Words

To one
Carry the weight
Of The Maltese Falcon
To another
The elegance
Of the crane
Or to some
Only the substance
Of a feather
Floating on your breath

Skylark

I heard a song
from the woods
a beautiful melody
it lifted my heart with it
what sounded like love
took wing
its music lighter than air
we soared
over images
from a high
but a long slow landing
left me reeling
when I wondered
was it just a lark

Winter

Dark bristles
on the light hide
of a boar’s back
of a mountain side
the boar roots
through bristles
of chestnut hulls
and hides

Cold
leaves me ravenous
rootless
I bristle
and look for sustenance
and find it
in the mountain sides

Tiglio Alto to Monte Forato

ancient cart wheels
abandoned
on their sides
on the valley floor
their spokes splintered
engaged
covered in moss
and vines
and stones
the ground is obscured
by morning mist
in the distance
an upturned skull
is dormant
against the sky
as though a step through the fog
to the far bank
is to leave the past behind

Swimming in a Sea with Emotion

Wrestling the octopus
One tentacle under control
Another takes hold
One grasps your wrist
You peel it off
One wraps around your rib cage
You wriggle free
One slips around your neck
You detach it
One slithers around your thigh
You slip through its grip
One grabs your ankle
You kick it away
One encircles your shoulder
And tries
To pull you under

THE RECKONING

Assiduously avoiding all signs of fall
I am savoring every flavor
Of this most beautiful summer

Hoarding the treasure like a thief
Figs bursting like a jewel box
Amethyst plums in my pockets

Like a party crasher
I devour everything at the banquet
Warm ruby ripe tomatoes basil and balsamic
Salty emerald pesto strands slipping through my lips

I smile at the invited guests
A sweet topaz corn kernel dangling from my chin
The juice of jade tarragon chicken drips through my fingers
Ignoring the signs of fall and failing
I look over my shoulder for the reckoning
And feel the chill from an open door

Perspective

Looking out
Over a vast network
Of mountain ridges
Covered by dense forest
Distant peaks
Deep valleys
Looking back
On unexplored paths
Bewildering intersections
Irretrievable trails
Breath taking climbs
To summits
Of heart rending beauty
And slow arduous descents
Looking in
To find a vantage point