherwearing the day
all night
summer moonpatterns on the porch
a crazy quilt
summer eveningthe porch swing moves
a new moon
high tidewaves breaking loud
around my pillow
night bushesthe candle's flamered in animal eyes
lostin the night stars changing
the summer sky
a canopy bedcovered with summer stars
airy blankets
mountain windssleeping all nightwith open mouths
asleeplight from the sea
in her face
dawnstars turning into
mosquitoes
waking upthe itch of bug bites
brand new
sight-seeing
Grand Canyona hole in the groundfilled with mountains
Point Arena lighthousesnags the morning sun
and $3.00 each
unfenced precipicehe remembers as unpaid
life insurance
Japanese journeySacramento rice fields
and Mount Lassen
starscarried into cavestourists' candles
Indian cave:songs still
wind
cave dwellersthe grinding stone
hollow
bringing homememories
of Indian caves
caution:in the petrified forest
no smoking signs
harbor town bellson Saturday night
buoys
rock womanfacing into desert sun
her sky-blue eye
Hollandflattened against the sky
warmed at the edges
Salton seaits blue also covers
the far hills
on every roadcanals with drawbridges
for pictures
country villagesthe sloped roofs huddleagainst green growing
before their doorwaysin the hour before darkness
people as statues
in the museumyellow flowers floatinga glass paperweight
seeing my facein the crowd I bought
the mirror
straw hat
naked breastswearing only the dark laceshadows of her straw hat
her straw hatasleep by the garden
of noon-day sun
sun bathing
eyes closedonly my breast to view
the sea
off-shore breezecoming to landon bikini bodies
cooling the sandthe fat lady's shadow
on a hot day
evening deepensthe tan on her legswith varicose veins
grains of sanddays of a life
lying on a beach
silenceto seek and wrap around
the body nothing
tannedexcept for the places
a fly sits
bodiesgiven to the desert
sun
hot bathed bodydried by desert
stars
sun-bathingconservationists
saving water
sunburn
eveningsdrawing closer to the fire
sun-burnt faces
surfers
green wavesflorescent with surfers
in mod wetsuits
sleeping in the sunonly surfer dreams
ride the bright waves
surfersblack suitedamong seals
sweat
rationed waterin the desert
our wet places
bright blue armpitsthe indigo blouse fades
into a hot day
beach dayevening turning
flesh to fire
summer illness
lumbago's dull paina summer breeze frisks
by the bed
feverishon a hot day defrosting
the refrigerator
summer coldsthe neighbor's dog barks
when we cough
on one handthe liver spots of aging
poison ivy
summer lovemaking
churning seaslove-makingin the hot tub
making loveinto hot tub foam
falling stars
an undriven nailcaught in the lighthouse
at land's end
between our legsdancing flamesin a fire place
log to ashesclocks
our love-making
after the trystthe red candle guttedyet comes sunrise
swimming
ocean waves poundthe tattoo on his arm
blue skin
the rocky riverour knees a buzzwith the current
swimmersafternoon heat
underwater
salt crystal rippleswashing shells on my feet
toenails
sitting in the riverrhythmic waves between my legs
does it for me
taking heatdown from the ridge
into the river
hills and valleysa woman lying flat
in the river
an old womanswimming the August stream
the mossy smell
catching the big onea fat old lady hauls out
on the nude beach
swimming alonethe drag of undertow
mom calls
tea garden
tea housefresh air fills the cup
with green tree
tourist
date grovespalms waving
at single tourists
bound by a bellstrangers in the street
of ancient churches
good for the tonguenames of Norwegianhome-cooked food
sidewalks of Paristhe smell of coffeeon a foreign tongue
nasal toneslong bread under dark blue
elbows
tourists at sunsetin canyon walls
a sea of red eyes
closed in sleepall the eyes
seeing the canyon
touristsstill keeping alive
ghost towns
dry river bedround rocks movinginto tourist's cars
traveling
airport parking lotbubble gum sticking to me
my home town
going homecar doors closeout the river
going down the roadrocky river rhythms
in our legs
losteyes on the map
miss the turn
mid-morning hungerdriving right pastthe chocolate hills
a signat the fork in the road
fine dining
freewayscar motors
cursing
granite bouldersrolling along the roads
tiny tin cars
driving homethe wrecked car
still there
a tripwith maiden aunts
coming apart
after travelingthe hot tub filledwith strangers
sea side darknessleaving the city bright
not-knowing
dancing in bednext to the nightclubmotel sleeplessness
Grand Canyonso very huge
no room in the inn
vacation
desert vacationthe first day back
into a mountain stream
starsin the hot tub
two on vacation
vacation home
for renton the doormagic runes
rented windows190' of ocean viewon Mastercharge
window to windowoceanside vacationers
eyeball to eyeball
roadside bencheveryone drives
right on by
sea escapethe cliff house hangs
out in space
betweentwo views of the sea
a color TV
six o'clock newswe turn to watch the world
of a picture window
my bare legson the strangerlegs of chairs
shutting the doornot shutting out
surf sounds
a cup of coffeethe cruise ship steamsinto another window
by the windowa fireplace joinsthe lighthouse
vacationthe first daywithout rain
seaside summerhearing the foghornthen nothing else
vacation housesitting on the porch
gift-rapted
visiting shrines
Indian caveshadows deep in cracks
from other suns
pepper treeshot as hell
at the mission
circling the missiona flutter of wings
just pigeons?
jet agestill in the ancient mission
an offering of fire
church yardcolors of fallen stones
raised by flowers
mission churcha roof of song in rows
of starlings
at the shrinepine needles crisscross
the holy spot
holy placesitting on sacred rocks
itches
visitors
gueststhe only ones on time
are the stars
sun through fogvisiting children blow
soap bubbles
kids discoverspooky white in beach sand
grandma's ankles
child finally sleepsstars come out singing
a lullaby
signpalm reader
open
Gypsy lipscurve into a smilefuture revealed
all during supperthe city boy sitson the tractor
how he inspects his fieldsthe man with visitorsfrom his wife's family
visitinghow good to see her oven
dirtier than mine
sun cookiesthe kids ate them all up
before the eclipse
companyserving zucchini bread
repeatedly
his relativesserving zucchini breaddisguised as special
visiting relativesthe narrow bed holds
us together
an old albumin the granddaughter's lap
rose petals
summer gueststaking it with them
back to town
deserted roadfirst the tourists leave
and now the geese
three lizardstogether on the mountaintop
- and we talked
wicker chairs
creaking with the weightthe noon-day sun heavy
in wicker chairs
new cushionson the lawn chairs
thick moonlight
wind chimes
windmoonlight in wind chimes
still
zoo
in the zootiger lilies
growing wild
a wild lioncaged in his eyes
small children
children's eyesin the snow leopard's cage
touching his spots
SUMMER Animals
ants
raisinsin the oatmeal
ants
heatcreeping over sand dunes
fire ants
cool desert shademoving across hot sands
fire-biting ants
a stream of touristsmeeting in the desert
ants
a line of ants leadto the body
beginning to crumble
bone whiteants carrying away
the darkness
bats
starscarried into caves
bat eyes
adding ribsto the colors of midnight
a bat
birds
unfolding wingsan up-canyon wind
a bright bird
surf rollspower in the sandlow-flying birds
going homebirds across the lake
in nests
bird tracksfor each line of dust
a short life poem
a house in the woodsmy cage for me
to live among birds
birds fly onstepping stones of a still pond
cloud to cloud
landinga wing spread with light
folds into feathers
what is a branchand what is a bird leg?the answer flies away
bird song
desert soundin the bird's open beak
only the wind
mountain meadowbird call arcs to call
in answers
dawndesert silence an oasis
of bird song
desert morningbubbles in the hot spring
bird song
breakfastcampfire coffee cups
of bird song
one bird callsthe not-yet sunin barren rocks
desert birdsmusic in their beaks
running water
going to sleepsongs of birdsgrowing dark
nightcall of a birdwithout color
blue birds
summer skyin and out of the nest
bluebirds
growing up malecolor flows into his wings
baby bluebird
between pinesthe summer sky sings
bluebird songs
branches benda streak of feather
sky blue
sprinkled breast babieswith cinnamon shoulders
rare bluebirds
blue jays
picnica babbling brook
of blue jays
naptimeblue jays, tooblissfully quiet
up with the birdscountry living with families
of blue jays
winding upthe blue jay alarm clock
early sunrise
bugs
May morningelectric with the hum
hatching bugs
yellow bugs on the lettucesquished
are yellow inside also
these bugs!yesterday I squashed
those bugs
butterfly
clappingpraise without hands
a butterfly
flutteringthe butterfly has no time
for a name
eyelashcurves a glance
teases a butterfly
a flower liftedfrom the stem floats
a butterfly
even while restingbutterflies go on dreaming
of flight
waiting at the corneronly a butterfly
and this lovely girl
walkingwith a butterflyhere I too pause
end of summerfollowing it out of sight
a butterfly
before the hot sunwhite on the butterfly's wing
melted transparent
a face among the flowersthen the butterfly
folds its wings
butterfly colorsthe air wovenwith healing
a broken crayonthe path of a butterfly
drawn by a child
high fashionbutterflies decorate
my garden hat
caterpillar
ignoring the sign:no overnight camping
tent caterpillars
cat - in summer
a yellow catmelting in the August sun
summer days
the cat's milkswimming with ants
hot in August
summer's heatcaged in the stripes
of a ginger kitty
to and froin a hammock
a cat purrs
cicada
buzz of cicadaspushing quicksilverup the thermometer
a shrill cryoverheated the cicada peels
out of its skin
soft morning airthe quiet afterbirth
of the cicada
chipmunks
a showfor the price of peanuts
three chipmunks
chuckwalla
dirt road sign:four-wheeled drive only
chuckwalla tracks
cormorant
buoy bellsfrom rock shadows
cormorants
cows
sea meadowsas rocks and cows
rocks and cows
sunsetthe great bull closes
both eyes
cooling cowsthe tree extends its shadow
over a yellow one
by the bullpena fence has torn off
a red shirt
cuckoo
hearing the cuckoocalling out for a lover
morning seems so young
dogs - summer
dog dayshoping the stray pup
comes back
backyard circusfor the price of a pennythe neighbor's dog barks
doves
morning fogthe calling of dovesmany small circles
cooing doveslengthening the coolness
of shade trees
a hollownesswaiting for the dove
to call again
doveslingering by the dark door
feather light
swing stillthe rope squeak
of a dove
eagle
mountain climbersresting in an eerie
eaglets
mountain peakan eagle leaves it
moonlight
finches
sea cliff homenestled by cypress
house finches
fingerlings
our kisseson our legsfish kisses
salmon fingerlingsswimming by the nude beach
eyes bulging
jumping ina river of fingerlingsour bodies too pale
firefly
lightningfireflies above puddles
peek at themselves
fleas
on my anklesthe cat ignores the bites
of her fleas
fledglings
a little clumsythe scrub jay teaches
fledglings to fly
flies
company's comin'even the flies buzz
at the door
drone of fliescurved as desert sand
around noon
before one's very eyesheatwaves shimmering
flies
if only flies would napamong the cats and books
on wicker chairs
surf rollslife in the sand
beach flies
fly wingsfanning summer
hotter
helping him outthe fly is crushedagainst the door
geese
tucked in bedwarm summer days
of goose down
gnats
sand dunesdrying the wings
of each gnat
shadowed rivertransparent wings of gnats
the only light
goldfish
desert pondin the national park
goldfish
passing summeras shadow nears the pond
koi quickly hide
summer passingthe ripple on the koi pond
an orange fin
grasshopper
here grasshopperat pepper plant restaurant
aphids!
gulls
breaking wavesthe screams of gulls
soft sand
skimming wavesspindrift feathers
a gull
along the cliffwing tips of gulls
at eye level
high tide markgulls searchanother time
before usthe road flown
by two sea gulls
gull wingslifting the lightfrom the sea
gullsplaying with the wind
their shadows
blue whiteswirls in evening skies
gulls
cutting upa cove's high seasthe soaring gull
sea birds homeon shores of booming surf
the unused songs
Sunday beacha sermon of sea gulls
one goes wading
mountain overlooktwinkling above the sea
a flock of gulls
sea gullsover land and water
smoke from fire
tearing togetherfish entrailsgulls' laugh
on rocksthe first sunshine
a gull
hawk
lunchtimeoverlooking the road ahead
a hawk
hornets
fog billowsthe gray streaksof a hornet's nest
herons
end of summerwalking the riverbank
just a heron
hummingbirds
a flutter of flowershovering in the heat
hummingbirds
lady bugs
roof newly shinglednestled under pine cones
lady bugs
larks
surprisingtourists on the beach
meadow larks
above wild flowersthe song of the lark widens
the meadow higher
flowers songswhile looking out to sea
meadow larks
lizard
stonesa patterned shadow moves
on lizard legs
a hot windsecrets of dunes
from a lizard
a patch blue skythe belly of a lizard
filled with flies
flying waterinto desert lizards
gnats
wind echoin round rocks
lizard eyes
eyespainted on cave walls
lizards
ancient eyeson cave walls
lizards
lizard eyesa summer cooled
by the glint
a dry scrapeas the door slams
lizards run
summera brown twig becomes
a lizard
salt cedarsgray moving to touch
lizard skin
heat exchangein a sudden breeze
two lizards
giant bouldersthe lizards arrive latefor the flute concert
mayflies
mayfliesa pair of birdsplaying catch
moles
heart poundingthe tiny animals that scurry
within the earth
mosquito
added to stars swarm of mosquitoes
obscure the view
the stingof a summer alarm clock
mosquitoes
late letterworded with mosquito bodies
my blood
summer meltingmosquitoes' sound
in a harmonica
drowned mosquitoit's dangerous to swim
in my navel
swatting mosquitoeshow lightly goes a life
at sunset
dead mosquitono longer interested
in biting me
moth
braiding in her hairlast night's dream
a tiny moth
Gypsy circusin the tent
moths
against my cheeka touch of powder
moth wing
fog thickeninginto the lampbeam
a moth
a garden lanternattracting a few moths
and all the stars
silver gray wordsa quiver of moth wings
in hard green eyes
nightsa moth at the window
star-crazy
nestlings
up under the roofbetween our legs small birds
fly into nests
osprey
ospreysilver between his talons
spindrift fish
peacock
spreading his tailcorn flung in the flight-fan
draws the peacock
pelican
wave to wavepelicans follow flashes
of lightning
pelicansclowning tops
of waves
rabbits
among chollacactus soft
on the cottontail
seals
soft-eyed sealwatching a lone man
and his daughter
wave within a waveriding one a seal
his heart pumping
curve of wavesleaping seals thicken
translucent waves
barking sealstheir breath comes to the mainland
as mist
slug
waiting for rainthe slow way slugs
make love
snake
winding creekthe snake's tongue
forked
in a trailof manshade shadow
snakeshadow
desert roadsnaking through
low hills
sidewindergetting us off the trail
without a step
a jogin the trail
a sidewinder
unwinding a cobraa ring of round notes
from the flute
curved rockslooped in the trail
a sidewinder
rocky riverin its sound a rattle
snake
rattlesnakecoiled into a spring
of rust
flute concertfor the finale
a rattlesnake claps
downtown Point Arenafrom trash bin to weed patch
a snake
on snake lipstwo kicking frog legs
a snakey smile
skunk
arched overthe skunk's back
stripes of moonlight
spider
spinesin the deserttarantula legs
pathscrisscrossed by appetites
of spiders
wind yo-youp and down a silken thread
breeze-riding spider
a wobbly lineof black writing
a spider walks by
the spider crawlstwo legs to the leftthen three forward
plaid bedspreada small spider playing
hopscotch
the quick broomstrumming the dulcimer
misses a spider
over the mirrorin the angel's white eye
a spider nest
eating insectsat the bird's ankles
spider legs
at homein the spider plant
one
swallows
a rented housefor free the swallows
build a nest
ocean breezesplaying with feathers
cliff swallows
dark waterfallswarms of cliff swallows
follow the stream
swan
at dawnwhite flies into lightthe sky with a swan
tiger
pawing tigershow soft and hairy
grandpa' hand
titmouse
little gray wivesa swarm of titmicecleaning the bushes
ticks
a picnicthe ticks on me also
are fatter
companionstaking a walk
the ticks on me
water ouzel
stream dwellera small gray bird sings
water songs
water hen
nude beacheyes of water hens
floating ahead
desert lakeroosting place darkwith water chickens
warbler
her nest in the eavesin our house we call her
our warbler
whip-poor-will
that hollow soundas the whip-poor-will unfolds
itself from sleep
worms
cabbage leaveswhite worms mate
for life
wren
as little as a wrenalive as friend
the wren is
SUMMER Plants
apricots
devouring apricotsthe fine hairs of her mustache
moist and juicy
azaleas
a huge bowon woody stems
azalea pink
bananas
grabby handsin the picnic basket
bananas
bamboo
bamboowaving candlelight into the night
wind
soap bubblesblooms on bamboobeside the shower
bay trees
trespassersthe scent of bay leaves
down on the beach
sea windsin the mountains
bay trees
beets
thinning beetsfinding now and then
a fat one
bell flowers
Chinese lanternthe brightness within
a bee
blackberry
barbed wirethe best berry bushes
double-thorned
in foggy moonlightblackberries float in cream
her nails are blue
borage
end of the pathborage deep in bloom
quiet thoughts
buckwheat
fan-leafedwhite water surges through rocks
sprays of buckwheat
buttercups
buttercupspeeping through fogopening to the sun
