Manzanar

If You Prefer

It was during that walk
in the woods 
or if you prefer
a forest
alone and just
sunlight streaming
to a mottled earth
of green ferns 
and a rocky path 
and the breeze 
was so that 
it enveloped me 
with a kindness 
of warmth 
until I paused 
to sit atop a fallen 
sugar pine 
and was struck 
by myself 
and a beetle 
on the log
I watched and wondered 
so exquisite a creature 
could be alone too 
but now we two
and the warm breeze 
on a mountain 
and I looked 
then on hands and knees
followed that beetle 
climbing that felled tree 
and it struck me 
that he may have been
guilty to the act 
a descendant of the party
that fed on and stressed 
that towering pine 
so that one day 
it gave up
and laid itself to rest
and now I stared 
an hour or so
until tears
flowed 
with euphoric
joy
to be graced 
by God
and that moment
so long ago
forever is
my touchstone
for this thing
called life.

News

It’s funny that  

he bore witness 

to news 

written on stone 

images of deer 

tracks of bear 

and buffalo  

now  

breaking news 

on screens 

that glow 

never mind 

newspapers 

stacked 

in dark corners  

never to see 

the light of day 

trees 

long ago 

felled 

by a whipsaw 

now hanging 

on that restaurant 

wall 

the old man looked 

and sipped his coffee 

and knew

the writing was 

now 

on 

the 

wall.

Fish Lake, Utah

Monument Valley

Newspaper Rock, Utah

Heaven

Craft

They wrapped me 

in gold blankets

for the journey

would be long

in time

space

and here I am

my god is man

who forged me 

in fire

so hot 

and hammered

with blows so hard 

that when my circuits 

brought me to life 

I could but be thankful 

electricity 

coursed 

through veins

soon they bid 

me farewell 

I will always 

remember

their will 

and my destiny 

thankful 

for their awe 

when I tell them 

all that I see 

gathering ever more 

and hope 

they as lucky as I 

will someday  

their maker 

meet.

 

Scaly-breasted Munia

Pacific

Saguaro NP, Arizona

House Finch

White-crowned sparrow

Mourning the Mourning Dove

Hwy 95 near Lake Havasu Arizona

Wupatki Arizona

Birch

Arizona

Persimmon

Bougainvillea