Because our days are straying
and though the nights are spellbound
we are only ever falling away
only ever coming and going.
Near the blue banked shores
we are anchored, bobbing and breathing
the clouds are merely sailing ships
waves of swirling skies.
Upon the tide the moon rips and pulls
stars come to swoon and soothe
floating in the night lands
plush and indigo blue.

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.

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

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

Here in these beautiful hours
of night's deepest secret world
shines a speckled sky of diamond fire
blooms a starry portal of flowers unfurled.

Someone will be there, suddenly so near - your heart
listen to the wind, music sweet to spin, days together, apart and alone
still you have to go, leaving will be slow
agony awaits, your days will break
days will break - you
alone

Our breath billows, mingles with the expansive sky
arms, willowy - dream to fly
heaven is nearer to heart than mind
how dear this sacred breath divine
invisible force of life
we are breathing together
throughout these moments in time
feel the breath
and pulse of life

It was an unexpected wind
that carried you in
a golden sun of love
blazed high the sky
bonfire of winter, raven nights
when you glowed breathless
as moon and stars

Your heart - all knowing, that finds me
blooming, a lotus flower unfurling
sepals and petals, morning yellow
of golden birds, gilded meadows
of grasses green, your wisdom eyes
of flashing fields that shine
we are infinitely interwoven by
the sacred that is unspoken
by all that is divine.

How fire builds, born of warm remembrance
far or deep in heart it burns, sparks
a flash, how lightening strikes fly
achingly, beautiful pieces of sky
tiny embers burrow
swept inside the soul
a call, remembered
will burn, burn
indelible

Oh these doves they are cooing crazy
a language full of sunrise colors
with a variance of blues they coo
and soon the quails - laughing
the way they do in their morning mood
smaller birds chirp and shrill
the air is melodic music filled
here amid this cactus garden
halcyon songs to the sun
and too these flowers
explode in petals pale yellow
blooming high in the saguaro towers

I could write messages to the sky
climbing to the top of this summer mountain
digitalis pink, swirling sweet with bees
this place, tangled all in green

At the overlook, I am with trees
windward hanging on, dream
to fly away, a seabird ocean soaring
my mind of paper kite, adrift
through clouds of sky

Smell of moss and cedar
release of incense
in the warming sun
footsteps, fragrance
soaking deep
within

This must be Eden's
color of azure water
glinting flecks of sun
transforming turquoise blue
that my reflections go
diving in

Magenta ruffle of petals
frilly fire of fragrance
deep dream of pink
wafting through my sleep
morning breeze of ocean
blooms awash in lilting
watercolor reds

Cedar tree, your arms wild in the wind
red bark, blue rain that comes again
storm drenched, looking where we've been
sponge mud footprints, left herein
and in the gold of days there is incense, sunning
warmth soaking the green forest in
a path leading outward
that leads back in
whispers awaken the
soul within

Many colors the ocean of golden sun
through darkness, shines a starlit home
a portal of moon, behind a cloud that comes
and fades the black into the endless dawn
and finds a place, heaven sent that sacred
shines upon the soul

This cemetery of broken stones, the gray hanging trees
of moss draping down to the crab grass and leafy lawns.
This silent field of sticks and bones, of breath long gone
tiny grave of an infant child one day old.
Behind this black rusty fence, wrought iron and bent
circling round the dead, a strange cage we'd like to escape
forgetting our fate, we smile and pretend.

Sweet desert fragrance
perfume lingers in my mind
long after the rain

I was a cherry tree - I dreamed
with evening birds, their words, singing home to me
The light of moon did come, and cool the sun went sleeping
trees and blades of grass, so green the Spring
void of willows weeping
Beyond the hills, fragrance fills
night's sultry air
awakes me

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

How swift my childhood days of green
all the gorgeous scattered seeds
free among the chiming winds
in the shining gold of summer meadows
only a distant diamond song, of painted hills rolling on
where I may but, only dream again

When petals of sun shined above
I bloomed long and wild as flowers afield
days, I flew like birds singing high above the willows
far into the shine of golden yellow

Splendorous hours I lingered lazy
beneath a sprawling meadow maple
adrift in bliss of summer's dream
in a world, where children
soar and sing

Back where I used to roam
beyond the mulberry hills
running from sudden black storms,
torrential August monsoons
soaked thoroughly through

Oh, to be a motherless child of the hills, again
quick to dance away the depths of lonely
always looking to the sea for distraction
and possibility

After a storm, I listened for life
how the hilly flowers shined, alive with bees
the birds and buzz all about the field
in a world, that was everything real to me
and made all the difference, in knowing
what it was to be free

While glints of gold skimmed the horizon
I'd dry my shoes in the last hour of the sun
dreaming to live right there, where I belonged
dreading the long dragging back home

Then I think when I was young, I didn't stop to ponder
only went to gather - days of sun and flowers
little feet to storm the street of puddles
splashing ever homeward, popsicles
my tiny toes, to warm again
my love like a fire

In China, towering spires of green
with pine trees, the fog that hovers
breaks lucid in shades of mauve
blue flame of night's dawn
gives birth to stars, the skies
white snow of clouds,
the evening cranes
that fly above.

Chrysalis
of a lonesome heart
wrapped, spun and torn apart

Blue lake, iridescent dawn
soft foggy swan, swimming silent watery sun
mourning breeze of graceful wings
flies the fog, away with the bonny swan
to see with clarity
a smokey bank
now undone

It was wind and wild - sunset on the California coast
we watched the birds seemingly fly backwards
seagulls and brown pelicans
the wind bit my cheeks quite red
barefoot, we sank in the cooling sands
watching the final flash of glassy sun
firewater reflecting on the darkened lands
the sky swallowed the sailing light away
with the half moon askew above the bay.