cabbage
a sea of cabbageat the end of each row
ocean waves
hot summer daycabbage leaves grow
in their stillness
cactus
overcoming rocksa stream of cactislowly spreading
desert waysbranching all over
cholla cactus
alone and askingto be touched
teddy bear cholla
writingdesert poemspencil cholla
desert sunsetcholla cactus sticks
to the light
calla lily
beach firepale calla liliesflame bright
carrots
old handspulled carrotslet go of earth
cauliflower
severed and warma head of cauliflower
continues to grow
cedars - red
red cedarin a row before evening hills
deep purple
sunrisein the red cedar
home again
curved wallsa split cedar frames
the gorge
cedars - salt
a breeze fannedout of desert heat
salt cedars
salt cedarscooling desert winds
bird wings
afternoonsturning in salt cedars' sky
gold-green
cherries
red heartswith centers of stoneunder cherry leaves
chinquapin
outdoor tuba chinquapin grovesbathes in the heat
cottonwood
oasisa bird's nest softly lined
in the cottonwood
at the oasiswearing the coolness
of willow and cottonwood
cow parsnip
ocean fronton the most expensive lot
cow parsnip
creosote bushes
creosote bushesafire with morning sun
fuzzy seeds
creosote blossomssunset rain cloudsfamiliar perfume
sun's burning heatgrows green and tall
creosote bushes
daisy
rain coloredthe light circling
a daisy
going aroundyesterday's bath water
today's daisies
one flashlightin the daisy meadow
stars
dill
dill weedhung to dry by the back door
scrapes the windy wall
a sunny porchshaded with an umbrella
drying dill
duckweed flower
river watershaping clouds
duckweed
dune grass
among dune grasssilver bleached logsand a perfect day
wavesdune grass
waves
dunesin knotted grassa perfect star
elm
an arch of elmsso vast something of mine
is carried upward
twilight stormthe heaving dragon
in the old elm
farewell-to-spring
summer visitorsat the cliff's edgefarewell-to-spring
flowers
out of earththe flower shape
of a hole
a swinging gateon both sides the flowers
open - close
windy weathercalling the flowers by name
each nods
flower shapesin dried mud
blooming
desert flowerstheir colors tooare hot today
flowers by the doornameless except for the color
of these blue days
where do they go?these flowers by a path
summer's passing
gathering flowersunexpected guests
come to dinner
daysopening/closing
flowers
depth of a flowerflying away with the bee
some mystery
coming homeflower
byflower
canyon wallscrumbled flowersfloat out to sea
foxglove
magic handeven in the meadows
foxgloves
foxgloveseverything's funny
in this heat
gardenia
night unrollsanother gardenia
more white
gingko leaves
fanning my cheeka gingko tree loans us
its papery leaves
grains
bearded grassesthe same age
as the August sun
the meadow mowedblue sky presses down
ravens in the grain
bales of strawwithout cow curveslying in the meadow
grass
late summer grassesabove their roots the seeds
nearly touching
sheaves of grasswater that does not break
flows in ripples
long grassbending over road rutscurve the valley slope
walking homeafter the circus
how dry the grass
sea promontorywild-winged grass seeds
birds fly up
bending a bitsummer grasses watch me
enter the pool
stalk of grassa thin shadow joining others
for the night
gladiolus
picture takingsuch a lovely day
gladiolus
green apples
green applescrowding on the branch
full of sunshine
green plums
green plumstapering the hardness
swift-passing days
green leaves
silenceof a green leaf
eaten by a worm
silenceof summer leaves
pure laughter
silencein a grove of green leaves
ancient suns watching
silencegreen leaves sly smiles
more knowing
hibiscus
sunshine lightson hibiscus leaves before their
own dark
hollyhock
hollyhockspink light shining
as a cup
cuppingpink light without hands
hollyhocks
Joshua trees
Joshua treeson the ridge flute notes
higher and lower
Sunday morningdesert sermonsof Joshua trees
juniper
juniper shadesleeping with tourists
on cool lava rocks
leaves
smoke shakingfrom its folds leafy trees
along the railroad
summer departsall the warmth left
in leaf fires
out of earththe heart shapes
leaves
lettuce
a giftfor the town gossipa head of lettuce
lily
holy of holiesin the scroll a lily
unrolled
lily
each daycelebrated by lilies
opening
sunsetstill the orange lily
awake
swollen bellythe tiger lily bends its stripes
stretch marks
lunchtimelilies above the book
reading
what to serve for lunchthat matches the lilies
found at the door
lotus
point blankthe whiteness of lotus petals
spinning
left nor rightall sides open
the lotus
live oaks
live oaksrooted in a petrified trees
I have a photograph
rolling downa petrified log
acorns
fitting inwith granite boulders
sacred oaks
marigolds
marigoldsquinting in the summer sun
wrinkled nose smell
marijuana
marijuana leavesmy neighbor's garden
in a stolen car
melon
muskmelonfor desert
the new moon
mesquite
fanning a breezeout of desert stillness
mesquite trees
mesquite greenmoving to touch
lizard skin
desert dinnerdates and honey mesquite
without water
lying downunder mesquite shrubs
shade and I
mesquite treeschoosing the best spots
for shade
desert windfinding voicesin mesquite
mint
mint-pickersstained with fragrance
fingers wave hello
mold
damp windowsillmold writes in the notebook
little black poems
monkey flower
fault lineopening
monkey flowers
morning glory
morning gloryunfolding dewdrops
blue skies
moss flowers
stone Buddhaessence still blooming
in moss flowers
thatched roofgrowing again
moss
musty smellof old furniturea mossy bank
ancient stumpswith faces in the moss
tourists peek inside
palms
desert hillsunfolding coolness
in a fan palm
for desert rainhot winds rattle
dry palms
palm - date
date farmselling coolnessin brown bags
the most ancientpalm-green filtered
dates of light
passion flowers
passion flowersclimbing on the bedlovers on the porch
loverstwining on the porch
passion flowers
peaches
evening orchardwhere the sun sank in
peach sky
ripe peachesthe heaviness tips the days
into summer
peppers
a plate of peppersred warming up
August's afternoon
phlox
stone Buddhahere the phlox too
grows straight
plums
midnightthe dark smellof ripe plums
warm rainpurple in a plum
lips
poppy (California)
hill countrygolden parachutes land here
poppies spread wide
poppy (Oriental)
sleepy gardenred parachutes land here
in the poppy's dream
poison ivy
summer daywith poison ivy
even hotter
raspberry
berry pickingthe stain of lovecolors my cheeks
river moss
painting the riverlow in summer
moss green
heaven on earthlow in river clouds
of moss
up and downon pillows of moss
river ripples
rose
rose gardensjust inhaling deeplyfeels like stealing
rose breezeleaves of a bush
shiver white
a cut rosethat voice spirals
into galaxies
still spinningthe Gypsy's rose falls
in his lap
muskrising from the petaled labia
a red rose
swirled to the centerstillness without moving
rose petals
ruby lightsdarkness in a rose
crisscrossing
ocean cliffdeepening sunset
wild rose
rosemary
bathing outdoorsin the rosemary bees
rubbing buzzing
roots
lightning strikesin the roots of trees
patterns echo
sage
sand sagedunes brushed clean
by spiky flowers
sagebrushedrain
drops
sagebrush raindropsmixing with earth odors
in hot springs
desert airinvisible smoke of sagebrush
clear
sea rockets
surf boomon the meadow
sea rockets
seaweeds
waves washingrocks covered with palm kelp
tropical landscapes
shore pines
coming from the sealight on shore pinesblue-green waves
shore pinessharp shaped by wind
of Point Arena
seasidecurved by shore pines
rounded rock
smoke trees
writhing on hot sandthe meager shade
of smoke trees
heat of the dayon the desert floor
smoke trees
desertfilling the dry river
smoke trees
flowingfrom rock crevices
smoke trees
snapdragon
snapdragonsbowing low before the rain
of the sprinkling can
stonecrop
sheer cliffever-bearingstone crop
strawberry
open fieldson the tip of his tongue
a strawberry
tastingof wild strawberries
your tongue
our tonguesstrawberries tasting
each other
sweet peas
sea fogswirls in the wild
sweet peas
sweet potato
vacation house plantsthe sweet potato vine
in a mason jar
sunflower
a kerosene lampfilling the pitcherwith sunflowers
sunflowerin a month of petalscounting the days
thistle
shiny wetthe sketch of thistle down
in black ink
behind the new fencehis one weed gazes atmy stand of thistles
thorn
wind echothorny trees sough
'round rocks
desert thornsholding sunseton the summit
thornssummer's afternoon
holding still
tomato
tearing offyellowed tomato leavesthe old woman pauses
tomatoes cookingsuddenly it's AugustI'm six and home
trees
guilt tripsummer dead brown trees
driving route twenty
sentinel peakthe best view watched
by the oldest tree
thinking -the oldest trees refuse
to cross the river
vegetables
classical musicvegetables rotting
in a basket
all those tree fruitsand summer vegetables
now this child
- for Julia Johanna Ewerth
wallflowers
sea cliff meadowthick with wallflowers
unable to hold the wind
water lilies
water liliescenters of the pond
close at night
in still ponds - liliesin their centers - silence
the shore - far away
watermelon
summer's heatswallowed up by the gap
in the watermelon
weeds
hill meadowmostly uprightcitizen flowers
wild flowers
wild flower walkgreeting the spiritswith Latin names
wild flowersthe twitter of swallows
passing through
shapingpetals of wild flowers
ocean breezes
yarrow
from the beachthe bottle with a message
yellow yarrow
yucca
root systemof the dried yucca
lizard family
zucchini
green fireszucchini growing
with the heat
summer revengetaking zucchini to the neighbor
whose lettuce we ate
having an old friendfor dinner
the largest zucchini
AUTUMN Moods
abandoned
still standingwhere others livedabandoned cabin
abandoneda photo of someone's eyes
moving in the wind
one birdits cry so human
alone
accepting aging
wrinkling upalong the shore
an old ocean
mom leavesthe door partly open
her many years
cricket shapesarthritic knucklesof shortened days
child's fingerstrace on grandma's hands
the liver spots of aging
an old sea croneremembering mermaid tales
as true
hot flashesblushes of youth
getting old
grandmother squeezingon her driver's licensethe name of many men
arguments
box canyon wallsbeing with someone
you hate
in box canyonthe narrow-mined couple
argue
after the quarrelchewed cheeks
saying the words
belief in spirits
sacred grovea spirit tradeoaks and I
fairy ringall past secretscome to light
spirit circlejourneys from thing to thing
pass-me-not
mountain windthe spirit eye sees
traveling far
sunsetillumination of other worlds
clouds
flute notesin spirit rocks
answers
leavingin a dream soul
in the lizard
morning cliffstwo crows play tagwith spirit shadows
spirit picturesetched in sandstone
the unseen hand
spirit bodieswaving from cacti
plastic sacks
Nevada spirit landsgarbage blowing
in bushes
spirit in retreatcleaning first the black stove
a cup of cold water
mission spiritsin swallows and pigeons
birds of paradise
morning lightstretches down the cliff
its spirit shape
decay
waiting rooma patch of sunlight
wears out the chairs
recycling old glassthe rocky beach
jewel-covered coves
windless surfhow easily the old folks
are entertained
worn-down hillsfolding into earthan old dog sits
elephant paradethe old aunt absently fingers
her throat
clown's old carwhen it falls apartpapa doesn't laugh
surprisedin the dark blood
is black
his hot cheekswhitened by moonlight
the reformed poet
a howling windat the deep achea broken bone
weathered palmsthe scythe well-sharpened
worn in the center
an old womancarrying a balloon
dusk lowers
footstepsa language of cripples
writing
death by deathwith the passing of a friend
my own nears
afternoon sunon grandma's brown hands
star wrinkles
the stable roofshingle for shingle
coming down
Ikebanacentered around the leaf
with worm holes
crackedthe antique china cup fills
a break in my lifeline
rented housewishing my night gown
had all its buttons
autumn patha stick talking to stonethe blind man's way
fears of deception
moonlightingthe thief employedas security guard
petrified forestyou buy a souvenir
for your lover
your liesas many sizes of the moon
I should believe?
heartlessthe moon's bright body
attracts lovers
garlic toesclinging to his voice
the salesman
prayersour feet stuck in sandswhispering about us
casting doubtsclouds on the hills
on her face
used car salesmana banana peel liesthree feet from his
after liesseeing by moonlightwhose who is what
emptiness
cold crescent moonsound of a boat leaving
with the departed
mother's deaththe umbilical cord to earth
empty
emptythe vacation house watches
us drive by
her heateven the ashes
not cool
without themhanging on to things
of parents
seeing the old hometo fill the emptiness
chattering birds
a nestfound in autumnthe empty sky
empty afternooneyes and ears fill
with tears
as empty asSunday afternoon's envelope
your rejection is
filling the washerwith an empty heart
your blue shirts
autumn stormslocking emptiness
into summer cabins
tirednessfilling the emptiness
evenings
used tiresloaded on a truckwithout wheels
sea fogwalking the valleywith empty hands
endings
crossing the roadshadow of a stop sign
stops
fears
shadowsof an upright stone
splashing waves
lifting a shadowthe gull frightened
by waves
grief
stone mountainsaying good-bye to him
was even harder(For Charles B. Dickson)
jealousy
jealous loversat sea storm cloudswith purple waters
slender moonso little fire
yet you go to him
tidessorting beach debris
a jealous woman
leavings
leaving homerain drops in my eyes
for clearer vision
grandkids leavingthe only smiles
on pictures they drew
leaving the low tide beach
fills
facing one anotherthe chairs open and empty
as guests leave
weak fall sunchairs by the café siton each other's lap
leavingdust holds your footprints
and me
walking on rockswhere tears splashed down
dad's farewell
wind-filled raintears at the leavessomeone is going
guests gonethe only starsin the sieve
guests gonehuckleberries ripen
in the silence
noodle soupmemories of your visit
in the left-overs
kissing good-byeshe feels the edge
of his pocket
leaving Germanyraindrops in my eyes
tears
lingering summer thoughts
autumn's summer heaton a white paper you drew
a smiling sun
loneliness
to sleep alonein the light of the moon
madness
lonelinesscrossing the great plains
high tension wires
a lonely dayyet in the afternoona breeze comes by
alonein the desert
wind
on the porchmold-speckled pine needles
my waiting for you
a son's callwhite waves of long distance
returning to shore
kids gonesea waves return to shore
each alone
foggy Saturday nighta woman's whiskey-raw voice
pours from a radio
singing lowsea-white fog disappears
beneath the pines
divorced parentsthe cries of the neighbor kids
deep in the woods
the waitress' tiplying in spilled beersmall brown coins
longing
dreamsburning desire
burning
burning pinesmoke blown about
my longing
deer at the salt lickso my memories of uswill you return too?
loss
fireplace sunshinedark in the burned-out cabin
weeds
too latelovers looking in windows
of closed shops
touching your left sleeveat this moment of parting
how cold is your coat
watercolor classa blue sky pinned to the wall
falls
a deaf childin autumn hearingthe sleep of seeds
lostin hidden valley
the trail
on the gramophonea church in Holland
where you are tonight
passing time
early morning sunon the face of the clock
time change
time wasmy eyes in the empty place
where the clock isn't
golden clock handssunshine slants through leaves
passing time
past life experiences
moon dreamsa spotlight turns on
past lives
fingernailswindows to the past
lives
white waves returningto shore their call
for me to come home
regrets
low-tide walknow deep at sea
my path
at the waterfallsa woman remembering
a love affair
at least the moonwhen it's full
comes to my porch
ribbon knotstighten a lump in the throat
as it was that night...
heavy heartsuch a color evenings
weighs nothing
rest
taking a restI let the city noisesleak out of my ears
sadness
pillar of sorrowthe hours alone
touching it
deep sighingwaves climb the beach
and disappear
earth turnsshadows on a facefade and reappear
stepping stonesgo wobbly and uneven
tears falling
autumn sadnessyet before the leaf falls
the swelling bud
eyelash splashcurve in the folding
a wave of tears
the cutting edgeyour words where the moon
touches night
yet another pineis the moon ever free
of the earth?
unknown
spirit of a placea film
on the photograph
breathing heavilyatop the mountain gorge
a thick cloud
knuckles of nightcold without human flesh
tap along the roof
forcesholding rocks together
apart
mountain topaglow with the unseen
moon
walking pathsthe land fluidwithout feet
after deathnaming the unknown
heaven/earth
voicesfamiliar thingswithout shadow
doorsswinging pendulumsbetween outsiders
moon shadowscoming up the stairs
a creaking sound
between two birdsin bright shapes
a real name
flagstonesthen the border blew away
in colored silk
surf soundssomeone was walking
on trackless sand
bad dreamsthe shapes of dinner
eaten late
night bumpsall around the house
other things
spindrift veilsabove the crashing waves
finer ones
without winda door opens
the candle goes out
a stand of treesin a setting of weedssomeone kneeling
standing ajarfor the passage of souls
a door in October
incensesmoke in the wind chimes
faint tones of blue
boneshearing sea winds of the dead
in flute tones
secret mistson the broad river
lost shadows
lost shadowson the dark river
time curves
a creaking floorthe moonlight goesfrom room to room
moon pathon the water where I walk
a bridge to ...
