Grey woods, morning mist
hangs upon the trees, leaves decay, sway
falling to the ground

Quiet - this world, but the sound of rain
washing wet the berry vines, droplets
falling to the ground

Sparrows flit among sheltered branches,
nest's to repair, twine and twigs
falling to the ground

When at night green seas touch the moon
pulling toward the shore, shiny creatures crawl the sands
in shells of watery homes, soon to drift away
swaying seaweed clings to metal rings of wooden boats and oars
Moon tides, ever pushing, pulling
transient sandy shores, and sings the light to follow
worlds emerge from dark of night, water filling up
the hollows

A fevered pulse
though sweat moves slow
as night falls
fast upon our bed
breath of steam
we float like dream
to fill the hollows
sink, we swallow
the light of gold
we seek to follow
hear a blue calling
under the ache of stars
as the moon blooms
softly sallow.

Twisted, sharp the words pierced, echoing in strange rooms
looking for escape or transformation, and flew from death's lips,
cruel shifting sounds cutting steel traps and cages,
still a wingless bird cannot fly in mad fits and rages,
sits alone devising plans for freedom and does not see,
all the bluest skies lie deep within him

In spring with green buds
I dream of flowers, the silk petals of your lips
the flashing of butterfly lashes
soft upon my flesh
kisses flitting soft winged
across my face
in a myriad of colors
we'll create.

It was soft, a purple shade
lavender, lilac made
of flowers warm, we breathed
deep the inhale, swirling round
sweet the exhale, falling to the ground
reaching deep in soul
the sink, the swallow
birds of spring
songs to fill
the hollows.

Lily white the mountains disappearing into sky,
silence of snow, growing ever deep the day and fades away,
I cannot tell where cloud meets dell, on such a winter's eve.
Night will glow in moon tones, cold the foggy grey,
stars will shine for another, some other world away.
Dark and light, void of color, a palette
in winter shades.

I stood long under stars and trees
clouds transiently swift in winter's eve
memories of yesterday's child, a year to play
a dream, a pond to skate away

Now wintery thoughts are aglow
cool drifts the night through open windows
Owls haunt with delight
they seek to prey,
quick before the light
of sleepy days

I slept and fell deep the well
my soul drinking freely
bathed in sweetest darkness  
depth of sorrow wakes me soon
my joy alights this
morning moon

I could no longer see the sky, stars all blackly veiled, senses numbed
in the gathering storm, a smokey room void of living breath
choked the night air, gasping
consternation of a dark wilderness
a sad vanishing note, played
unrecognizable

Today the sun was not found
only rain amidst the meadows
Thistle grew, poking through
clouds - til black of nightfall
Dark wingless bird, shadow of stillness
quiet the stars, so long ago forgiveness
and will it come, soon the dawn?
a day to breathe deeply lunged
or fly away my days born of green
ancient as a forest

Cool December rains
sticky desert chaparral
fragrant mistletoe

two birds
a sky disappearing
lost in clouds with you
soft cotton, downy feathers blue
now soon the end of day
gives way, dark as indigo
black, as light strays away
we bathe neath blinking stars
through windows sparkling blue
candles of the moon, our room
of fruits and wildflowers strewn
here we lay, only to die
only to bloom

I cannot remember, only I can feel the empty chill of steel
sometimes, colored ghosts of autumn whisper in the shadows
that I follow, to take me far from home

Today with sun or clouds and all the bluest skies
a truth revealed, and I awakened to a madness of lakes and rivers,
spilling over - to flood, a place
within

So swift the night will come, soon to leave this home
darkness winds a long road on
and still the sun will come

By these woods I've come, wildly green
mossy step of days, long the forest rain
refresh my breath, breathe deep of trees
hovering grey ghostly steam
the smoking warmth of sun that comes
to sing with birds, perched upon
soft sword and leather fern
laced with berries wild
and faeries good
sing green of home
they wildly roam, safe amid
the bracken woods

Ecola park
misty rain of
late September
overlooking blue seas
a gathering of birds and flowers
wild ocean of
you and I
together

Today, far and away
beyond, we've gone
from one another
still there are days
listening for your name
strange how my garden blooms
lonely, bright colors of you
strange, watching petals fall
fading into winter

In a drowning river I went - to swim
only a short while with you
the flail and falter of cruel water
caught in the reigning thunder
impossible to breathe when held under
yours was a killing lure to be sure
a death trap of words
but no steel cage can ever hold
a sky full of beautiful birds.

