ancient astronauts (archives)

when we surveyed the planet earth

from deep in outer space

we found that she was giving birth

to you — the human race

and when we came down from above

to teach you right from wrong

and show you that the way of love

is how to get along

you said you needed to be free

to learn things on your own

and so we listened to your plea

and left you all alone

but then, alas, when we returned

we found, much to our horror

that what the human race had learned

was weaponry and war

so now we watch you from afar

and patiently we wait–

perhaps we’ll wish upon a star

while you decide your fate

–AI image

On Thin Ice

These ice fishermen are a crazy lot. Despite all the warnings of thin ice due to unseasonably warm weather, they insist on driving out on it and putting up their ice houses. They must have their fish!

On Lake of the Woods, one person has drowned already, and over forty others had to be rescued by boat when the ice broke off from the shore and floated away.

On Red Lake, it’s even crazier; a plane and several vehicles have gone through the ice, and over a hundred eager fishermen had to be rescued. I love fish too, but not that much!

people are dying

to get out on the thin ice–

some more than others

–Photos by me

the moon and me

when i was a young boy,

it was the ancient face

that cows jumped over;

when i was a young man,

it became my chaperone

and followed me on dates;

and now that i’m old,

it’s the pocked and ruddy

face of an adolescent–

by these observations,

i can only surmise

that when i die,

the moon will be born

–photo by me (double exposure)

Staying Creative

When I just can’t seem to put any words together on the page, I’ll put something else together on it, like this birch bark pick-up truck. It keeps the creative juices flowing through the dreaded writer’s block, and when the dam finally breaks, I’m ready to go.

Of course, good photos are the best inspiration for me, but this time of year it’s hard to get out in the woods, and now that we finally have an appreciable amount of snow, the options grow thin. Maybe I’ll go look for more birch bark.

–Photo by me