sunsetthe shadow steps back
into your heel
two foreign stampsfound in a dream book
borrowed
walking on the mountainwithout a step
going inside of it
still alivein knotty pine walls
dragon eyes
without wordsangels' voices return
songs
giant forestmoving between trees
a deeper darkness
giant forestwalking the dark road
night trees
at the passa bright neon-blue bush
the future
the unseen
mineral watersperfume the skin
a bright soul
lizardin the slits of his eyes
my soul window
beach windtaking off her prayer cap
unseen temple
worries
many night thoughtsthe big dipper tilts
spilling over
AUTUMN Occasions
All Saints' Day
All Saints' Daypumpkin-grin fangs
gone with the werewolf
All Saints' Daygoblins and witches baptized
with holy names
All Saints' Daythe Jack-o-lantern
full of gnats
All Saints' Daythe moldy pumpkingrins with a harelip
All Saints' Dayfilling the pumpkin's eyes
with raindrops
All Saints' Dayamong the fall colors
angel food cake
All Souls' Daythe end tablebow-legged
black cats
moon shadowsthe doormat comes alive
with a cat's leap
cemetery
Pleasant Ridgeall the casketsside by side
sleeping peacefullythe Best Western Motel
by the cemetery
grave markeras a cradle headboard
rest in peace
abandoned cemeteryiron keys cross the ground
no one going in
open gravethe iron shovel liftsautumn fragrance
clods from the gravesweet potatoes piled in a field
join at the fence
Death Valleyemigrant tombstones
mountain peaks
end of summer vacations
a blob of catsupon the postcardthe missing kiss
funerals
motherwearing her shoes
to her funeral
up in smokeall those yearsof her anger
the callingof funeral bells
a shoestring breaks
an open mouthfuneral bells fill
earth gap
Funeral Mountainsat sunset a haloof golden clouds
the bell tollsrolling the full moon
out of darkness
burialdriving a car into the trees
behind the barn
ghosts
sundownin ghost town darkness
two crows
ghost townin an abandoned orchard
fresh apples
ghost town roadin a cloud of red dust
a dump truck
windin the waterfallwhite ghosts
wind in the willowsghost of a womanbasket gathering
white moonfilling Death Valley
ghosts
ghostsin the Joshua trees
snake death
ghostsJoshua trees
shape-changing
dark nightold sheets turning into
Halloween ghosts
in the fogghosts by the cliffschange into gulls
godless month
the godless monthbusy with preparations
for Christmas
Halloween
Halloweenbeing scared to sweep
under the bed
thunderstormsthe sky saying "boo"
on Halloween
Halloween weirdnessthe old fence post sprouts
a pumpkin face
haunted houses
deserted housewild roses still have a view
of the remote coast
vacant staresfrom the vacant house
no one looks
Indians
nativesguided through the desert
by water spirits
desert windwhistling through bird bones
Indian breath
Indian countrysign on a winding road
a broken arrow
In Zion Nat'l Park
Navajo sandstoneface of a rock
weeping
emerald poolsin Navajo sandstone
Indian red
Navajo sandstonefissures opening
to heaven
paintedon Indian cave walls
lizard eyes
prayer flags
At Odiyan
prayer flagsground shadowsin weird shapes
prayer flagstinklingbells
vehicles to heavenpray flags surround
the used car lot
lighting candles
remembering momthe same old firein an altar candle
an altar candlelit for your soul journey
warms my hands
pumpkin pie
pumpkin piesremembering with a grin
the Jack-o-lantern
pumpkins/jack o'lanterns
lightfrom the pumpkin's grin
a full moon
moonrisewind blows out the light
in the pumpkin
carved pumpkinadmiring our art the moon
comes on the porch
enlightenedthe jack-o-lanternhas a fat candle
alonegoing to sleep with a grin
on the pumpkin
all the lightinside of a pumpkin
this dark night
light leakingthe grin of pumpkins
growing moldy
togetherlifting the pumpkinthe curved stem
night darkinside the pumpkin
its warm glow
scary Halloweenthe candle in the pumpkin
goes out
watching our bedthe pumpkin's lid
smokes
bedside candleputting it inthe pumpkin
shadows movingon the bedroom wall
a pumpkin's grin
unable to sleepthe Jack-o-lantern watches
us all night
grandpagives the Jack-o-lanternhis snag-toothed grin
school
kite stringtightly rolled
first day of school
just movedthe chill of gigglesin the school yard
backpack of booksthe schoolboy becomes
a deformed monster
first day of schoolher bare foot tracksstill on the beach
mid-Septembershe writes her name for Daddy
in the sand
where we shook handsin front of our old school
a dark bruise
after all these yearsthe high school band
still practices
still an old maidthe high school Latin teacher
on a sentimental journey
first day of schoolon the mountain ridgeclouds without thunder
voices along the roadafter the school bus goes by
only birds
river so lowall the polliwogs gone
school begins
beach afternoonschool girls drinkingfrom a paper bag
souls
sea horizonsthe soul stretchedinto bands of blue
in the headlightsthud of a dark body
a soul rushes by
Thanksgiving
colorful Indian cornfor Thanksgiving dinner
relatives from afar
Thanksgiving Dayan old couple on the pier
fishing
cold turkeyin bed on Thanksgiving
with the sniffles
Thanksgiving Dayseeing an old neighbor
after her surgery
thanks givingthe first cup of watertipped to the earth
Thanksgiving Dayafter the stormbeachcombing
Thanksgiving Daygrapes on an heirloom plate
half-eaten
desert Thanksgivingcold turkey sandwiches
under the one tree
blood relativesfor Thanksgiving dinner
red beets
trick or treating
trick or treatingwith kids only the moon
older than I
without a soulfaces grin in the dark
on Halloween
no one homeyet a face grins on the porch
Halloween
going into dark timeschildren dressed as grown-ups
begging
worship
from Indiathe strange white bird
in a yoga position
banner of belieflace at the edges
crumbling
granite altarwater not winewind flowing
ancient shrinejust a roof
upon the path
chapelhidden on the ceiling
pagan symbols
cloister wallsshutting in
the outer world
holy mountainamong the Bishop pines
bluebirds
late to churchdaylight savingunholy times
back homecovered with dust
magic sparkles
witches
before the covenhow the witches park
their cars
new age witchin her Hondaa whiskbroom
magic symbolsdrawn with bloodthis holy space
eggshells ashbonewhite of the moonin a witch's spell
a little spilled wineageless women in the circle
of a full moon
wreath
falling from the wreathfrost
flowers
a wave curlstumbling over a wreath
buried at sea
Veterans' Day
the Vietnam Vetin his eyesmy debt
AUTUMN Celestial
afternoon
late afternoonwater leaking out
of the cove
afternoon napa visit with angels
how you snore
between fingersthe empty airof afternoon
beginning of autumn
cricket silencebetween scraping sounds
autumn begins
bright blue weather
the skybecause it is that old
that blue
October'sbright blue weather
out to sea
blue skycoming into the tree's shadow
salt winds
blue autumn skiesfolded into mountains
purple shadow
cold night
night winds blowon the cabin bed
another quilt
close of autumn
autumntaking a dirt roadto the end of it
a summer hikein mountain shadows
finding autumn
clouds
cloudsturning off the lightsoutside the house
mountain streamafternoon clouds washed
out to sea
shy before the moonshe too slips behind
autumn clouds
cold
mountain coldgetting under a blanket
to sleep with me
white fish filletthe sky fills upwith cooler air
after the showercool wind in the bathrobe
hangs on a nail
canyon clicknothing on film
like the cold wind
dark rain
in the dark of nightwho would have thought
rain was round
dark castleatop the mountain
rain clouds
one at a timerainclouds fallingdark into the sea
rainy nightthe path home
a black umbrella
drought
the roofleaves in a drought year
in the rain gutter
dusk
dusklast light caught
in tears
darknessthe wideness of things
fills the distance
at duskvoices call out
stars
tangled branchescoming darkness
woven in
a wave breaks whitea gull folds its wingas the sea darkens
autumn windthe way it turns things around
at dusk
duskthe room larger than the persons
filling it
duskshaking out the tablecloth
a whir of wings
eclipse
eclipsewhite rocks in the garden
bright round
evening
just nowwith the incoming tide
supper time
eveningsthe long pale waves
come ashore
evening comeswrapped in sea fog
tied with webs
evening sea fogdescending into sun-dried grass
sweaty lovers
evening ebb tidethe beach widens
into a flat sea
evening glowdark the sea
shot with color
eveningwaves come into the cove
one at a time
dustso fine the evenings
golden air
evening as it isthe light lays hotupon our eyelids
eveningcorners move into the room
blown by dark
eveningin a secret cove
fog bound
evening windcolors of the day
blown away
evening windsthe tiny bay filled
up to the cliff
eventide
somber at eventidefaces in sandstone
approaching autumn
equinox
autumn equinoxcool wind comes scented
sun-hot pine needles
autumn equinoxputting porch furniture away
getting it out again
fall equinox suncoming through cedar box trees
anthology plans
fog
fog movesas children's hands wave good-bye
Sunday evening
whitenessfog erasing the landscape
history
sea fogblowing in the valley
shapes of hills
broken fenceriver valley fog patches
the gaping holes
sadnessfog leaving
the sea
fog shroudeda sky without directions
the unknown way
ocean roarwashing dishes
with fog
gray foggy dayswomb warm with light filtered
through a membrane
closingthe notebook
fog
more fogin the notebook
nothing
alone togetherbehind us fog closed
the Golden Gate
hurricane
the wind's eyeagainst the glass
a hurricane
Indian summer
Indian summerthe cold on my teeth
iced tea
mist
moon spiritsthe face of the deep
lightly misted
November spiritsplaying in the meadow
wisps of mist
rolling hillshiding stars
in autumn mists
moon
left and rightthe moon bounces over
a mountain road
painted hillsthe moon of white
is real
moonfull of blue light
desert cool
into valleysa moon fullof valleys
headed out to seathe tide-pulling moonin the rear view mirror
desert tidesthe moon shapes
sand stone
a little higheranother valley fills
with the moon
quivering branchthe moon climbs higher
in the old pine
opening the doorfor more firewoodthere's the moon
from barren treesshaking wildly
serene moves the moon
fields flat with fogthe radiance of the moonfenced with rough slats
moonskystarlight bends and fades
into a halo
higher from earththe mountain moon
brightens
radiance expandsthe moon blows freeof a rumpled earth
white moonfilling the dry valley
with light
in hot springsthe moon warms itself
between us
gurglingin mineral watersthe moon bathed
each stepup the mountainthe moon whiter
evening mountainsa line of milky blue
round the moon
a rack of cloudsarranged by the moon
in shapes of white
peeking thru pinesbright eye of the moon
my neighbor
crevicesin the face of rock
the moon
full white moonthe colored earth
rolls around
roundingsoft old hills
an ancient moon
moonbeams
moonbeamsthe tender roots of passion
flowers
moon crescent (three-day moon)
a crescent moonearth cut off from heaven
by the fog
crescent moona bowl of brightness
full of night
moon dark
hollowin the dark of the moon
howling
a dark moonthe cold white rimof an enamel pan
close to my moonJupiter with all of hisbrightens the night
face of the moonin the hot tub
a swirl of bubbles
moon cloudscooling the mountain side
a sunless shape
spotlightbetween rocksa bit of moon
white lightburning up rocks
moon magic
dark worldonly rocks bright
where the moon goes
moving rocksmoon rolls over the mountain
none fall
doorknobthe moon looks down
on its tiny self
rockspiled before the moon
drop back to earth
moon - full
the full moonwalking the island road
from sea to sea
full moonripples reflecting
unseen stars
so fullthe moon brightens the room
with poems
all moonfilling the secret cove
with bright water
a full moondrawing down to the sea
a path of stars
faint with dewsthe full moon slides
closer to the sea
full moonholes in stones
echoes
mountaingiving birth to white light
a round moon
full moonsculpting sandstone
with light
full moonletting him inwith the light
full moonrising over ash mountains
alkali dust clouds
from eartha light moon rises
tides
moonrisein the rear-view mirror
sunset
full mooncovering the long dry valley
with light
desert coolrising to the full moon
desert pool
a full mooncutting a lock
from the cowlick
cabin alonethe greater moon waits
our return
a full moonthe crazy neighbor's lights
burn all night
closing a slim bookprint shrinks in the face
of a full moon
bending the pine treewith a windy sound
the full moon
filling the riverthe complete moon covers
the hole in the bridge
touching her facefingerprints on the full moon
clouds
a full moonresting on hoary frost meadows
tundra swans
full moon movesfrom poem to poem
through the pine
round moonrolling from the ridge
gray stones here and there
moon - harvest
harvest moonwatching a mouse hole
the ginger cat
turning out the lightrenting the room to the moon
for a night
moon - hazy
a hazy moonsteam no longer seen
from the hot tub
clear moonrising from a mountain ridge
darkness on its face
smudged moonmarked by mountain fires
soot and smoke
moon - hunters
a hunter's moonthe o's of howling dogs
ring in the mists
moon - late
late risingthe lop-sided moon
half the night
nightwithout poems
then comes the moon
late moonin the poor part of town
second-hand light
the tiny dawnpine mountain releases
the late moon
ripe huckleberriesthe moon comes upstreaked with purple
late moonshivering before mountains
cold knees
a falling starthe nearly round moon
still not full
moonlight
clear nightmoonlight coats
feathers
brushing moonlightacross night skies
wispy clouds
moonlighton the way to dawn
vivid dreams
green watercurls into white foam
moonlight
pale violet sheetsin silver moonlight
native hills
moonlightin the high desert
a river
moonlightfaces in the sandstone cove
laughing
one half a cupof low-fat cottage cheese
in the moonlight
a window slantsfrom a rough stone fireplace
a square of moonlight
dancing aroundin the moonlight
outstretched hands
nothing movesmoonlight touching wind
chimes
containinga dish of moonlight
ritual salt
moonlight radiancebehind clusters of dark pine
white clouds
beach sandwet with moonlight
ebb tide
moonlightfollowing raccoonsacross the porch
alonehow cold the moonlight
on my bed
sitting in moonlightthe empty chair full
of radiance
in my beda spot of moonlightthe empty pillow
out to coolon the porch cakes frosted
with moonlight
promontoryholding up moonlightcrevices of sea caves
moonlightclothes from the dryer
fresh and clean
moonlightslipping from her breasts
the white blanket
covered with moonlightthe face of the mountain
my wrinkles
a rock fantasyshaped by moonlight
fears
moonlight highwayyellow crossing yellow
line of pee
mountain roadwinding road
with a yellow line
mountain roadthe glow in the moonlight
a night snake
moonlightreflected from rocks
into haiku
a little higheranother valley fills
with moonlight
autumn leavesarranging on the earth
silver moonlight
glacier-scarred rockcenturies of moonlight
echo
moonlightin canyon echoes
stars
moonlightyour image on the mountain
echoes forever
eastern peakswithholding moonlight
echo your voice
moonlightin the mountain river
stars echo
moonlightshaped by leaves of gold
silver
mountainsholding up the moonlight
the highest peak
two headlightsfour white eyesof moonlight
moonlightbroken to bits
by fallen leaves
draping moonlightover your imagea leafless tree
rolling to the crestmoonlight touches each
tree black
autumnleaves on the earth
silver moonlight
a black stovewarming a square
of moonlight
moon new
round rocksthe new moon rises
old
water striderson a pale pond
moons
cactus spinesabove the deserta slender moon
moon - quarter
incoming tidecurves of spindrift flung high
a quarter moon
sewing by handslowly it comes together
the half-round moon
quarter moonon the night table
a book face up
quarter moonsuch a face of darkness
yet you go to him
my longingvoices ask the moon
for news of him
awakewaiting for the moon
him
waiting for moonrisethe scribbled haiku
illegible
washing dishesthat half of the moon
makes them shine
mountain windshalf the moonblown away
reflectingon the quarter moon
broken granite
alone in the hot tubthe quarter moon seems
only half there
moon rise
risingabove lava mountains
the cratered moon
sparksabove the rising moon
a plane lands
fire my companiontoo faithful to go outsidesee the cold moon rise
a rising moonher scoop-necked blousemoves with her breath
unable to hold backmoonrise
the cry of pleasure
over mountainsthe moon rises roughly
scarred
moon risewinds from those barren rocks
moving black pines
scratching his backfrom crooked pines
rises the moon
pine needlesradiating light from dark limbs
moon rise
moon risewaiting in darkness
all of us trees
moon rainbows
salty sea fogson closed meadow flowers
moon rainbows
mountain passnight's bright rainbow
a haloed moon
full moonin a veil of cloudsround rainbows
moon shadow
moon shadowswriting letters deep
into the night
in my moon shadowthe neighbor's gray cat
warms itself
moon shadowswhen the wispy clouds
blow free
moon shadowcurving into darkness
fear
moon shadowswriting in a journal
daydreams
moon - sinking
darknesssinking into the seacraters of the moon
stars scattereda few fishing boats gather
by the sinking moon
showers passon each dark stonea tiny round moon
moon setnow it's right - how it fits
Half Moon Bay
full the moonsetting into the sea
earth fragrance
midnightthe full moon shines
a bit flat
going out to seathe moon fills spaces
with my eyes
growing brighta fog bank at seamelts the moon
night cooler nowthe moon has slipped
into the sea
guiding the mooninto the seaboat lights
pulling its pathdown into the seathe sinking moon
a brightnesssmudging the nightthe moon is gone
easing the mooninto gentle seas
your snoring
among starfishthe changing moon sinks
into the sea
moonset at dawnthe sea floor darkand without water
cold moonslipping into the sea
the octopus' eye
damp and dimhalf the moonin the water
scattering bright starsthe spent moon sinks
into the sea
bending downsea clouds slip free
once more the moon
drawn to the porchby the gold of the moon
sinking into the sea
a huge white wavethe foam becomesthe sinking moon
the moon has seta cold smell
in the fireplace
shiveringthe moon sinksinto cold seas
moon seta glass of milkto stay awake
moon snow
Grand Canyoncold to the rim
moon snow
moon valleys
moon valleysshimmering in the shadows
beads of light
moon waning
waningthe moon comes north
enters my window
ebb tidethe moon and anemone
no longer round
moon waxing
down the highwaythe waxing moon comes
to Half Moon Bay
moon winds
risingout of the weight of mountains
moon and cool breeze
flying bythe wind-swept moon
bent pines
spinningout of the mountain's darkness
white moon winds
moon windthe full radiance sailsfrom the rippled ridge
pine-needle clustersredrawing the mooneach gust of wind
morning
autumn morninga torn shoulder muscle
wakes first
eastern peaksautumn stains the morning sky
red and gold
first cold dawnusing my old straw hat