I walked the wooded path, remembering
sunlight flitted about the trees of early spring
I could taste the smokey woods, steaming in the sun
a fragrant dawn, a lily fawn hidden by the flowers
still as winter's pond

When little was left of looping thoughts and troubles
silence was a river bright and swift, floating as a feather
and I could not remember, but a song playing
softly over

"go out in the morning now,
a crown of maple leaves, a crown of flowers
circling your sweet head"

a mantra
pulled me in - forever
and there,  I lived on

A rocky trail ****** my gait, tripping
lofty lookout tower - now climbs the striking hour
clouds uncover sun's sleeping fire
hillsides purple dotted bled
I peaked the lonesome spire

Love lost
such cost drowning in seas
Waves flooding, some wading
tides to recede
Wash over
troubles, waters run free
to float, touch clouds
we hope
Smooth sailing, dead calm
we'll drift, waves lift
to carry us
home

Woodland child, you have lost the moon
to walk a path, dark of fallen trees
sorrow of your sacred homeland camps besieged
the old ways buried, deep the red earth swallowed
all the precious souls, have flown far into the endless night of eagle
feathers swirl, scattered at this ancient altar

In the ashen air
always your heart remains, your wisdom blood breathes
like the sun of fire, your dance of vivid painted colors
surreal dream of Tishomingo, trading beaded leathers
through the ages, children rooted in trees and fields
medicine men smoked in visions of waterfall suns
all of our days, deep this bloodline runs

Watching the budding vine of petals unfurl
all through winter I am looking for spring
the daffodil yellow greens, the lilac blossoming
of tiny star flower florets, sweet the songbird chorus
moss softly sunning, the trickle of forest creeks running
the remembrance and fragrance, the pungent warmth of rain
drops, wet and round, bounced from trees, upon my face falling down
cool splash, the startling of my eyelash
wet washing and alive, the resurrection, the cycle
of all things again reborn.

White snow of petals
heaven drifts silent through the garden
Spring maple, catkins green aglow
love potion of pollen snows
barefoot - grounded in softest newborn grass

Breathing in.....
to be one with earth and trees, planted, rooted deep
awakened from hollow sleep
hands pressing into the spirit of Spring
touching the sacred, unseen

Blue, sea green night
the moon's gone missing
lorn shore, footprints and broken shells
my heart an empty ocean to fill
without you my love, further
than the planets and stars
how long this ache
of blood and cells?

It was more like alabaster, but I could only be sure
of one thing; it was an exquisite lesson in anatomy
cold ancient, pale Roman stone, the arm half gone
strongly curved, the rippling of muscle, hair and bones
a man held by pillar, marble like legs of smoothest stone
his eyes deep set that wended near, then waywardly away
the kind that strangely follow sometimes linger into the next day
broad faced, cheekbones perfectly amid the shadows
and I don't mind saying while on my museum trip
though he was a statue, I thought to kiss
those divinely sculpted lips.

The dawn, still the quiet embers
linger, wander, falling under
spells to uncover

Hands grasped golden nights
music fiery, blazed the heavens
mingling with starlight

Morning birds on wing,
dawn of sacred blessings  
calling lovers home

In that place, where swift the sky blackens,
storms steal all the silken, shiny petals,
fading into pale yellow.
Words reign cold as winter rivers,
running dark from the shadows.
Strange roads, desert bones
leave you deathly hollow, searching
for the marrow.

Freeing my life force
unblocking meridians
energy balanced

Every day I awaken early
always I open the curtained window
to gaze upon the fire red sky
sink my thoughts into the tallest trees
distract my mind from these worries
I drift into the aromatic leaves of tea
try not to let flashes of you beset me
all your photographs I must quickly pass
I walk wooded paths for beauty to seek
and from my lips your name I shall not speak
and never think of our last road trip
the Colorado river, the ocean,
the weight of this sinking ship.

Thirsty, a parched pale yellow
this milkweed, dandelion field
dried silky seeds blowing wild
hot cracking leaves
lightning trees afire
forests and burning meadows
with eyes that sting
I can but see, spectrally
the smokey sun
breathe a deathly air
that chokes the lungs
creatures gasp and run
in moments ever dire
they flee frightfully
amid falling trees
of fire.

Sitting under these trees waiting
maybe all day for the moon
or the washing rain upon my face
lay upon this mossy grass, all sunk in
pay no mind to where I've been
no matter - awake or dreaming
I fly into the forest with birds
waxwings, Bohemians
under maple leaves
sun dappled, shining
or perched in the pinewoods
a safe place to hide away
a heart that's dying.

