the long road

the road is long
they say
a marathon
an odyssey
keep at it!
keep going strong!

let me off
this road i say
i don't want
to live
on any street
or highway

give me a nest
in a tree
or a den
under a stone
let me find
my kin
my kind
my furry friends
or feathered tribe

there is no exit
is their reply
there is no nest
keep driving doing
what you do best

i yawn
slow down
stop in a shadow
along the street
curl like a snail shell
fall asleep
and in my dreams
my kin i meet

List of Celebrities


Socks was a White House Cat.
Rin Tin Tin was a TV Hero Star.
So was Lassie. A TV Heroine Star.
Flipper, too, Don't Forget!
Only Lassie and Rin Tin Tin were Dogs.
Flipper was a Dolphin who swam
as fast as the dogs could run.
Fido was a Dog who never Forgot
his Human Friend.
Mr. Ed was a TV Horse
who spoke English.
He also Neighed Horse-speak.
Blue Dog is a Painting,
the Subject of many Portraits.
Tiffany is the Low-Profile Dog
behind Blue Dog.
Old Faithful is a Famous Geyser
a Natural Phenomenon.
Smoky the Bear
was a Famous Survivor.
'Only YOU Can Prevent
Forest Fires!'

farley and manny

'woof!' said farley the flying dog.

'i don't know where we are!' said manny. 'you're the guide here!'

'woof!' said farley. a leash appeared in mid-air. it was woven of strings of red, blue, and yellow. farley chomped on it and brought one end to manny. manny wrapped it around his wrist and held on.

farley, wagging his tail, carried the other end. 'wrrff!' he said, best as he could with the leash in his mouth. off he lept, soaring forward and off the ground.

'what?' said manny, and 'oof!' he was jerked up and into the sky, farley heading for the clouds with manny close behind.

the grasses are taller than i am
beiges, tans, and greens
lit up by the morning sun

it's just a little street corner
a bit of outdoor nook
but in this patch
of tall tall grass
(visual music bending
light in the breeze)
i see a prairie
stretching out like the sea




I wrote the little poem above last night. Tonight, the refrain of a song from Alan Parsons Project in the 1980s comes to mind:

Time keeps flowing like a river
to the sea 
to the sea

Hokusai and Hiroshige

Hokusai, the Japanese artist, is perhaps best known for his series of studies of Mount Fuji which he completed toward the end of his life. The glacier-capped ancient volcano is something of a spiritual icon to the people of Japan, ever present, ever changing with the seasons, magnificent in its connection between the heavens and earth. Hokusai's art visually communicates that mystery and beauty.

Some years back, I was given a calendar with images of the work of Hokusai, including a famous image of a wave. I also lucked upon a book of postcards with images of the works of Hiroshige, another noted Japanese artist of the 1800s, and thus became familiar and enamoured with his work: People in colorful garb of eras past, walking in the night on wooden shoes through snow; a turtle on a bridge-post; cranes in flight and boats with sails.

A cultural, natural, and historical legacy was so clearly documented through the art - mostly woodblock prints - of these two men. Forgive me if this post contains any errors - I've sometimes confused the two artists, would love the opportunity to learn more. What an adventure it would be to study their lives and works.

'for this pain
we have no words'

and they said
no more.

water tumbling down
the snow-melt creek
filled the silence.

dragon

the little dragon of the kingdom
didn't breathe fire.
he ate corn chips
and nachos
and gargled with
soda pop.
he lounged
on a tree branch
hidden among the leaves
that were green as he was.
his big sister
floated down from the skies
her scales like giant sequins
of shining purple.
'someday,'
she told him
'you'll be bigger than me
but not yet.
Hiding in the tree
is good for now.
Just look and listen
and rumble from above.
You'll stay safe
and learn a lot!'
she spun back into the sky
and he knew there and then
it was time -
oh, yes! oh, woe! -
it was time to roar
and leave his hiding place
in the tree.