to start the fire
morning dew
morning dewscoming out a cedar house
the whole forest
night
autumn nightsfilling the wind
with other things
nightrocks softendisappear
darknesslight's last rays lose
a name
daylight goesyet we shall stay herewhere the stars are
world thickslat cabin wallson dark nights
nightslight broken into stars
neighbor's lights
shore-line nightsby waves of darkness
the air shaped
sea
river bendsinto the summer sun
autumn's ocean
late afternoongiant boulders dryletting the tide ebb
a line of sea foamthe ocean hesitatesand then recedes
low tidealone on the beach
autumn
a door slamsout in the bay
a wave collapses
sea fog
low cloudspressing the sea
flat
autumn sea fogcoming the same way
sadness
shorter days
shorter daysthe clothesline doesn't reach
the sun
skies
a gust of windearth tosses up a sky
of fallen leaves
starry night
I'm not oldall night my eyes have held
ancient stars
a starry nightsomewhere a windmill creaks
as the earth turns
so loudthe noise of stars one can't hear
the wind
evening starunder the dark wings
of gulls
storm
autumn stormsshaking moonlight
from leaves
thunderneighbor with a leaky roof
nails faster
before the stormsunset clouds too
all mixed up
full storm furythe quarter moon beams down
just quiet
such a storm!on the roof are falling
all the stars
sea-storm cloudsbodies by Michaelanglo
ring the horizon
out of stormheavy clouds letting down
night
moon halokeep us safe
from tomorrow's storm
talk of warunpredicted a storm
blows in
sunset
sun settingin beach sand
blue pits
with the sun ball gonegold pours the horizon wide
sky to sea
sunsetsky and sea dyed golden
from a smallish ball
sea sky linedrawing the sun down
distorted
for tired eyesafter sunset gentle colors
releasing the light
evening sunin that place tomorrow
I won't be
sunsetmoonset leaving alone
low tide
summit peaksscraping a sulfur match
at sunset
sunsetlighting a blaze
in a dark fireplace
stumblingthe sky at dusk
a bruise
sunsetpainting wet sand
purple
wide horizonsspreading the colorsof a long-gone star
munching gingersnapsdesert mountains swallow
the evening sun
sunsetlighting a firein cedar logs
sunset raysstringing masts together
the city skyline
sunsetwarming each incoming wave
a secret cove
sunsetthe cresting wave
catches fire
beyond the mountainthe setting sunother friends
ocean coastbending into a bay
sunset rays
coming ashoreeach wave brings goldfrom the setting sun
sun settinginto broken clouds
shore lights
scattered pastelsthe sun sets its colors
here and there
evening sunblown by sea wind
into an island
the burned placein the skyat sunset
horizonsthe full moon at sunset
circling
tops of thundercloudssharing with us mortals
last rays of the sun
the sun sankinto a bar of clouds
missing the sea
sundownthe unheated ocean
ice blue
light on the seafrom a sunken island
sunset
sunset on a wallthrough uneven stones
starlight
twilight
twilightpurple mountains sink
into purple sky
waiting for the moon
sun-warmedthe smell of earthhides the moon
rolling downhillmoon watchers hike
up the mountain
in the darktwo trees on the ridge
found by the moon
waiting for moonrisethe page darkens
with poems
curved lightcarved out of the hill
moonrise
Venus
hand hiddenin the soul given to others
her Venus pulse
wind
shooting arrowsautumn winds shred
the straw target
windmeasuring time
in her breast
autumn windsthe smell of a fingernail
torn loose
mountainsrocked to sleepby gusty winds
autumn winda river from the evening star
into the sea
windon a starless night
the way home
night windsbinding the house
with darkness
white dew
white dewfrom cinder clouds
moon clouds
white dewrising from cinder peaks
morning clouds
white dewfinding places everywhere
I can't sleep
AUTUMN Terrestrial
ashes
cindersforgottenthoughts
lava hillsashes sparsely covered
with ghost weeds
lava pumicethe part-time cook
recognizes something
canyons
canyon wallscurved enough for clouds'
shadows to climb
desolate canyonwith only one note
a bird calls
desolate canyonthe apple rotten
at the core
canyon rim rocksdwarf pines clingwith every root
canyon rimsomething in me flies
over precipices
canyon rim wallsthe sound of zippers
going up down jackets
canyon silenceskims the wind
a roar at the rim
music box canyonwind in the dry riverlike water running
canyon ledgesstones return the music
to wind
cemetery
cemetery windsounds in the shells
of one's ears
all of their possessionside by side
cemetery plots
out of the cemeterythe first laugha cold wind
thunderknees on graveyard earth
tremble
their eyes closedto a million dollar view
a seaside cemetery
crossroads cemeterythe old man asks
the way home
buried hereautumn woods are full
of ancestors
riverside cemeterylate in autumn
chilled waters still
leaving the cemeterysunrise
on frost-cracked soil
burial groundnaked trees veil
the sunrise
walking the landthat has taken my parents
their years
wheels of the hearsepacking the powdery snow
into useless patterns
dust devils
swirling white cloudson the desert floor
dust devils
neighborson the road in litigation
dust devils
craters
crater windsblowing back in
a thousand years
craterwhere the earth exploded
a couple argue
graves
photographingthe graveswithout film
church bellsa spade cuts through
stony ground
open gravefrosted air penetrates
deep into earth
tending the gravesthe dirt under my nails
is just a beginning
childlessstanding beside a mother
at a child's grave
out of the gravethe sinking casketpushes the light
a frosty nightgravestones rise
the width of a crack
hole in the silencegrave diggers alone
lower the coffin
between the gravesfences between friends
falling apart
visiting gravesthe stone at dusk
warms
visiting gravesstone gardens lengthen
autumn's cool
his gravefilled withhis earth
his gravecovered with
my sky
raincovering his grave
with low clouds
juicy blackberriesunder the tangled vines
a forgotten grave
after visiting gravesa night of fever-chills
their nightmares
late afternoonafraid to take nap
while visiting graves
gravestones
last daughterselling his housesetting a stone
"gone but not forgotten"the white obelisk
in a patch of weeds
forgetting wherethe family stone
sinks in
tombstonesmarking those things
that don't die
deserted beach
deserted beachalone with the waves
of Septemberness
October beachin all the footprintsthe tread of shoes
harvested fields
autumn bloomssoft white cotton balls
a harvest field
brown harvest fieldthe balls of white cotton
polka dots
hills
maple hillsstain the evening sky
autumn
barren hillsyet patches of purple
shadow
home
steps to the cabinwhere you once livedlow in broken grass
selling the housethe scratch of a penin the family name
a chain of old keysin a closed house
unlocking memories
the deed signedtaking down the birdhouse
dad built
bodies buriedand now the house belongs
to someone else
village lightsstretch down the road
draw us home
the afternoon sunslants over a hand-made house
paints it September
selling the houseone last swim in the lake
the water's calm
flying homeat 35,000 feet my folks
are not here either
nights the dripping roofwalks alone around the house
on one leg
hot springs
hot springscool in the rivera jasper stone
desert stormat the resorthot springs
mineral bathsat night the many colors
in dreams
Death Valleythe underground river
a healing spring
moonlightaround the hot springs
dried salt
in healing watersstars
old bodies
soul bathingin hot springsdesert stars
Ley lineslines
drawn into the earth
other times
earth linesconvergingflute tones
walkingthe line withinthe mountain
meadow
a moonlit meadowall the nun are dressed up
as clowns
a moonlit meadowchanting women give a voice
to dark ages
sea meadow ridgethe broken fence moves
when the cows come home
moor
heather moorsrolled r's of wind
between the boulders
patchwork quiltthe rumpled beds
of heather
clouds of foghovering over stems
white heather
voices windingthrough the heather moor
patterned paths
mountains
Death Valleyin a bluish haze
spectral mountains
mountain peaksfolding in prayer
for centuries
desert basinmountains washed
down flat
lightleaving in the mountains
a distance
salt patternsmountain shapes
blue twilight
even mountainsgentle easing into earth
Death Valley
alkali cloudsover lava mountains
moonrise
wind mountaininverted in the crater
invisible
movement of a bushan animal the wind
of mountains moving
white cloudsbury the mountains
in deepest black
mountains between usholding back the dawnhours of my longing
mountain caveswind carving empty
eye sockets
ritual ground
bodieson Indian ritual ground
wrecked cars
where Indians diedthe carcasses of ponies
of old cars
Indian rocksthe night hawk's spiritwith a whir of wings
ridges
pages tornfrom a sketchbookfar mountain ridges
river
autumn rivercovering my feet wetwith golden leaves
quiet eddy poolsswirl at ankles in autumn
the ancient dead
in this lightflowing through the ages
desert river
fallrocks tumble down
a dry river bed
white waterwell-washed river
spirits
white ghost wavesrocky river ripples
roll upstream
wind rushinginto the valley
rockwater
the top of the rockin the bottom of the pool
another stone
winding river roadthe giant forest
approaches night
seas
atop the mountainmammoth rocks stare down
a smooth gray sea
bright sunon the long waves of autumn
end of a day
nightthe horizon sinks into the blue
water
stones
stonesin the desert landscape
my bones
ascending alonethe threshold to heaven
barren rock
dry riverbedin one of its rocksdreamless sleep
monolithsshaping the moonlight
granite
moon brightwhere a rock fell away
shining
streets
strangerson the city side walks
one has his laugh
lamplightstraightening the street
of narrow houses
temples
approaching the templegrasses rub the body
of a snake
logging roadcut trees that never come
to the temple
before the templelizards turn
the grass brown
climbing temple hillleg muscles tighten
in our throats
breathlessatop the steep hill
temple pagoda
breathlessclimbing to the pagoda
wind
sea winds blowfrom temple copper domes
holy sunshine
Tibetan templethe high-pitched hum
of an air plane
to our round eyestemple splendors
a locked gate
temple secretsheld together
a chain link fence
temple fencered and yellow prayer flags
poison ivy
holy smellsfree in the air
between fences
temple dumpfinding something
we could see
Sundaymorning light from high rocks
temples
curvingthe sky dometemple roof
making templesa full moon
on ash mountains
timberline
timberlinegranite rocks outgrowing
the trees
waterfall
red rock waterfallinto emerald pools
cedar incense
water blackened rocksfalling with the waterfall
some of them
chipped rockthe shape of water
falling
white rim on black rock light falling
with the water
woods
old foreston bare paths
moths
valleys
night shadowsthe valley floor rises
into the sky
tiredvalley slopes
sag
the earth turnsin the valleya river bends
Death Valleysaving light at dusk
salt
Death Valleyopen blue skies
clouded
vineyards
pale fogyellow vineyards over
champagne cellars
wine-tastingat the family-run vineyard
a cat too
AUTUMN Livelihood
canning
cloud jeweled dayblackberry jam
on the windowsill
huckleberry jamall the tiredness
up in jars
cooking
old maid's teapouring boiling wateron unopened flowers
soup bubblesthe past lives of vegetables
throbbing with heat
pepper shakerin gathering darkness
a sharp sound
dinner overthe knife is clean and
the cup is empty
autumn rainwalking about in stocking feet
tasting the soup
clothing
old buttonsthreaded on strings
lips closed
a blue coatthe length and width
of a shadow
his old jeanspockets torn to flaps
in full possession
early autumn dayjust right for throwing away
old tennis shoes
cremation
her ashesforgetting
the bad times
cutting wood
morning treesfeeling the woodcutters
coming to work
chain saw stilledthe sound of the ocean
comes into view
old forestcutting across the road
chain saws
clear cuta sign on the stump
no trespassing
the mountain pathbeing drawn through the woods
a sound of saws
chopped kindlingthe axe head warms
scarlet weather
silenceabove a chain saw
a tree bends
going baldthe logger
the mountain
years going outthe rings of a tree
just cut down
puff of exhaustour earth's lungshauled to the mill
fartsthe logging truck
shifts down
sawdustexciting the airwith sunlight
drinking
driftwoodwomen at the bar
bleached and scarred
singing lowsea-white fog disappears
into bar lights
life on the rivermuddy water saloon
mountain still
drinkingin water the colorsof painted canyon
dying
easinginto deathinto earth
angel wingsthe skeleton's feetarranged in bones
edge of the cliffthe old couple discuss
going home
my parentstheir breath goneyet the wind blows
last sipbitter taste of earth
in the water
death rattlethe bookmark in his Bible
does not move
fire starting
morning sunthe basket of fire-starting
twigs white with frost
firing clay
sunset's glowthe heat in clay pots
being fired
harvest
gathering chestnutsin the falla crack
returning year after yearto this one place
chestnuts and harvesters
chestnut burrsopen and defenseless
after harvest
hunting
a hunting dogturning the stones
into quail
pulled tauthis long eyelashes
at the bow
a man with a gungoes alone into the forest
of armless hunters
Indians
almost theresearching the dustfor moccasin tracks
no one homethe Indian villageof house trailers
lace curtains
home from the dentisthe brushes his teeth
by a lace curtain
wearing the lacebehind thin clouds
the moon
lamps
a kerosene lampfilling the pitcherwith sunflowers
making home movies
long deadhe laughs and speaks jerkily
super eight home movie
moon-viewing
watching the moongrandma goes to sleep
with her glasses on
mushroom gathering
carrying umbrellasstrangers in the woods
hunt mushrooms
music
autumn sunin a far cabin corner
a dulcimer
putting the dulcimer awaythe last note lingersdrops to the floor
raking/burning leaves
gusts of windraking leaves in a pile
without hands
autumn's duskthe smell of burning leaves
brings tears to my eyes
rummage sales
rummage saleat the Lutheran church
a rosary
scarecrow
leaning scarecrowreal estate dealers also
are not upright
new ownersthe familiar scarecrow
left his post
writing home
autumn eveningadding a long postscript
to mom's letter
AUTUMN Animals
bats
dim starsin the same sky
bats hiding
hidden in one palmhundreds of bats
at the oasis
last light of dayinto the clearing curves
the first bat
dipped in darkbats streak
twilight skies
blackbird - red winged
flying with himred spots on the shoulders
of the black bird
cat - old
an old yellow catpaws tucked under her chestwaiting for a mouse-moon
cicada
the cicada's cryleaves in the maples
brittle gold
cicadasas if they'd wona poetry contest
red-eyed cicadawet from molting
softer than their cry
cormorant
beached boateach rib extendedby a cormorant
cows coming home
setting sunblocked out by cows
following it home
coyote
cracked stonesa coyote's howlwidens the gap
Joshua treesragged in night skies
a coyote's cry
lightin the coyote's eye
playing tricks
cranes/storks come
cold wind rufflesbreast feathers of a gray bird
rumors of war
cricket
lightning flashinto the sound of rain
a cricket shrills
nightswhere you touched me
a cricket chirps
parental homeseveral cricketskeeping house
slower pulseof an autumn evening
crickets
the candle dimsa creaking door cricket
changes form
crow
a crow's wing tipssweeps from the clouds
dark rain drops
crow wingsroughened by wind
ridged by a cliff
crows landingautumn descends early
in a valley town
two crowschasing each other
twilight
ebb tidesa flock of crows pulled
from sea caves
crow in rocksa crack of black quartz
holds a nest
a light rainnot falling in places
the crow flies
Death Valleythe crow stands beside
his shadow
hard black whitesun on the crow's wingbefore darkening trees
crow cawing
a crow cawingso he too has swallowed
a fish bone
translatingJapanese into English
crows
a calling of crowscrisscrossing the air
dark streaks flap
deer
a bending of leavesas a deer in passing
a sound
steepening the hillsidedeer nibble wild flowersabove the autumn sea
deer hunterssoft brown eyesreflecting blue
in velvetthe deer with his look
of questions
deer huntersguns leaning against the sky
blue eyes
dead grassdeer bones
exposed
from the cabinsmells of supper cooking
a deer nibbles grass
frost and moonlightseparated
a dark deer shape
becominghillside bushes
deer
bronze brackenthe downed deer
not found
a boy watchinga deer dying
turns with a jerk
a stag's crya human voiceechoes in me
lovesickone wild deer
in me
callingthe cry of deerhuman desire
also in meditationto the river bank deercome down to drink
moonlightmaking in her snowy belly
wild-doe milk
evening wind roarsstill the nearby stag
hears my uneven breath
dragonflies
trudging up the pathwhere the hill is the steepest
a dragonfly
bridging worldsthe grass stalk bent
by the dragonfly
dragonfliesgiving to their wings
afternoon skies
insects' cry
lantern lightvoices in the grassring my shadow
at our farewellinsects chirp in the grasses
our lips dry
jackal
a jackal howlsa black mountain opens
moon light doors
monarch butterflies
sun in darknessmonarch butterfliesorange and black
migrating fowl
flight of a birdunmarked
a feather falls
high in autumna dark bird struggles
against the wind
pelicans gatheredready to journey south
my bag is packed
migrating duckschanging colors of the lake
to autumn
desert lakeroosting place
for water chickens
floating on the lakethe human voices
of ducks
duskhorizon drawn by a line
of ducks
owl
an owl hootsthe autumn wind blowing
through the o's
flyingin a dream an owl
leaves a cry
the moon risesday fades into the sound
of owl feathers
peasant
dark treesas a pheasant's call
night fall
liberatedthe peasant henleaves the cock
quail
picking grass seedshow lightly quail go
over the land
the female quailonly there
when she moves
quail crossinghill to hill
a shaft of sunlight
rollinga flock of quail
on the run
eating the quailthat ate the peasplanted for winter
shadows movingthe forest floor turns
to quail
a mother quailfollowed by her fifteen
separate shadows
raccoon
stolen plumsrounding out the tummies
of raccoon
awareraccoons on the porch
in my sleep
a dream of bearsraccoon on the porchpeek in the window
red dragonfly
red upon reddragonflies chasing
autumn
salmon
smoked salmona harvest moon rises
in autumn haze
smoked salmonevening sky invites
the neighbors in
scorpion
middle of the nightwhere scorpions creep
in cracks
knitting needlesthe clack of scorpions
mating
a piece of nightbreaks off to strike
a scorpion
lightning strikesat the door a scorpion
tries to get in
unable to workthe scorpion and I stare
at each other
on his backthe scorpion's mate
dead
wood on woodthe dry scrap of scorpions
crawling between
shadflies
the many feetmyriads of beach flies
a caressing wind
high tidebacks against the cliff
shadflies
newbornflies on the beachdark damp sand
spirit birds
followinga vein of quartz the eye
of a spirit hawk
squirrel
up the treethe squirrel stops at the sign
"vote for supervisor ..."