Two maple trees
sun dappled window leaves
doves awake my dream
mourning breathes the air
breezy robes caress
green leaves
singing

High in hills, drift the clouds - of sun it kills
wind barren path strung low with lichen laid
starry flowers, pale white, soft a blanket made
amidst dawn's dewy moss, footprints pressed
leading up and outward toward the day
the sky, through all of time, only a spiral
how earth makes it's way

Nightfall, dark with planets
cold desolate sky home
stars amid nebulous winds swirling
cool icing, caked in frozen states
cynosure of volatile fates
the fiery red that melts blue
tonight a slow float of milk clouds
a diaphanous transient veil
drifts its way across
the moon so pale.

Ceylon cinnamon tea,
cardamon, ginger
from painted cups,
drank she

For you the woods, the moon
night paths, I breathe the air attuned
treading starlit, I sleep and dream
ever closer my love to you
bright from the sky like stars
ever into your arms I fall
and fall.

When I don't see you, here or in the places we've been
in prairie meadows or in these trailing hills
I am lonesome, listening to how the ocean spills
blue waves play a sorrowful song
I get lost in thought, ruminate long on our walks
my feet here in these tiny flowers, the ones that we picked
I think of all the gardens, yesterday, today and tomorrow
my eyes fly far off with birds, disappearing
into some heavenly place, where you are.

Finding your poems, there, all but faded
dust of pages, your fleeting song of days
secret book of you, lost among the ruins, laid
and there I stayed, many an hour
and could not tear away

I sit here, brood
a twisted mood
think how
to forward move
how to undo
a tricky tightrope wobble
people pulling me
I cannot walk straight
need time to deflate
lose these traps
want to break free
of the need
want to find me
really love me
please go away
you cannot touch me
cannot know me
or go with me
cannot show me
anything I need
from you
I am the juice
the fire
the truth
the liar
you are reflecting
back to me
places I do not desire
I am feeling
dismayed
afraid
of the price
I've paid
now is the breakaway
the reckoning day
no plane
no train
no half insane
free to go
free to assail
derail myself
from you
far and
gone.

sometimes perfect suns
stream through my dusty windows
memories of you, in sepia colors undone
the breadth of days long gone

all of this
each time I go
driving by

This house, it does not speak of me
I am unknown to these adobe walls
these cool clay floors
I press my feet against
wanderlust, I dance
through desert nights I roam
these sands to drink the moon
and follow stars toward home.
I travel endless nights
painted blue with black
wait for sunlight
once again to warm my room.
Nights I dream to be
in wild fields
with you.

Words, images, little things that would not let me be
pulled, tugging for awhile
I felt them, knew them too,
spoke of deeper knowing,
stringed music playing violins
words, colors flooded in

The paper, the paint
a page, no thought in mind,
crooked smile unrefined,
thick the brush strokes ever bold
eyes, pooled mirrors of soul -
I dared to look
within

Drops - reddish rain on skins
slid dripping, pooled the leaves curled
steps on stems break, gold the dawn awakes
windy wrecks of nests unhinge
needles, twine thru twigs

Ladders leaned
steps for splintered fingers
blossomy buds plucked thru rungs
gone the breezy days we've sung

Apple worms burrow
dig the beaking birds
bees have flown homeward

In September's slanted sun
we gather sweetest reds
crisp the air in branches overhead

A susurrus wind
of chaparral lingers on
after the rain, in the heat of day
behind mountainous clouds
the hissing sun will scarcely fade
until at dusk it finally crawls
and swiftly snakes away.

My wintery windows, glow in many colored lights,
icy fog, distorts yellows, reds and blues
holly boughs and berries, pines of greenest hues
It is early, much too early
for morning birds still sleeping
snow will fall in swirling winds
from heavy branches weeping
Silver moon, too I see you fade
when foggy clouds go creeping
stars will follow and fade away
when comes the sun over
frosty rooftops peeking

Your eyes are polished amber stones
gold flecked, honey brown
a warm spring of waterfalls
our love, a whispering river call
we, a silhouette of wild birds
winging amid a
softened world

Of Spring I dream...
cool moss alive in verdant green
with cherry flowers - petals fall like snow
our footsteps pressing in
dissolve cold snowy lands
in the heart of sun
love, born of fire
unfolding

In bars wandering amid the metal and cages,
amid the loud banging of voices, dull as broken bells
rung from the sloshing of drinks, in shirts red inked with wine.
Smoulder and fog, cigarettes now drawn and dead
down this cold alley of vagrants painting nightly,
wildly until dawn.

With eyes, like owls - great horned or a night cat's
his arms, tree branched, heavy laden, strong
with legs, sturdy pillars for mountains climbed
hair of silken silver brushed upon my skin
his essence, forged by nights and wildfire pines
his reddened lips, softly melting into mine.