Another Sacred

There's more to it than that
to the river the trees a small
meander the water is sweet
how did we get this time
was it ever as important
looking backwards if only
Raymond Carver influencing
is this how the journey
they say inner landscape
geography to be discovered
is not out there back and forth
trucks vans the useless tarp

Secret

The tarp  

slid off 

the fig tree

last night's 

heavy frost

too late

to worry

now

frozen

filagree 

ignoring Sun 

later

so many

grassy jewels

blinking

tangling

Real Oregon

Exactly the same moment
extended idioms dripping
fog soaking olden day fence posts
branches brambly mossy ladders
everything decomposing part way
bricks of old town budge very little
addictions foremost enthusiasms
then dying little by little suddenly
the day is blank frozen moon
tiny night lights leaving shortly

Please

To own a washing machine is big
now everybody has all that he and Max
sleeping at night on the bench that was
after the war there was just nothing
and then he got a job at Nikolaus
designing packaging a large company
he took pictures for the calendars
he loved the out-of-doors he loved
after being a prisoner whatever was

Cheating what how free weights
of the truck gone from our boxes
stored on the reservation before
we got there then obviously opened
prints of the church things inside
probably someone from the mission
thought they looked good we leave
with nothing not one of those things

Recommendation

Helpful obstacle
so many reasons
out the window

until proven
double it no risk
for your very own

Sleeping Alongside

Woke up and there it was
the mountain stream which would become
one of the major rivers further rushing
flowers brush waving white frozen crags
woke again to the big cats near the overhang
mythology's face through the trees hung with snow
heat birthing inside my body somewhere in the middle
glimpsing deer traveling hardscrabble slopes
waking roundish bear loping along the flats
honey dripping under smoky eaves

Baby Orange

The size is tiny she loves
quite a few each one
different this thing falling
here not down here
He will want his own
choice or it will spoil
a moment of clarity
crumbs of stollen
tasty parts of the whole
Stollen is good you can tell
it only takes a half a cup
you do not believe me

Putting Two And Two

Tried to find you
nearing the place
stars moon hidden
just an elbow
before losing track
beauty a problem
months years
astounding elusive
then the heart
recognizable animal
exhaustion later
mistaken as silly

Owl Shirt

Inspiration my own hair
loving the area walking
so much I'd go look
before it got everywhere
tangled in woods across
my own shadow disturbing
that way we could all
forget for a few moments
pebbles our road muddy fresh
ideas found got planted took
root for instance mint rosemary
sunflower seeds tiny bulbs starting

Dreaming At The Mountain

In the rain drops warm
they sprinkle love
sugar melting slightly
over the nothing dreams
with the geese Monday's
log trucks house my mind
carry what are they--
toothpicks far away
from this poem why doubt
their return empty fast regular
breathing on the road our huge
monster pets not our pets
but the dark best time
sounding fast but isn't
the mill on the opposite end
of this valley graves facing
towards the west at Fair Oaks

Dormant Scion

The pear tree speaks

too warmly asleep
in the dead of these days
new shoots confusing
tricked towards stars
through the low fog
wood smoke heard
they moved up North
my old science teacher
remember him showing
the procedure after that
taking the class turtle
letting it into the ditch

Plat K

Time is a temperature
reading now wait until cool
world grassy breath
perfume a report brewing
settling somewhere else with this
air more than fresh swale filling
Saturday's weak lights from across
the plat collecting everything falling
for fish they need more water
meeting their world getting to it

Tipped

They fight on streets overrun
with words signs unicorn and devil
surrounding something like a car tire
wheel of life spun and flooding fields
typical but only one I-5 hawk dreaming
another one across the road scolding
where have you been where Nonpareil

all pressed down minimal activity
gone without the view for months starting
over at the river now facing the mill

Two Families

Yes but libraries contain you there
between corridors their empty carpeting
muffled steps right behind at least
a world vastly unknown still
muscles attached to bone lifting
sorting through memories no longer
dim different see plainly through
to now to amazing cold air settling

Nearly Here

Ever there across the way
reaching for them how
they move they march step
away in sections each step
closer is further animals know
this game the waiting nearly
settling counting geometric
activity with trees brightly

Going From

Point A to point B
too many bags
what I thought I'd take
didn't amount to much
just some junk I thought
so precious each word
scratched designs strange
when I'd know myself
needing proof of it

I Believe I Feel

We go to pet the lava
now cool harmless mounds
frozen where the last creeping
pouring ended clean new
waiting for us for awe our shoes
green materials framed pictures
hair underneath eyes glowing

Landscape Reply

It was very dry even burning
then too wet where to put it all
draining too slowly finding
a new path downhill gushing
more flooding more than tears
they usually drip drop mist

Landscape Interview

Who was up here wind
at the beginning and at the end
Nanook hiding in plain sight
all the cold in the world
seeping away atmosphere light
darkness a little bit they knew it
was serious when the jar of eggs
turned bad under the house

What The

I can do this.
This is a breeze.
Missing her purr.
Mild trample.
It was later she was
only one left
bunch of animals
too much moon.

Moon Spruch

Moon tucking into cloud flowers
dark growling life tangled
swirly who counted mushy façade
fears ridiculous an old shoreline
exposed during low tide growing up
in the aftermath of slaughter words
as weapons taking over whole nations
inhabitants not all were full fledged citizens
but they had worked the hardest most diligently
at the time it was another misstep who would
take the time to become anyone else

Karelian Absence

Took one.  Went to Karelia.  Sunk
my hand into the pelt of tundra bog
birches their fragrant messages
travel slipping over water mushrooms
in butter after tea after sauna it is good
air replacing my last family forever

Comeback

Pick things you like
5.  do those things well
read see play better forget
own troubles 10.  pet enjoy
you can't control comfort keep
trust discuss tryingto and fightsolve
one at a time concerning 11.  work
walking dancing physical talk
accept change off for a while more

Fortunately

Help protect this amazing wilderness
work it off take a break most of the time
this is where you revisit your thesis
two key points what will happen
your topic in the future effect
talk it out a gift for the audience
middle or body your purposeful information
leading to later thesis I'll remember
and so on things you can do if the key stuff
is at the end the readers may never see it
ready to be yourself the real you are causing

Driving Still Dark To Work

Quiet I'll try it again apply words
a magic spell that's where it's at
in the transformation looking
large undulates can carry dreams
but still want the routine water
grasses sometimes mash nowhere
is different from here only drier
more cars and less volcanic

Swollen Zone

In the story she can chop down the aggressor
to pieces unlike day to day life one long string
of madness corridors fluorescent the transfer
her own choice didn't you know this catching up
latest nightmare know you are sick of hearing
lazy telling from the swollen East Rift Zone