a gray squirreltire tracks
in his wet fur
termite
termite tunnelcurved by a cypress
long in the wind
rising from rootswinged termites
rusty as redwoods
turkey
wild turkey's cryin the cabin at dusk
a door closes
undulatingbacks of wild turkeys
blown sea oats
vulture
vulture featherwhite downy fluff
at the shaft
nude sun worshipperthe vultures circle
the old woman
a band of sunlighton the vulture's wing
a feather missing
tangled branchesvulture shadowson the darkening
last lightout of the cove
a dark bird
AUTUMN Plants
acorns
oak grove picnicslow sound of our chewing
acorns falling
jokes in an oak groveas acorns fall downover our laughing
apples
dad on highdropping from his trees
apples for lunch
southern sunsetfilling the apple bin
a deeper red
applesaucethe cinnamon glowof a kerosene lamp
windfall applespalaces for worms
American pie
dad gone two yearsstill he cares
with apples/pears
baskets in a rowoverflowing with apples
on one a sweater
straight falling raintiny lakes upon the treestem hollows of apples
asters
broken by the stormthe asters' fragrance rises
out of damp earth
bare bushes
amid bare bushesthe flash of a woman's flanks
squatting to pee
bare trees
darknesswinding the river road
bare trees
roots in the skythe bare tree turnsan upside down day
abandoned orchardbare branchesfull of apples
hidden all summeramong the oak branches
my neighbor's house
autumn stormthe neighbor closer
by a bare tree
from the windthe flute lessonof a bare tree
a frosty nightin all the trees
such a letting go
autumnthe bloodless woundsof farewell and leaves
touching a treein palm the sound
of its bark
berries
picking berriesthe brown bearof a neighbor
brown bracken
autumn sunlying in brown bracken
both of us
mountain springa fall of fernin autumn
leaving new friendsto return home among
dried sword ferns
buckeyes
higher educationfrom the school yardthese two buckeyes
burrs
an old friendchinquapin burrs open
on smooth fruits
cactus
cactus patchenlightenment comes with
getting the point
at the pointof enlightenmentholy cross cholla
chestnuts
chestnuts we gatheredas they warm the memories
of Italian sunshine
meeting an old friendchestnut burrs pressed
in our folded hands
chrysanthemum
falling downthe mums not pickedbecause you are gone
autumn rainabove the dialysis machine
a withered mum
frost-tipped mumsgathered in withered arms
with black sleeves
all in blackshe stoops to savefrost-tipped mums
chrysanthemumswith them in the roomI cannot close my eyes
cotton fields
fall fashionsthe tweedy patterns
in cotton fields
cottonwoods
canyon creviceout of red rock water flows
into a golden tree
cottonwoodin the leafless limbs
starlings
autumn eveningscottonwood trees
seem too cool
cottonwood treesthe dry sound of rain
along the river
at the oasiswearing the coolness
of willow and cottonwood
late rainshigh in a river treeautumn gold leaves
river of goldsunning with cottonwoods
Virgin River
corn
harvest moona bulging corn crib
releases it
dried weeds
small weedsfinding shadows
for the night
autumndown the length
of tall grass
dried weedsa nameless spiderloses his shadow
wild squaw grasswind twining the slenderness
with shafts of sunlight
withered grassa crow stretches his eye
over hanging heads
ridge topburnished grassesthe monk's pate
driftwood
"Dear Mom"her letter on a driftwood stick
washed out to sea
the way! the ocean arranges driftwood logs
on a deserted beach
driftwoodbright with burning
stars
Sunday visitorsadmiring sculptured driftwood
in the town square
high tidethe secret script of driftwood
writing itself
driftwoodsilver sea mists
petrified
on the islandno one goes to
driftwood
fallen leaves
fallingdown all sides of the mountain
leaves
nude in the rivera dirty old leaf
touches my thigh
very drunkbright leaves
fall into a heap
a gust of windtossed back into the sky
fallen leaves
in frozen mudthe imprint of a long leaf
lying somewhere else
on the groundleaves from one tall tree
three inches deep
a swimming holefilled with the cold
of fallen leaves
drawing boatson each leafribs in water
soundfrom the lizard's voiceless throat
dry leaves
among fallen leavesa voice from the neighbor's yard
scraping cement
autumnmountain climbers
one leaf falls
garlic
cloves of garlicarguing voices
braided together
golden leaves
old-timersfinding golden autumn
most lovely
blown leavesturning the sunlightfrom green to gold
riversongwind blown from autumn trees
a stream of gold
autumn leavesalong with with sunset
a blaze of glory
weeping rockin autumn dried leaves
gold
low autumn sunrolling over red rocks
golden trees
late rainshigh in a river treeautumn gold leaves
heather
nearness of hillsundulating in the garden
tufts of heather
patchwork quiltthe rumpled beds
of heather
huckleberry
picking huckleberriesafterwards the lessons
in braille
huckleberriesin her smilepurple teeth
huckleberriesin redwood shadows
round and tart
mountain eveningin a huckleberry sky
the smell of pie
maples
into autumn treesa rain-wet road winds
sky colors
autumn hillsa mountain of leavesdown from maples
Vermont tripmaples color the back roads
of California
maplesbecause they are admired most
when their leaves are old
autumn colorsin a redwood grove
one maple afire
stone lanterndark before the flaming
maple
mushrooms
looking closelyunder the mushrooma desert landscape
woman in the woodstouching mushrooms
touching the base
onions
teary halosround the moon
onion rings
cutting an onionall the halos
fall in the soup
pampas grass plumes
sun from the seaswept up the hillswith pampas grass
pampas grass plumesthe color calls from the west
autumn winds
ribbons of moonlightglowing out of the earth
pampas grass
pear
salt in a cellarat seven the mirror frame
a mottled pear
pearscoloring themselvesthe days of summer
persimmons
persimmonstheir roundness softens
rice stubble
red-breasted birdsamong ripe persimmons
hiding from the cold
plums - fallen
fallen plumsat the end of the dog's nose
cold and wet
potato
under dark earthdusty white potatoes
the moon rises
pumpkins
grinsharvestedpumpkins
redwoods
a redwood fallsthe air of heaven
laid low
giant forestapproaching nightin the redwoods
without a stepgiant redwoods going
up the mountain
redwood rootsthe base thickensenters the earth
redwoodsher inheritancewith wind in it
running up and downthe tallest redwood
only my eye
volcanic ashthree and a half million years old
saving the redwoods
redwoods cathedraldarkening the apse
a circle of trees
in a towerredwoods still growing
shelter
among these redwoodsgrowing old seemsrather honorable
sage
evening stretchesover desert gold
purple sage
Cathedral Canyonunder Christ's picture
wild sage
smoke trees
fire redwithout its flowerthe smoke tree
smoke treesrising to soundin high caves
straw
braided rice strawI find a photoof your lover
sycamores
in back of the schoolyellow leaves of sycamore
an acid burn
tarweeds
tar weedsalong the roadcovered with it
unripe fruit
alonepicking green tomatoes
before the frost
sea oatsbent by the north wind
barely ripens
tree leaves fall
strange landhanging in mid-air I amas leaves in the larch
leaves caughtin cages of limbs
escape
bent grassthe shape of the apple tree
in brown leaves
before fallingdusty yellow leavesfreshened by rain
leaves fallthe air filled
with church bells
vines
fruitless vinesgoing out of their way to repair
the broken wicker chair
driftwoodtaking root in the river
vines
willow leaves fall
autumn sununder willowsa yellow leaf
WINTER Moods
accepting the finite
still standingwhere others livedabandoned cabin
dusting the dressera gown which shared
our passion
deaththe star sailorhome again
as dreamswood in an iron stove
falls into ash
bubbles and branchesice moving
the I Ching hexagram
tree rootsbones of the dead
leaving earth
a carved namesmelling of bone marrow
round and white
last daysas thin as her skin
loose on bones
people who diewhen the sea is full
a law of foam
silencebetween old folks
no longer breathing
tracing the blueveins on her breast
winter
baby's ancient facewrinkled and sexless
grandparents
touchstonethe body arching the abyss
death
antiquemirroring on TV
gone with the wind
boredom
bored by winterwild surf waters knot
sea grass
bored with wintera beach walk findsabandoned toys
another rainy daycleaning out of the toaster
crumbs
silencearound the old couple
all their repeated words
silencefaces at the party
in a mirror
blocked
after hours of conflictwhite waves no longer mount
the black rock
blank bookeyes filled withwaves and wind
cold the roomwhen the last of the ink
has been written
complaints of being old
without a lampthe moonlight turns
my hair white
black inkthe many poems dye
my hair white
spilled winefinger prints on the glass
shaking
young at heartstill the roses fade
on her nightie
a haircutless white
on this old woman
winter roada sharp turn
to the nursing home
gaining weightthe world thicker
with snow
winter leavinganother blue vein
on her leg
first snowI'm not one year older
anymore
gazing at her photographthe glass reflects
an older face
painted silverher wrinkles marthe smooth glass
fifty yearsnot remembering which
toothbrush is his
aging beautytruth lies on the mirror
reversed
complaints of the cold
winter so coldthe sun leaves earlier
each day
midnight roomrays of candlelight
star-cold
night coldsurf's surge and boom
in the bathtub
lying in bedcold beside my sleep
wide awake
delight in company
a new winter friendup the year's steep sloping
our flow of words
- for Brent Partridge
your poemthe brief language
of footsteps
bird songunder winter quilts
bodies touching
togetheryour tip glows
as incense burns
seaweed tied in knotsashore in winter storm
we stick together
neckingthe never-ending story
movie forgotten
telephone callyour smile in a spaceyou've never gone
curved inkthe warmth of your hand
in the letters
charmeda sunny day in winter
a new you
ice meltingher hand touches
his
a glowthe whole candle
a flame
angelsdreams on your face
my eyes
appearingme in your dream
you in my...
upliftinglight hearts
magic
this vowwritten so deep
in dreams
their eyesas a priest raises the wineblood rushes to her cheeks
desire for company
evening aloneonly pine mountain
my guest
northeaster stormyet feelings of longingdare the cross winds
quilt patternsthe full moon's path
of my desire
deep in winterno one comes to say"Look, it's snowing."
