Tag: poetry

drumming grouse

i heard a ruffed grouse drumming,

so i tip-toed toward the sound;

he couldn’t hear me coming,

and this is what i found:

he kept picking up the tempo

in a feverish display,

and reaching a crescendo,

he quit and flew away

–image by ai

fair deal

when winter seems to go on and on,

and there is no light to be seen

at the end of the proverbial tunnel,

remember that once we get thru

this bleak, colorless piece of road,

we will find ourselves poised on

the edge of a much longer stretch

that includes fragrant spring flowers,

those long and lazy days of summer,

and the colorful beauty of autumn–

and that’s a pretty fair deal.

–photo by me

Blast from the Past

It was around 4 AM when I pulled my 240 ton production truck onto the dump, backed up alongside the catskinner, and proceeded to dump my load. Suddenly, night became day as the box came in contact with a 10,000+ volt overhead powerline. It blew out the windshield, gauges from the dash, and three of the tires, not to mention my mind.

I sat there in the smoldering truck for about half an hour as I waited for an electrician to come and give me the all-clear to touch the metal and climb down. Just as I began to walk away from the truck, it burst into flames. My guardian angel was working overtime that morning; nobody could really explain how that happened.

out of the trodden

depths of hell,

the mighty brute

i rode,

and so appeased

the metal beast

with yet

another load…

–Photo not by me

dance of the madmen (archives)

in the dark

before the dawn

eos slips

her mantle on

and madmen dance

out on the lawn

spin, scuttle, clop

for in the light

a toothless grin

or sunken eye

or drooling chin

betrays the madness

deep within

spin, scuttle, clop

and as the damning

daylight spreads

they waltz their way

back to their beds

to dance all day

inside their heads

spin, scuttle, clop

–image by ai

Silent Night, Sober Night

I stand here at the hotel window

And look down on a mostly empty street

All Lit up under a mostly cloudy moon.

I can’t believe how desolate it is now;

A few years ago, this place was booming.

This street would have been one big

Party on a Saturday night back then,

And, regretfully, I would have been one

Of the drunkest of the party-goers.

Now, those days are a blurry memory.

Tomorrow there’ll be plenty of folks

Down there on the street, shopping

And greeting each other seasonally,

But tonight it’s so dead, the only thing

Changing is the one lonely traffic light.

I must admit, it makes me feel a bit

Lonely too, but at least I’m not drunk.

–Photo by me