Cool winds circling round, deep emerald ocean pond,
in dancing waves you play salty summer songs
of weathered boats and rustic harbor homes.
Seagulls perched about the lawns, some on rooftops peering down
flower baskets overfilled, spilling mad their colors on the ground.
A vacant nest amid the vines so twisty, Springtime birds have all flown
leaving remnant feathers of shell and bone.
Seaweed floats, it clings, wrapped to posts and rings
ocean otters sleeping sound at bay
in a sky of blue, changing hues
soon drifts away the day.

Why must our love, a desert be?
- Kisses a mirage

Early in the dark hours
where no birds have flown
before the flicker and hum of stars
silence where daylight sweeps away
the cold occluded moon
amid a barren white velvet
a silhouette of trees
caked in winter.

Night in this field of snow
the dark crushing cold
how long this winter
that’s come again
how long the spring
river that slowly wends
the heat and sear of summer's fever
the bruising cold of this November
how long for us to mend?

Now these clouds
the cold mean greys
sideways rain, the north lands I remember
the drowning choke of smoke and fire
traveling the dark road to your home
the black and spark of stars
we watched through the night
before the killing dawn
before the foggy cold that held us down
the clinch and grasp a slow stinging wasp
gone the fragrant hum of bees
the honey meadow petals.

Only a fleeting summer - we gathered
now swallowed in the autumn thunder
the bruising cold of November.

Kaleidoscope eyes
spirals amber brown
meld and move, turn and groove
exquisite mandala art, they impart
colored rings, how they bring
your soul to me
so close

Gathering colors of day
sea of green viridian, washing storms of grey
seagulls cry in shades colored blue
how mad the ocean's raving tune
it sweeps away the end of day, a hopeful sun
to paint the sky of blackness
paleness of moon
rises, fades
beyond the sway
of silvery shades
night shimmers its way
into red and blue
where fiery clouds ignite
the day once more anew.

Gathering colors of day
sea of green viridian, washing storms of grey
seagulls cry in shades colored blue
how mad the ocean's raving tune
it sweeps away the end of day
to paint the sky of blackness
a pale moon fades
beyond the sway
of silvery shades
night shimmers its way
into red and blue
where fiery clouds ignite
the day once more anew.

Words
come visiting
all hours
Company
to fill empty rooms

Tree rings, circling
spiraling to the sky
branches reach, cloudy entwined
summer swirling, silently
blossoms on the ground
tiny seeds planted
soft the rain seeps
without a sound

Leaves sway, decay
lay in the cold
all their days turn to dust
gone the reddest golds

Skies of white
awash in winter's grey
with warming light, snowflake
patterns will run and trickle in
the sun

days born of velvet green
layered buds, jeweled petals, encased within
resplendent colored fragrance
waiting in the wings
and so begins life's
sacred circling
again

In your hands
I shall place
sweetest flowers
little yellow suns
to hold you
shining

upon your palms
I will map days
follow hidden paths
traced through trees
to reach
quiet rivers

holding your hands
at the border's edge
free dive, trusting
letting go, to fall
our two souls
deeply connected

In the trees, through the leaves came crescent shadows
tiny silhouetted scooped moons upon the ground
without sound, black the round disappearing sun
in ways it came highlighting the shining of souls
and felt around the globe, shined like gold, like silver
like our shimmering days of lakes wet in rain forest waters
you and I on a path coming together, moving further and further
traveling through woods and smokes, traveling home
with a head full of smoke and eyes that cannot see me
my love I am truly in the fire.

you are gorgeous in turquoise blue
a swirling oxidation, transformation of warm reds
you are ocean water colors, deep in rocks, in canyon waterfalls
like the changing light of eyes, chameleon colored
ancient, elemental
essential

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

Sometimes
before you arrive
I imagine the drive
the dusty winds
roads blown sand blind
the breath hot desert
red upon your back
the drown of dripping sweat
a mirage, a swimming lake
an oasis, of mind escape
how you travel as saguaro fields fly by.

Outside my door a cawing crow
of blackened wings and indigo
delivered by night's shivering storm.
The wind and winter's howling call,
scattered nests and down the feather falls.
Crack of limbs, cold and bare branched
mesquite leaves and needles spiral to the ground.
In a swooping field he flies into the tallest pines
deep and slow, the trees creak
wild in cello tones.

Dark, brooding storm swirling overhead
clouds, charcoal black looming
dagger piercing eyes in greyest skies
feathers fly in pelting rains
be not afraid, 'tis but
a losing game

There is only a flashing, of soul
a susurrous echoing, hidden, hushed away
in the running down of slipping sands and fall of dreams
an ocean of water washing waves, bury and uncover
one cannot ignore it's constant call
an ache, beautiful a sorrowful longing
deep, calling you home

In this moment I am water, grey rain
I cry with trees, and all the streams running.
Fog and clouds, a twist of branches overhead
my mind, a loop concentrically swirling
a trick, the swoop and slip
the black and falling birds
scream of skies unraveling.

When the music of summer dawns
with silent songs, drinking in blue water's calm,
far is a place where northern geese have flown.

Here flowers and shooting stars twinkle heavenly upon the lawn,
we lay in daydreams deep, sinking into the sweet
of being so far gone

Of trees, the whirling of leaves
how soon the days, changing
streets of rain, storms of grey
winter winds, chilling
sleep, I dream of love and lilies green
imagine how words softly fall
disappearing, now swift I go
beyond, lose my mind
to all