desertsilence between us
cold at night
waiting for youthe dull swishof my raincoat
pinesbowed with snow
my longing
sleepingyour image in dreams
awakens
in my dreamyou touch me
awake
it's blackthe road that takes
you from me
waiting for gueststhe corner of the rug
keeps turning up
something's comingin winter's high-water marks
a dry rustle
earth frozen dryleaves behind my wide cape
thus I search for you
wet chalkit's been such a long time
since you've written
grinding more inkthe only thought that comes
tender as the rain
the chalk of her pelvisbeacons for a child's soul
now draws a line
distant daughterhearing her coins drop
into a telephone
driftwood hermitagecold and loneliness
take up the pen
pages filledyet the stamp carries away
unspoken words
sleeping alonethe cold sideof the bed
desire for spring
wild surfshaking the sunny beach
our desire for spring
salt cruststhin skin on a blown beach
this itching
dreams under the tentof the Burpee seed catalog
winter gardens
eaves drippingthe candle flame
flickers
in the back of my braina photo of your eyes
watching my day
blue on the postcardhow far from the sea
we both are
winter daysa heart runs without panting
to the beach
depression
nothing in naturetruly blackmy moods
discipline
breathingunderlining sentences
in a book
unknown keys in a boxshe takes a vow
- no more love affairs
estrangement
after the argumentthe sound of your eyelashes
brushing the pillow
winter coldthe sound of ocean waves
between us in bed
tears not shedat your leaving
a sinus drip
silencebetween your words
anger
silenceafter something falls
a coming apart
silencebetween words
stories
silencebefore the answer
truth
a lover's quarrelthe seamstress triesto patch things up
fears
asleepsurrounded by things
that don't
hard to believethe someone touching the roof
is only rain
panicas rain presses
the window's dark sound
sun on a pine branchlaughing shadow image
a jackeral's face
ghost storiesbeyond the fire circle
old/new noises
bear storiesinterrupted by the clatter
of a garbage can
precipicethe wind blows stronger
my fear of falling
awakenedby the hours of night
an owl's dream
dreamsturning on the lightstaying in the dark
nervousthe whole house shakes
in the wind
three minutesfrom here to eternity
a phone call
flickering candleI'm not the only one
who is scared
moving eyesobjects reproduceda silence of mirrors
fog fearthings so familiar
they have no shadow
from where come ideasnow when frogs are still
as cold stars
last lightglasses comes alive
to watch out the night
feeling childlike
at the airportin the town where I was born
sinking into the mud
by a dormant treesomeone is singingas the scythe rusts
grief for the dead
griefhours alone lift our feet
from the knowing
alivethe dead go walking
in my feet
mind wanderingdragging a heart-spun net
in heavy seas
a branchfallen to the roof
downward and sloping
deadand this morninghe'll never see
helplessness
sea spray climbs sheer cliffon the beach without legs
a man in a wheelchair
for her windowPersian patterns of a rug
wheelchair spokes
isolation
winter moonalone it journeys northward
brightens my doorstep
her facea fold in fabric
smiles
palest butterfliestrapped in paper cages
letters in winter
she saw reflectedin the dampness of his eyes
herself alone
gray paintedthe level landscape
life as a photo
a white roomits walls drawing inthe energy patterns
only the candlereads my poems
wavers in the wind
in my chairlistening to my music
a stranger
silence so profoundit takes the shapeof your inner ear
isolated farmsthe white sky of snowdrifts
outlining the cold
fogclosing the brushwood gate
silences ocean waves
leaving a bookblind hands touch
her own smile
windowa filter of snow
winter blind
stairswhere no one speaks
or rises
alone againwith the wind in the pines
somewhere else
gone -yet the space you left
shines with light
alonebuilding a firefor company
alonein the fire
voices
a strange landsaying I love you
again
the wind diesthe sound in one's own ears
empty
joy of living
enjoying lifefor all the deadthe yet unborn
his face aglowthe deaf childmaking signs
"Come see the sunset?"the old woman too busy
for endings
- for Caroline Sutherland
touching meduring the ballet
his left hand
madness
winter madnessparachuting to earth
pale blue creatures dangle
motionless
written in a dreamall three livesnow forgotten
boxlike silenceafter the grandparents leave
empty rooms
pain
a chalk drawinga piece of ambervery near pain
in my earhurtful blood sounds
of the sea
your wordsthe wind rubs the lake
the wrong way
peace
another tranquillizerthe cat begins to purrmore r's in the room
winter weavesa pile of pillowson a hard chair
comforterbuttoned to the bed
a curled-up cat
curving wavessleep carries away
candlelight
packingarms of the flannel shirt
holding on to peace
smoothed by seasa nearly round rockpoints homeward
home againraking in the Zen garden
the oldest pattern
driftwood hermitagea well-chewed stickwrites in the sand
poor
too poorfor a luxury house
walking a deserted beach
his crooked facepeering into a puddlefor a dropped penny
silencemarked down half-pricethe broken squeak toy
release
cloud-covereda departed soul
sky-blue
wind stillGrandma's afternoon nap
lasts forever
the string cutin death feet go awry
walking labyrinths
no!the grave is not the endwe remember too much
remembering
twilightfinding in an old album
dad is still young
opening her closetsecrets alive in the colors
she has worn
snowpictures of other lands
other lovers
winter colorspassing in sleep
dream zones
measuringthe box once again
inside
undergroundthe Celtic cauldron
a ringing bell
winter dreamslingering on long arms
summer warmed
I touch myselfwith lacquered nails
as you once did
memoriesstored in our muscles
an iron will
without a shadowon bright days
the hand I know
rejection
mailboxa frozen puddle overflows
a rejection slip
bedtime story"I love you." he said
leaving to meet a lover
ebb tideanger and rejectionsucked out to sea
filled by the seathe stony places
of hurting
all my angersinging with the vacuum
cleaner
rows of holesedging the stampof your last letter
after our wordson the lace tablecloth
cut flowers
data processingher letters from New York
in winter
restlessness
gutted candleif only I toocould sleep
sea windsearching me for something
someone I once was
desiring freedomher photos no longer
capture views
misty red daybreaknewly lit fires in the kitchen
wish to be on a train
solitude
sweet coldincense in a winter room
alone
treasurein a seashell serene colors
a day alone
a roof of rainthe sound inside
solitude
silenceafter you've gone
the widening world
silencewhen all alone
a tunnel
a cornerthe shape of solitude
chair and book
deaf childpatterns of a Persian rug
echoing
winterthe hours meltinginto snowflakes
still awakeon top of the comforter
one feather
long damp beachwinter solstice
at ebb tide
walking in a foga solitary person attended
by angels
the shape of windwriting in dunes
loneliness
alone in the housethe flavor of peppermint
cold on the tongue
a journey beginsthe way familiar
to the door
frozen to his feetthe length of a shadow
wanting to sleep
alone in the roomthe gaudy television
and me smiling
empty coffee cupthe face looking at me
gone
tight shut
"origami"she explained folding
up the dollar bills
uselessness
homeless mantied to his sleeping bagshoes going nowhere
art store salethe poet buys erasers
at a discount
an old maidher favorite dancing dress
yellows the attic
warm-breath windwords are helpless
on parted lips
since birth unemployedthe rich manand his navel
weeping
darkness welling upcold waters of the sea
a sob
songs of sorrowthe harp string breaks
the fall of tears
laughterafter the argumentsounds like sobs
a blue waveon the crest
an eyelid closed
WINTER Occasions
baking for Christmas
cloves and nutmeggrandma separated yolks
with one hand
first frostcutting out cookieswith sugared tops
winter airwarmed in the kitchen
toasted bagels
winter dawnall the bright stars
in cookie jars
California Christmas
Mendocino hillsgreen for Christmas
new lambs
Mendocino Christmason spring-green meadows
red jersey cows
deserted beachcouple in driftwood den
trim a flotsam tree
Mendocino Christmasamong snowy egrets
flakes of pussy willows
Christmas carolsin L.A. the air conditioner
hums along
Christmas EveStar of the West
Point Arena Lighthouse
sea side Christmasshore pines bright with mist
at the lighthouse
celebrating the solstice
a solstice moon13 women around a drum
the old circles us
Christmas bazaar
Christmas bazaarthe carefully tied bow
crooked
Christmas bells
Christmas bellspouring excitement
into the air
Christmas carols
in the old folks' homepracticing Christmas carols
children again
howling sea windsChristmas carols
sung by the local choir
Christmas Day
Christmasa sleigh draws homeward
all my thoughts
coming ashoreon Christmas Daypure white waves
Christmasin the driest places
desert holly
Christmas daya waiting at the roots
of pine trees
Christmas dinnerstill warm
two crows by roadkill
covered with icethe picnic table
on Christmas Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Evea life time of habits
not sleeping
Christmas Eveout of the sea storm
a lighthouse
Christmas Evesea rocks unmoved
by the storm
Christmas Eveout of the dark
hail
Christmas Evehail
"Peace on Earth"
Christmas Evethe batteries left on
all night
Christmas Eveonly stara foghorn
Christmas lights
holiday ridgepoints of candlelight and
stars
Christmas lightsshining in the sun
their unbelief
Christmas lightsin the thick pine forest
a rising moon
Christmas play
Christmas playafterwards all the stars
on the school bus
Christmas shopping
Christmas giftswhat to buy
for someone dying
Christmas tree
cash cropJesuit priests peddle
Christmas trees
Christmas tree outcleaning the room
for spring
in the cornerwhere the Christmas tree gloried
crooked chair shadows
sending/receiving cards
Christmas daynear-by a squirrel poses
on a greeting card
snow fallingthe long awaited letter
on its way
letters writtenwith a thick nubbed pen
storm trees
trimming the tree
Christmas ornamentsbought that year
we didn't come home
Christmas ornamentslast year's dust
wrapped in tissue
Valentine's Day
unwrappingValentine gifts
naked
brand newValentine's gift
herpes
married in the cold monthsea foam freezes
on the rocks
white Christmas
my white Christmasonly under the branchesof the snowberry bush
Winter Solstice
winter solsticethe white night alone
with rolling surf
winter solsticethe sun in the south
with old folks
south sunDecember's horizon
rolled in fog
winter solsticethe sun at its own
birthday party
for winter solsticebumpy as an orange
moonset
winter solsticewarmth of friends
return the sun
winter solsticegreeting like souls
the sun returns
winter solsticea white eve alonewith a wild surf
heavy cloudswinter solstice brightens
lightning
after the solsticecleaning the house
trimming wicks
winter solsticefinding a new point
for acupressure
winter solsticeso low in the trees its return
just stays
wrapping gifts
Christmas giftswrapped in white tissuemist-covered mountains
wrapping giftsa whale swims by
covered with barnacles
WINTER Celestial
air
frost sharp aircut into pieces by sunshine
sparkling on snow
winter airthick as the branches
bare
beginning of winter
winter beginsleaving for me alone
autumn
giving awayautumn kittenswinter begins
clouds
gathering cloudsheavy and dark with holding
unfallen flakes
low cloudspressing out of the sea
huge waves
purple lava peaksrain clouds hovering over
desert sunset
purple peakswith fire-rimmed steam
sunset clouds
winter cloudssummer dreams
turning to ice
night lightthin cloud cover guides me
across the room
dark on the seaa rain cloud brushesthe tops of waves
cloud darkjoined to sea dark
by falling rain
roaring down the beachat the height of winter waves
mist clouds
cold
a curtain pulled backby a south wind
cold
smooth snowdeeper than garden stones
the cold
beach coldtwisting driftwoodinto a windbreak
beach coldfreezing a driftwood
windbreak
winter wavesrolling into sun-warmed sand
driftwood
wavesrolling into frosted sand
winter
winter coldfinding on the beach
an open knife
cosmos
empty handsour holes
in the cosmos
bell-tone circlesas path to meditation
across galaxies
dawn
winter dawnsounds of blowing snow
sleeping birds
sea dawnthe journey of snowflakes
to a parking lot
clouds restingon top of snowdrifts
winter dawn
daybreakglass shatters
the dream
just at daybreaka drift of snow balanced
on each branch
winter dawn comesthe sound of blowing snow
sleeping birds
falling outat the crack of dawn
snowflakes
between mountainsand heavy snow clouds
daybreak
frozen sundawn's cloudsfaint with pink
day in winter
the skin of our teethas thick as a life
a winter day
daybreak
daybreaklight drifting down
in snowflakes
days - shorter
snow by candlelightbrightens the turn
to shorter days
for tall folksthe hours of light
shortened
departing year
slow rainsas if leaves were falling
at winter's end
first light
first lightnudging frozen clouds
snow flakes
star gazingall the familiar things
in morning's light
milky dawnthe world without color
takes form
spots of bluevarying the light to fit
tracks in the snow
morning lighta couple on the cliff
as spirits of a new day
just nowthe moon setand you sleep
fog
timelessin the fog
someone walking
foggy nightfarmlights of a lonely coast
separate
wrapped in fogcolors of the coast
quiet
fogedge of the cliff
edge of the world
ocean fogin the broken sign
"open"
fogthe days go bywithout hours
evening fogin town with dampened
spirits
mistbroken from night waves
sleep
asleepfog extendsthe morning
foggy morningcoming in the door
weak sunlight
thick swirling fognot seeing anythingjust a wing shape
new flannel gownwrapped for the night
in thick sea fog
fogriver mouth
bridged
worldly viewobscured by sea fog
angel wings
fingersinto valleys
sea fog
warmingthick fog
a fire
out of fogfog colorsin waves
into the covefog pours
more secrets
cutting out the worldsounds of the sea
fog
erasing the landthe ocean sends a blanket
of fog
neighborsleaving as
fog
frost
frostdropping a basket
with 12 eggs
lace edgesthe fallen leaf
white with frost
granite patternsfallen to leaves
frosted rust
flowers bloomingon dry sand and pond
frost
ice
water over icefloating among clotted leaves
a face expiring
surf soundscovering the winter porch
a shell of ice
cloudsstill in the mountain brook
ice
hail
before they melthailstones hiding themselves
in the gravel path
spindriftfalling on the hills
hail
veiled moonfragments loosen
hail
silenceafter the hailstorm
cold
moon
jingling coinsdeep in his pocket
the moon slides behind clouds
coldthe winter moon with you
at the window
full-moon skycold high winds blowfrom a bright hole
waning moon watchesa pie put out to cool
eaten away
dark night windsblowing over the seas
the moon sinks in
the full moonslips into its silver path
sea sleep
melting into the seathe full moon
leaves a candle bright
plunging right inthe moon and Icold night seas
timeon a moonless night
a dog barking
releasedfrom snow-capped peaks
a full moon
cold windsrounding snow-capped peaks
a full moon
from the full mooncold summit winds
snow-clad
touching eyesthe whiteness of snow
a full moon
winter moondirecting the winds
around corners
winter's new moonthe cutting coldshines tonight
high on a cliffthe quarter moon finds
dark houses
wolf moonslipping into northern pines
winter
moonlight
winter moonlightthe crystal prism turns
with the tides
surf and seawhite with the sound
of moonlight
morning
morningsthe winter moon leaves
a frosted path
night
cold nightI feed browniesto aching bones
knockingcold comes in unasked
the night house
winter nightsenough warmthto answer letters
nightbreaking waves
rocks
silencein a dark night
an ill-made shape
night the animalthat keeps death in a little space
prowls to the left
nightovertaking the blackness
of molten rock
night - the longest
longest nightfull moon whitens
pure snow
Northern Lights
Northern Lightsa white robed choir sings
to radio static
rain
rattle of rainacross the valley
into my hand
downpoura basket on the porch
fills with rain
raindropsinside
heartbeats
after dinnerso full of soup
it begins to rain
sky
to the rocksthe sky falling free
a bluish glow
pale skieswinter comes from afar
a white foam wave
smoke
blind smoketouching the skywith one finger
wood smokepressed to the porch
by low clouds
snowflakes
lifeof a snowflake
falling
Mono Lakeon salt-crystal pillars
snowflakes
snowing
silencesnowing
light
satisfiedwith toast and cocoa
it stops snowing
porch lightbrilliant with the points
of falling snow
night lightsnow falls
on the porch
rainsilentsnow
the clock ticksback and forth
snowfall
first snowdeep as a fallen leaf
upright
mountain deepa sky covering with snow
our way home
blue cold snowwarmed by fallen leaves
russet brown
tickingeach hour
snow deepens
early snoweven in the hole is white
overturned outhouse
snow - blowing
the world wobblesthe weight of snow
drifting
no trespassingyet thru the split rail fence
snow goes
to touch starsher outstretched handfills with snowflakes
snowdriftsflinging moth wings
across the land
snow - melting
melting snowyour tracks leaving
a dampness
melting snowthe white nets hold down
springing grasses
it meltslast light of afternoon
rest of the snow
cap of snowon the sun-warmed rock
shrinking to fit
snow - new
new-fallen snowscraped by wing tips
leaving the earth
new-fallen snowscreams of children
biting cold
snow - predicted
snow predicteda jar of old buttonsin the top drawer
snow - viewing
giant snowflakesbring to the window
adult faces
stars
crystalsfilling the night window
with stars
glistening coldthe stars bend down
a few flakes
snow tastethe cold fire
of frozen stars
high windsstars moved aboutby swaying tress
cold starsdropping into the ocean
snowflakes
winter starspea soup doesn't taste
without salt
the first starsa farmhouseand a buoy
before one starbeams from the lighthouse
search the sky
into the skynotes from the harp
light stars
earth linesstarpaths light
the fluid landscape
in our bloodbright crystalsstar journeys
wavesin and out of the sea
stars
storm
curving the skystorm clouds arch
into the bay
the winter tempestvisiting the neighbors
how still it is
winter stormspassing the rain rattle
drums on the roof
sea stormblue black clouds sink
salt-water air
after the snowstormnew paths to old places
the skies clear
fire on waterreflecting the sun
after a storm
between winter stormsa fisherman come to bring
poems and primroses
after the snowstormonly wood smoke drifts
into the clearing
snow stormbrings white skies
down to earth
this blizzardblowing about
one small candle
snow stormchildren hanging in a tree
paper flowers
storm windsin all things that don't die
this quivering
winter stormtearing the waves white
