Hemlock Trail

jo'b     

A cloud is on the mountain,

a divinity of mist

in the last few acres

of virgin forest.

I have kept my promise,

but nothing comes.

What is the difference

if not love?

Elemental

jo'b   

 

Lost for a moment

in the depth of a lily

and you to tell

Sunset on a Hilltop

jo'b   

               Warm and cool

               the veins of air we passed through

               down from the hill

               where we had seen the last ridge

               rise to cover the sun

               as we rolled back

               into the shadow of the earth.

               There was nothing else to say.

               It felt like forever,

               heading home,

               that long ago.

Heat Stroke

jo'b    

I hung a sheet to block the sun        

A veil across the day        

In my steadying loneliness        

Diaphanous my dreaming now       

       

To savor my defeats       

Swimmers

jo'b   

 

                   I swim

                   in the richness of July

                   against the undertow

                   of time.

Shades

jo'b   

 

                              Thank you for welcoming me,

                              Phantoms of the periphery,

                              Faint souls there to the side

                              Who vanish when I turn to look,

                              You shy ghosts of caring,

                              But not yet, not yet.

The Beautiful Day

jo'b.  

               

               Such a cool, overcast morning,

               I am easily pleased, it doesn't take much,

               A slow-motion sky, soft weather, 

              The weeds of the field in bloom, even

               The invasives, like me, and then

               The bullfrogs grunting in the afternoon,

               Then the doves eulogizing the dusk.

               Such a day, such a day — how sweet it can be,

               Almost enough to make me believe

               The worst won't ever happen.

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=u2+beautiful+day&&mid=53F2915EE68D01C848AD53F2915EE68D01C848AD&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUCpd21W3qWyzIl8-PXvyDA2g&FORM=VAMGZC

Zazen

jo'b   

                         Sitting in your own yard,

                         Rich in time for now,

                         Wealth is nowhere else to be,

                         And peace is a silent sky.

Mostly I Hope

jo'b   

                         Mostly I hope that the storm eases,

                         that the power stays on,

                         that June turns into July,

                         that rain sweetens the blackberries,

                         that drifting is the only reality,

                         that the spirit transcends the body,

                         that you read this and know it's for you,

                         that you feel less alone.

          

Staying On

American Chestnut, a survivor                      jo'b   

I have traveled far

under the chestnut tree,

or so it seems,

so many have I left behind,

or maybe they left me behind,

staying on as I have,

watching the sky go by,

the seasons flutter past,

the birds leaving and coming back,

(oh, the coming back,)

a few humans rounding the bend

on the lower gravel road,

the children with sunlight in their hair,

running joyful in the oatfield,

growing, setting sail,

eight good dogs wandering off

to lie down under the old apple tree,

too many good women waving farewell,

each night the stars a little dimmer,

a little farther off,

as I add another annual ring,

each day a little firmer in the ground,

still putting down my roots

under the chestnut tree,

traveling far.