low-scudding clouds
storm windsbreeze through a cracked window
our nightly breath
storm waveswinter tides waveto mountain tops
storm cloudsforcing the sun to set
far out to sea
night stormat sea dark things
move closer
winter stormswrapping around the house
the ocean's roar
storm sailscloud evening skies
eyes
sun in winter
winter suncoming in latefor breakfast
low winter suncovered with one waveleaping on the beach
low winter sunwalking the length
of the rock's shadow
mid-winter's daythe sun and mooncombine warmth
mid-winter's sunbreaking the icein a rain barrel
sunset
sunsetstumbling over rocks
shadows
sunsetall the shadows
home
sunsetleaving to the wind
bare rocks
sunsetsblue clouds as land
into pink seas
sunsetall the shadows
going home
night's warmthsucked into the sea
a sinking sun
ocean sunsetstaying by the window
'till the color sinks
twilight
winter twilightgathers in her lapwhite folded hands
blue desert windpushes the hills' shadow
the long walk home
oceantwilight as finalas the last one
alkali flatsin the twilight of evening
snow white
wind
the rain-filled windblowing away the word
a damp newspaper
windbeing massagedby wind chimes
from far at seawaves bring without wind
that sound
winter winda red flag wavesto the whiteness
rock musicthe beach house shaken
by howling winds
windfinding dark places in cliffs
for the night
sea windsnot believing in
the silence
windfrom the mouth of something
dark
a blanket of windwrapping around the house
ocean cold
sea foampulling storm windsacross the beach
night windstouching crested waves
with frost
wind tearssmoke from the chimney
snow flakes
Aeolian harpsrigged for sailing
snowfields
tundra windin an ancient poet's ears
followers' footprints
snowlighting the way
of the wind
across the seawind blows to mestranger's snow
riding white roadsbefore dawn without a steed
winds of winter
crossing the bayfrom island to island
winter winds
unseen windwater touching water
with its roar
windtangling bare air
black trees
homewardwind pushes us across
evening shadows
winter windthe smell of french fries
and cold grease
winter
circus time overnow it begins to be
winter
leaves gold shineholding bright
the wall of winter
scrape of a spoonin the empty bowl
end of winter
WINTER Terrestrial
beach
stony sandcoming and going
winter waves
a crust of snowseaweed flung highby the night tide
storm-tossed wavesedged with foambreaking sand
people who diewhen the sea is full
a row of foam
beach pebbleround with its years
in the making
wavesbreak and foam
yet stars
in and outof the driftwood lair
gull tracks
beach-blownrainbows in sea foam
sand crystals
a winter's daysuddenly the sunat a beach picnic
beach laid darkby low tide now covered
with night waters
high on the hillthe earth smiles
a bay beach
February sunlying on the nude beach
fully clothed
a stickpoking holes in sandthe beach I Ching
the swish of surffalling snowflakes
have a sound
winter beachin thin white cloudsthoughts of snow
brooks
deep in winterthe babbling brook
white as stone
bubbles in iceholding till spring
the voice of the brook
the mountain brookstill with listening
winter winds
canyon
winter warmred canyon walls hold
the low sun
cave
night mirrorthe mouth of a cave
open - pale
cliffs
frozen cliffsswept by lighthouse beams
soft in the dark
giant wavessea cliff rocks
summer sea secure
high tossed mistswarmed in morning sun
above winter cliffs
after the stormsandstone cliffs relax pebbles
into the beach
high tidebrings storm waves
to cliff dwellers
sea spraythe cliff laced
by crystal
north windreducing the cliffs
by a splashed wave
night wheelsthe rolling surfcrashes on cliffs
hill dwellerswinters stormy seas
carving the coast
crater
crater rimwhite with snow
our lips cold
crystal
crystal veinsin the darkest rock
stars
rockscrystallize
sand
living rockin veins of crystal
waterfalls
desert
winter desertforgotten the heat
of cinder paths
desert vistain silence between us
the little heat
windowsin the cinder rocks
wind ohs
dike
the cutting coldpulled up on a dike
a silver canoe
ditches
winter leavesin the ditch a glove
without a hand
dunes
windsong that curves
dunes
fields
a field of snowfenced in by fields
of snow
wind-filled snownow brushing the eaves
now sweeping fields
snowy fieldsin a row of winter trees
veins of leaves
the winter moondiminishing into snowflakes
open fields
fields of bonesbeyond the cemetery
white with snow
dark fencesencircling the snowy field
eyelashes blink
snow and moonlightfill the open field
sky high
snow fieldshalf-melted
a quarter moon
her long thumbnailfallow fields lie empty
with snow
stitching togethernow-covered fields
blackbird wings
warmingthe corner of winter's field
an unattended fire
nunsall old women who work
fenced in fields
forests
a whitenessin and out of the woods
as flakes
frozen ground
froston the granite
gravel
light spillinginto a waterfall
frost
gardens
tiny gardenshuddle together in winter
on the windowsills
glacier
glacier gorgeafter the snowstorm
empty with light
nap timewarm on a granite wall
glacier marks
glacierrounding rocksnow a woman
under low cloudsevening sky glacier
cools the wind
a journey endswhere the glacier melted
a field of stones
granite
granitewithout shadow edges
ice on black water
hills
cloudsleaving their shapes
in hills
winter rainbrushing wild hills
a faint green
low winter lighthoarded in red hills
at sunset
hot springs
crystal waterswarmed with the scent
of earth
ancient earthtiredness of my old body
in hot springs
winter starswarmed in mineral baths
foggy
dreamsfrom hot mineral baths
a bright lava flow
winter nightjoining us in the bath
foggy stars
ice
silenceice all by itself
squeaks
crystalsdesigned in dark cold time
ice cubes
out of a rockwater flows with history
rimmed with frost
icicles
icicles hangyet above my faceher naked breasts
islands
windless dayssurrounding the islands
in deep sleep
winter morning surfbrings to cold sand
a ruddy glow
taperedthe knife lies in the river
an island untouched
jasper
red and blackjasper and obsidian
from a volcano
jaspervolcanic gift of healing
from earth fires
fire spiritsgift
jasper nuggets
lake
a glare of iceto walk without a path
the frozen lake
snowstormdropping white skies
into a lake
the lake thawingan image of a woman
awaking
tufa towersreflecting in the lake
volcanoes
- Mono Lake
sunriseburning in the salt sea
a pillar of light
fire spiritsunderwater architecture
comes to light
mountain
winter-bound peaksthe snow not melted
by our gazing
snow-capped peakssun setting fireswith fog-smoke
out of snowsun sets mountain peaks
a fire
snow-coveredsweet water mountains
rising upward
mountainsfolding in the sky
blue snow shadows
north windguardian of the narrows
bares the trees
without a guardrailthe tumble-down place
where cars go over
faultsfolding mountainsunfolding history
nothing to wearjust clouds
covering mountains
as in the skymountain snowfields
trackless
mountain cabin
mountain cabina wedge of winter sunlight
pushes in the doorway
mountain passes
closing the mindthe sameness of gates
mountain passes
ocean
snow blowingfar from the ocean an aching ear
stuffed with cotton
arctic snowfields blowacross sky-blue waters
white caps
where the sun sanka ship sails cool
on western waters
winter sunwaving the ocean's brightness
a blue-white flag
winter whiteon the ocean's block of blue
melting crust of foam
storm-washed seaeach flat wave
a dirty gray
pounding the beachwith storm wild waves
the foghorn
storm wavesfalling from angel shoulders
sea spray
all nightthe sound of waves
purple silk
cold winter oceanwarms spindrift
in the sun
winter ocean tossingspindrift over the cliff
into morning sun
curving wavessleep carries us away
all night
wave songspound upon eyelids
sleep
dark blue linesin a salt sea
dreams
sea ironed blackstars hang at the edge
of winter
ocean wavesand things that sleep
so words can hold them still
kneading doughsilent in the window
wild surf rolls
sea windsa rush and noise
learned from water
silencebetween crashing waves
white foam
a flow of snowreturning the wave
foaming surf
winter wavesplaying tag
with old folks
winter wavescrowning plumesof white spray
a sunny cornerall the winter winds
in white waves
seaside townemptied at nightby a roaring tide
midnight airpounded seasa throbbing
tearing nightwild surf rolls inmorning light
wild surfon glistening wings
harp rhythms
wild surfsea and earth
singing air
snowfieldswhiteness at high tide
the surf
snowy hillstretches the unbroken field
curving it just a bit
wild seasfootprints fillwith foam
listening to sea wavesthe cup of tea also
tastes cold
surface tensionthe smooth oceana sacred mirror
obsidian
snow-covered peakscovered with blackness
obsidian fields
peninsula
a peninsulathe gulls carry their name
from sea to sea
land's endpushing into the sea
white water
pond
the old pondhow snugly it fits
new ice
winter millpondthe moon cuts wavelets
in silver slivers
in timeoars dippinginto winter
rivers
upstreamthe solstice moon has frozen
the river
sun shinein a drop of melting snow
the river black
rocks frozen in snowa lonely woman stares
at the river's cold
snow-capped rocksabove the river's current
nimbus
surf tonguea whispering roar
in the river's mouth
each day anewriver's mouth finds
the sea
river mouthrushing to the sea
curves a smile
suspension bridgeso narrow my shadow
waits on shore
his days measureda river flowingacross the sky
mouth opendangerous as the river ends
in ocean waves
snow
late leavesskidding over frozen snow
yesterday's news
bright earthfilling to the ceiling
snow-cold
cushionson summer chairs
snow
bright auraeverything covered
with snow
mountain aircrystallized by snow
and granite
snow-capped peakson the desert floor white clouds
of alkali dust
windowsillpiled with snow
far ridges
almost a mountainthe hills grow upwith snowdrifts
dark place in snowthe bag of coalnow white itself
cloud shadowsthe sky's footprintson mountain snow
cold nightstacks on the woodpile
a cover of snow
snowbound
snowboundthe lake alsodisappeared
snowboundfire spirits
in a salt lake
snowboundall the colors
quiet
stones
heart of an agateslivered with polishing
turns to the sun
a quartz crystallight years agokeeping time
facing the seaweathered rocks of age
wrinkled and gray
painted stonestree shadowsnot moving
bubbling out of the searock burned blacka million years ago
soft round mountinga rock the sea leaves
it jagged
curved straighta sea rock spreadswhite spray wing
silence of stonessongs sung low
and slow
unheated seasdark rocks dissolveinto evening mists
high tidewater covers rocks
as sleep
waves breakingthe ragged shore
into sea rocks
whitealone on a dark rock
with small waves
crystal clearthe rainbow colors
of his shining
low winter sunlights a fire
in a stone circle
wind echoin round rocks
crystals
desert washevery sized crystal
clear light
treesscattered in the soil
petrified
massive rockswind sounds pushed
into the pines
shoreline rocksloosening the wind's roar
from each wave
water drippingstories etched on rock
howl in the wind
dragon jawbiting winds clawoff-shore rocks
sun warms rockwinter storms swept bare
of frost flowers
rocksrecord players
of time
old society damea lifetime of facesstudies the rock
long shadowsstumbling over rocks
on the way home
Death Valleyoldest rocks on earth
writer's block
pushing sunshineinto dark seasslanted rocks
ancient riverdraws a white linein the tiniest stone
winter carvesin mountain rocks
deep shadow
centuries of stoneyour voice echoes
forever
resting on a rockby a snow-melt stream
winter-cold butt
low tide rocksbubbling out of the sea
still lava
valley
fogin the valleyscold hands
white windsfrom snowy peakscover the valley
wide desert valleyspush apart peaks
soul bodies
winter shadowa low mountain fills
the wide valley
streets/roads
icy streetstoday of all days
his first steps
half-frozen icehow the idiot fixeshis wayward feet
roadsin winterstream
volcano
snow-cloudsthe cooled fires
of volcanoes
passivean extinct volcanocovered with snow
fire spiritsmaking mountainsout of volcanoes
volcanoescovered with pure clouds
silent fires
jagged peaksswirling their fires
into clouds
cloudsswirling their firesinto jagged peaks
walls
a brick wallsplintered by frostback to the earth
orange winterwindows beginning to dream
night fears awaken
riverstone housewater pushes snow drifts
into walls
river-rock houseat night the wallsa babbling brook
city wallsof no one
sunless dark
waterfalls
noisesthe mossy parts
of a waterfall
snow pondYosemite spring time
a waterfalling
fallinginto water smoke
snow melt
rocks bendingsound paths
of the waterfall
from living rockthe purity of snow
waterrise
sunshinepouring down the canyon wall
snow-melt waterfall
upward spiralwind pushed the waterfall
into a cloud
sunshinecarves the rock
snow-melt waterfall
well
moving upin the falling rainour empty well
WINTER Livelihood
bean soup
cold rainfalling into bean soup
chopped onions
soup cookingin the wood stove too
rain on the roof
out shoutingrain on the roof
bean soup
candles
candlelightopening
shiny doorknobs
not seeingthe candle shorterthe room brighter
red candlesabove a rusty wood stove
leaking light
candlesinto the hot tub
firepath
dimmed lightsdried flowers imbedded in
candles
cheese making
first daylighta bowl of whey
pressed from cheese
children visiting
wrinkled handfists of another grandchild
clasp mine
open mouthedamazement seeing grandma
clean her glasses
winterfolded in grandma's linen closet
pure white
unpainted housea crystal in the window
coloring the walls
chores in winter
after darkthe machine washing
white clothes
winter's colddishwater hardens
white grease
dustingmismatched socks
in hand
silenceafter the dishes are washed
a smell of cabbage
unfinished poembecause it stinks
dumping the trash
holes of winterunseasonable snow
a mended gown
hard flash of lightstabbed by a knifefalling into water
gray dustthe fluffy cat brings something
from under the bed
death in winter
knittingdeath watch
a dropped stitch
freezing rainanother breakdown
in the dialysis machine
death watchone threadunravels
sobsthe oxygen tank
hisses
death morningsnow flakes falling
each alone
windshield wipernot brushing away
the tears
the child that diesbefore its shape is clear
in heartbeat waters
given in marriageand with a child
she dies
sucking bonesthe toothless old man
buried by a crooked pine
drinking tea
boiling waterto make tea
dulcimer tune
morning lightthe taste of snow
in thin tea
heart-shadowhandle of a cup
of herb tea
clear teaholding a calmin the storm
out of the cupcold air giving steam
a shape
farmers in winter
a farmerhow he walks through his meadow
when his boots leak
weathered woodthe old guy leans
on the fence
fishermen in winter
for ships at seathe sun also
sinks
arthritic knuckleswinter fogs untangle
knotted fish nets
a thin manopening a jackknifeleans on his elbow
getting fat
garage salebuying the skinny lady's
old wide pants
foiling hereditymother and daughter
diets
going to church
stone churchthe breath of statues
frosty tonight
mountain villagersa stony church with candles
warming each other
cry of windin chapel walls
chanting mouths
heavy chapel stonesweighed down with bass chanting
a cold apse
Gregorian chantssunlight on stone walls
rounding warmth
monasterypower lines on
crosses
cathedralthe many visitors
polished rocks
crystal glassmonastery bell fills
it with wine
rows of crossesa monastery bell tollsabove the vineyard
a sermonthe deep breathingof a sleeping child
her scarfcovering the sleeping face
a dream soul net
handcrafts
gnarled knucklesknotting rag rugsfor a hope chest
dulcimer chordspatterns of a quilt
fitting together
spittle stringscollecting threadsfrom the new quilt
sunrisestring catches colors
on the loom
a shuttle humsbetween stringsa deep twang
crippled fingersthe forgotten wayof making paper
winter drizzlecrocheting a blue rug
at the door
knittingto farmlandsbare trees
weaving a blanketthis wood stove perfumes
carded wool
knittingto close out the gossip
a stitch snarls
a chalk drawinga piece of ambervery near pain
stained handsa rag rug crocheting
winter's evening
deep in winterthe lady lives aloneunfinished baskets
foggy morning findsa torn book of poemsthe patchwork quilt
black buttonsunder broken baskets
bugs stare
hunting
before the firedeer hunters discussing
cars
old hunterconfined to setting traps
for mice
snapped!caught in a mousetrap
a night's sleep
ice skating
a broken mirrornow the ice breaker pushes apart
the joys of skating
making candy
in the 'fridgethe dark chocolate
with the door closed
making snowmen
the young boyrefusing to build
a snowman
meditation
incense burnsinside a moon shell
whorls of smoke
knots in woodtemple walls echo
a gong
monks slow songof evening chanting
stomachs growl
tantra monk chantsthe mouth nearest mine
breathing
monks chantingthe crooked pinewind straightened
sun movesover rough-sawn planks
monks chanting
one bowl koanZen students laugh
and lap it up
channelsthe balance of chi
in two hands
earth-loosenedascending heaven
monks chant
earth heavychanted prayers ascend
into high humming
lessonsstars during the day
still there
alone in the forestclosing one gate
opening the other
tapered prayera lone pine points
into heaven
Zen gardenpatterns raked by falling rain
still the dust
stiff from sittinghow welcome the fireof crooked branches
Zen studentasked the way home
shows his koan
omthe fog hornhums along
music listening
a flute concertthe cat breathes gentlythrough her whiskers
soprano solomeasures the cathedral's
highest praise
organ recitalloosened soot falls free
in the stove pipe
piano concertby firelight the flickering
of notes
the oilinessof earache medicine
organ music
organ recitalthe cherub over the altar
sways in time
organ musicthe school principal's words
"go to my office"
church organ musicwondering if my tampon
will hold it all
high tenor voicecarries into a vaulted arch
my tears
harp notessewing the hemof winter's robe
madrigalshumming in pine walls
winds
soprano's ariaa cavity in my tooth
fills with pain
flute concertsalt water crashesinto silver spray
flute concertblown from foggy skies
silver drizzle
madrigalsfrom the 15th century
rain continues
music making
Christmas carolsthe Buddhist convert
hums along
in notes from the harpstringing together
evening hours
singing old songsthe surf rolls on the sand
its roar
winter roomwarmth of a string vibrating
old songs
desert windcomposing a flute concert
in pine wood
deep at seawind in the harpof whale songs
with the harpthe whole house hums
a windsong
closing his eyeshis horn findsthe blue note
plucking the stringsfrozen flakes fallfar from the harp
importeda German zither
snowflakes
Saturday nightin the widow's cabin
dulcimer music
rented househarp hollow
cold
lamplightthe room seems empty
without zither notes
outdoor plumbing
going out to peehe gives it a shake
hurries back to the fire
outdoor plumbingwith a shower of snowflakes
soap bubbles
winter nightsthawing pipestaking a leak
stars watchingme shower
with snowflakes
starlightall around the shower
snowflakes
clean feeton redwood steps
a pad of snow
freezingan outdoor showersnow-caked soap
more whitein washed-wet hair
snowflakes
power outage
winter stormsdinner by candlelight
every night
computer softwarereading the new manual
by candlelight
lamplighthow small the room
without power
cheese sandwicheswarmed on the wood stove
where soup cooks
yuppie neighborswith central heating
around the cookstove
without powerthe snap sound working
in a mousetrap
haiku poets toochop wood carry waterwhen the power's off
religion
dog-earedZen Flesh Zen Bonescorners turned down
after the fastingthe bitterness of salt
speaking again
castle of lighta spiritual pattern
on the path
reading
book of poemson each page fingerprints
of a soul
breathingunderlining sentences
in a book
down from bookshelvesancient myths come to life
thick ocean fog
paperback romancesthe eyes of a woman reading
her own story
finger of darknessa forest of black shapes
closes my book
remembering ancestors
whispersmy ancestors turning to larva
under the mounds
smoked glassesin oak wood frames
faces
grandfather nodsportraits on a farmhouse wall
in a wobbly mirror
in a flashnot letting him die
a photograph
retirement
rest homeknitting potholders for the kitchen
she no longer has
laughterin nursing home halls
peeling from the molding
old folks homethe no trespassing sign
faded
sewing
gentle holesin clean underwear filling
the sewing basket
skiing
snow and sunshinepulling cars with skis
into mountains
bouncing from snowso young the sunshine
on childish cheeks
streaks of sunshinesliding down the north slope
laughing children
sledding
putting away the sledthe frayed rope drags
in the mud
snowbound
snowbounddigging out
haiku
snow pictures
catching a chillthe failure to photograph
snowflakes
snow shoveling
shoveling her snowthe parakeet hops behind
glass frost flowers
a chapped lip soundthe neighbor shoveling snow
on a brick path
an old womanthe harshness of winter
in her hands
starting fires
casting snowfrom a bundle of twigs
the first warmth
borrowing twigshis hand outstretched
to the meager fire
cold gathersthe sulphur sparkagainst thin wood
striking a matchdawn flashed inthe oval mirror
cloud mountainsitting around the stove
feet on the fender
above the wood stovethe antique mirrorreflects the warmth
sunsetsin a much-used fireplace
a scratched match
deep in the foresta blazing stovehearts beating
black wood stovethe bright sounds
of warmth
into the clearingwood smokefor pea soup
a rusty wood stovewarmth spreads into the room
star-shaped
silencea log breathing
tongues of flame
the conversationbetween wood and the iron stove
our few words
behind the stovethe old clay demijohn
of firewater
burned outremains of a cabin
a fireplace
dark in darkthen lighting logsin the fireplace
blazing logsgas flowers bloom
red and orange
gas flowerswarm a winter room
blazing logs
embers darkenthe eastern skya warm glow
heavy fogenclosing the hearth fire
gray stones
silencewarmed by a wood stove
winter
runescracks in hearth stones'
messages
polished red eyesin the copper kettle
firelight
worm holesin the blazing log
warm again
hearth stonesaround dark embers
warmth
spiritsforming fire
into logs
quieter nowflames subsidein ashen sleep
rusty irondrawing flames
above logs
punchlinesparks from a log fire
brighten the night
ah! the heatfrom old Playboys
the fire starts
cliff side houseinside ocean spray
a fireplace
picture bookflames from a curved log
warm the heart
unfinished cabininsulated with bookshelves
warm day and night
crash and burnthe sound of surf
in a fireplace
nights something growingwood in the stove
a flame
hummingthe started fire
my chattering teeth
winter clearance sales
winter clearance salethe size of snowflakescoming down together
winter illness
wild with feverdreams come wearing masks
pale at dawn
my back to the floorwalls become slatted trees
wobbly with fever
sick in bed all dayhow the shape of the oak
has entertained me
after the flucups half-filled with tea
very small steps
even when illthe day endswith evening
chewing cough dropsa basket of nose-wet tissues
spill to a sneeze
around the eavesthe wind whistlesinto an earache
in her fevered brainthe patterns in the quilt
solid blocks of light
winter coldsnowdrifts
of damp tissues
coughingthe sky fills with flakes
of hard snow
for grandmawith love at Christmas
- the flu -
sickroom feelingthe fake formica
flooring
ears openthe soul follows
the pain
to smell a splinterlong under the skin
my little finger
rain predictedcalling the doctor
for an appointment
a confused brainunscrambling the diagnosis
renal failure
at your sidethe huge bandagewithout comment
in the hospitalyour house slippers scuffed
by our floors
after the injectionyou smile at my story
and sleep
migrainesitting in a canyon
on a split rock
recuperatingall the electricityback in the lamp
care fullfolding the new stitches
into a chair
a fuzzy bicyclestraddling my nose
bifocals
new reading glassesa black blur
crosses the threshold
a poulticeon my shoulder
dreams of haymaking
two daysseparated by the sameness
a broken bone
castin plasterthrobbing
blue tin cupthe burn on a finger
blistering
steady rainthe dentist's drillturning to snow
snowing againa cold wind bites
the newly capped tooth
junkieveins holding a heartabove dark waters
paina wound without shape
cut-away skin
winter's seclusion
winter rainthe cook eats alonein the dining room
roofa silent sliceinto the sky
broken shellsthe fishing boat pulled ashore
for winter
closed shopsa loose board bangson the winter wind
well-tended gardenshere lies the snow
especially deep
blunt with icethe barge's bowsprit
anchored fast
windbothering the drapesof a closed window
battery cablesgiving winter's morning
a jump start
home againmy lacy white pillow
ocean surf
unpainted porchsea fog comes
to a closed door
clearing his throatthe lawyer plays with the fob
on his watch chain
writing
light heartthe pressure of writing
with lead pencils
ashes of incensea page of poems
hiding words
before the journeymy last poemscopied neatly
winter shadowspoems written on the back
of an electric bill
poetrycovering holes in the wall
with a wide brush
silencewhite paperunmarked
ink blotwhere haiku
sleeps
smudginga page of poems
ashes
sleepwith the poemwritten down
poetry contestmy name misspelled
on the first line
rainy weatheraward propped on the table
sticks to the sugar bowl
rainy daypoems on the page
water spots
pen movingin the dark black ink
of clear images
a chain link fencewriting renga in prison
holds him together
beach poemswritten on driftwood
with charcoal
rough papersnagging ideas
in black
writing down a poemin that time-spacethe fire takes hold
morning's faint lightseeing again the words
in the sent letter
WINTER Animals
barnyard animals
cows in the barnthe wet eye in the meadow
frozen shut
bear
tall talesof bears on the ridgea garbage can tips
winter dayas a hairless bearsleeping sleeping
black birds
flying from the branchsun in a bird's winga shower of snow
blackbirds leavingon bare winter wands
pussy willows
winter birdskicking down fireworks
from snowy twigs
arrangedon bare branches
bird songs
bare branchextended by a bird
in flight
river cloudsclots of black birds
darken the sky
a flutter of wingsyet the bare branch
stays bent
story of a lifein a foreign language
nut hulls on melting snow
drawing cliffsa black birdthe brush
feathered wingtips jagged sea
rocks sharp north wind
birds - caged
mirroredin a bird cagea child's face
birds - sleeping
winter dawn cameas the sound of blowing snow
sleeping birds
cocoon
thin wet snowthe warm wiggle within
a cocoon
cats - old
what dreamsholding on one's lap
a sleeping cat
dreamingher quivering pawsstill catching mice
into a windy nightthe cat takes her cries
to be let in
winter's catall of her wants
in my lap
winter starscat claws in the screen door
desperately cold
storm windin the cat's teeth
meowing
coldcomes to bed at two
the white cat
dog
his dog moves closerthe owner quotes a price
for land and trees
injured dogall of his words
in one eye
the dogscratches as owner
his fleas
only vertebraethe found white flowers
of a pet dog
a barking doglittle bits of night
breaking off
dark voicesof night bushes
a dog barks
a Pekinesebarking at Mozart's aria
then everyone claps
crunch of bonesin the hollow places
between the dog's teeth
retreating wavesa tiny barking doghas them scared
dolphins
dolphinsarching rainbows
of opal light
doves
hands in the lightat peace demonstrations
the flutter of doves
eagle
eagle soarsbeyond boundary lines
a judge on a bench
line of wordsholding the day
we saw the eagle
egret
snow whiteegrets preen their feathers
by cotton fields
nobilitywading in up to their knees
egrets
an egretthe elegance of patience
in a tide pool
fish
salt seathe bones of fish
crystallized
red winter's dawntrout for breakfastslightly smoked
ripples in waterfish spinesand mine
mountain moonpart of the ice-rimmed pond
eyes of trout
scaling fishfrom the waning moon
snowflakes
thawingfrozen fish
caught in summer
geese
shapes of geesecut from the snowy whiteness
nothing lacking
gull
a sneezein the old sea gull's
knobby knees
white surflining the coasta band of gulls
screamingat the booming surf
a band of gulls
silent sea creaturesfeeding
the cries of gulls
passing flockout of a clear blue sky
cry of a lone gull
visiting sea gullson a winter beach
an old couple
winter stormlanding with a sea gullone feather falls free
sea gullsthe sacred script
in blue
sea gullslifting from wild surf
spindrift
shadow on the seaa wave forming
a gull's wing
herons
a blue heronstaring at
a blue heron
horse
deep snowthe horse walks the paths
of summer
a white cloudhanging on the horse's nose
to keep warm
riderless horsesin the high road sky
before the storm
with the thawbuckling the old saddle
on a frisky horse
snowboundblack and white horses
stay in the stall
a white stallionsea fog on snowsuddenly solid
high-tide beachfilling hoof tracks
horses
my new roadviolated by a horseridden by a stranger
after days of rainthe first sunbeam on the road
a galloping horse
riding in waveshorse tracks on wet sand
scalloping
monkey
wet monkey hairorgan grinder's tinkley tunes
in a cold rain
mouse
in winter wallsour own mice hoard
the warmth
wind moving grassesquick as a mouse
stealing seeds
a mouseimmeasurable
in me
the mouse and I shareher nest in the sock drawer
my house in the woods
mussels
high tidemussel soupready to eat
owl
from his tonguewind tears the screech
of a snow owl
sea fog wingsover coastal hills
a white owl
windin the snow owl's wing tips
whoo
movinga handful of moonlight
the owl's wing
your snoringthe owl answerssome dreams
night skieson the owl's breast
dawn
Cathedral Canyonsuddenly an Indian maid says
"See the white owl?"
night skiesunder the owl's wing
mouse hearts
pig
ham and beet topsfor dinner our neighbor's
pet pig
polar bears
solar cellsin polar bear hairs
ice crystals
plover
thawingthe face of the lake
plovers crying
raccoon
raccoon's silenceemptying garbage can fill
the night with sound
rats
waterfront motelfor $125 a nightwatching the rats
salamander
fertilizer sackhiding the salamander dreams
up more magic
sandpipers
sandpipersskimming from the beach
silence
sheep - mother
mother sheepin her mouth meltshoar frost on grass
sparrow
stop signthe sparrow lands with a bug
dead in its mouth
starfish
patternson the starfishsnow crystals
starlings
notes arrangedon telephone poles
starling songs
three-string banjosongs of starlingson telephone wires
tracks in snow
after the dart gamein new fallen snow
deer tracks
on the paththe hop marks of rabbits
wink of snow
thanks for crumbsscattered on the frozen snow
seed hulls with tracks
vultures
circling usvultures sense
a rotting marriage
whale
whale migrationmappedsongs
whale songslong slow straight
grain in wood
quiet seaonly migrating whales
blow
ocean depthssunlight laces history
in whales
south on highway onepassing whalesheaded north
newspaper foldedall eyes drawn seaward
by passing whales
eveningsunsets into the seaa guide for whales
hot tub steamin ocean fogwhale songs
whalesfollowing the quarter moon
with half-closed eyes
whalesdividing the ocean
east and west
a wall of watercurves and crashes
a whale
great earswhale bodies ocean deep
messages
sand and rocksbuilding whales bones
sea stars
sea surpriseplumes of whale breath
bell buoy clanging
small bumpson wide blue seas
whales
starswhales
roadmaps
a high hillcalls to a whale
lighthouse
to sleepwhere whales deepand dolphins play
bones buriedin the backs of whales
their hind legs
floating islandcarrying its own cloud of mist
migrating whale
whistling swansswans winter-over onthe Garcia River delta
whistling swansbirthdeath of a wet year
on a green wing
goose pimplesseeing in winter
many whistling swans
wild duck
the wild duckas if to shake off frost
the moonlight
wintercoming around the bend
wild ducks
dawn even lighterthan snow covered branches
cry of ducks
winter fly
winter flychased by the rainbows
of cut glass
wolf
a night howlfrom deep in a wolf
into the dark
woodpecker
tall dead pinethe tiny holes of the woodpecker's
pantry
wren
a small brown wrentrapped in my house
I in my realm
WINTER Plants
amaryllis
swollenthe amaryllis bud
already red
low-slanted sunin the red amaryllis
turning on lights
bare trees
live oakschanging their shapes
the fog
leaving the lighttrunks of tall trees
sink into roots
in the clearinghovering a circle of trees
their halos
bare treeshidden in purple vapor
swollen buds
German graydecorated with snow
popsicle trees
wood smokeshaping the radiant bodies
of trees in winter
beech
melted snow watertrickling over the veinsof a dried beech leaf
birches
crossed at the anklesher lovely legs
among young birches
birchesin the beveled glass
winter
snow rainthe thin birch branches
so very slender
white birchesblack and white in snow
at lava point
the fire diesamong naked birches
burned bones
Black Forest
black forestnight extinguishes
the snow
sun and snowstill in the pinesthe black forest
bracken - winter
rusty red the brackenits shape lost as the cold
takes the bird's wing
winter brackenfrail hands push aside
a garden path
branch
after the stormrain covers the scar
a branch blown away
whalebone tree limbto rock this childthe sun's passing
winter freezebuds of passion flower
faint with pink
buds
rhododendron parkbuds too
closed till spring
silenceof winter leaves
tightly rolled buds
cedar
bent cedarsfacing north all night
snow-covered
before rice shootsin paddy ponds the tips
of ancient cedars
low cloudsbending cedar tips
rain
mountain windsfrom the unseen temple
cedar incense
cementingthe cedars in place
sea fog
cypress
rooted in rockswinter rains
twist a cypress
sky calligraphythe pruned cypress
grown tall
dried weeds
her tinkling laughdried weeds stiff
with ice
grasses - withered
thin dune grassweaving winter sunshine
warm into the wind
white rimof wild winter seas
withered grass
water musicsea winds scraping
frozen grass
evergreens
seeds scatteredaround the evergreen trees
a complete circle
fir
silver tippedsnow deepening
fir silence
hothouse flowers
well-wateredthe hothouse violet
withers
ice plants
storm seastearing from sea cliff rocks
ice plants
lichens
granite bouldersfootprints from dancing
covered with lichens
manzanita
spaced outtiny manzanita flowers
among snowflakes
bouncingout of manzanita bushes
hail and blossoms
stronger whiteblossoms remainingafter the hailstorm
oaks
resort in winterthe black fountains
of oaks
wrinkles in hillsshadows of crooked branches
of barren oaks
onion
all their halosfalling in the soup
onions
pulling onionssea fog drift apartneighbors come by
oranges
red candleholding a bunch of oranges
for the winter sun
winter sunwet silk foldedin an orange
pampas grass - withered
winter stormsas plumes of surf risepampas grass nods
persimmon
red-breasted birdsamong ripe persimmons
hiding from the cold
plum
north windspinning snow blossoms
into bare plum
pine
snowfieldsblack pine roots twist
a dark stream
scrawny pinesall twigs and branches
in scanty snow
a crowing crowup the canyon a windsharp pine fragrance
cliff hangingin a gnarled pinecrooked sunshine
alive againmorning sun
on the dead pine
snow-bendingpine boughs
drifted
crossing to the islandpines have arrived
before us
deep in the forestthe taper of pines
brightens the clearing
high principlesinner power of pine trees
reaching the sky
pine needlessticking into the fog
raindrops
moving aroundthe wind in the pines
comes home
snow-covered pinesYosemite Falls
in white water plumes
wind furyin its shape
a crooked pine
shadow of a tall pinesweeping an arch
low around the earth
a split rockpine shadow
slips in
sighingwind takes from pines
their history
spindrifthangs in shore pines
moss
wisps of fogwriting Persian poetry
with the pine
poinsettia
bright red leavesheld so high by a winter stem
poinsettia
popcorn
country Christmasunder a sprinkle of stars
stringing popcorn
reeds
rain in the reedsin her mind the river flows
backwards
withered reedsall bent one way
by ice
even colderthe breath of the north wind
between broken reeds
roots
meandering streamdark amidst the snow
twisted roots
winter willowsa vase full of roots
rain runs from
the meeknessof trees with roots exposed
the icy creek
mountain pinesmoving as I walk
these rootless things
sagebrush
sagebrushsweetened with snow
plump flowers
sage brush bloomsfive inches of snow
purified
cleaneron the sagebrush
snow
sedges
sky writingsedges gracefully line
"Mirror Marsh"
sequoia
snow-meltspeaking to noble sequoias
in whispers
giant sequoia rootsrunning away
in a snow-melt stream
fantasyin an old sequoia
a brown bear
standing alonethe elegance of sequoia
balanced
giant sequoiaa finger counting rings
touches history
keeping cameras awaythe imperial height
of sequoias
running watergiant sequoia roots
not moved
sequoiastheir tallness presses
roots in rocks
sequoiastheir roots
rocks
Yosemiteafter all the waterfallsuplifted by sequoias
2000 year old tree"it should live forever"
whispers a child
snow-melt streamthe sound of giant sequoias
growth
cinnamon redthe last rays of sun
in fragrant trees
cinnamon redthe fragrance of sequoia
in the color
on the wooden pathold folks walk slowlyamong ancient trees
straw
on frozen snowstill warm from the cow barn
broken straw
sugar pine
surrounding a treethe puzzling shapesof sugar-pine bark
tumbleweeds
tumbleweedspiled against barbed wire
snow's lacy patterns
tulip spears
winter rainon Holland's tulip spears
empty rooms
vines
vinesagainst a brick schoolhouse
clinging snow
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