TIMMY’S DOWN THE WELL
Timmy’s down the well
or in the words of Lassie
woof woof woof arf arf woof
Timmy’s down the well
Lay down your tools
set aside your quarrels
everyone come running
Timmy’s down the well
There’s nothing like
a big bellied Biafran baby
to open hearts and wallets
Nothing like a crooked smile
to get us on The Passion train
It’s happening again in Haiti
the smallest with the least
are calling to our largest best
Sometimes it takes a child
to raise a village
NARCISSUS IN THE WEST
Of course the view
is all about you
The loneliness
of panoramic plains
the big-small making mountains
It’s still a mirror
it’s still a mirror
even if you’re looking through
THE BADGER
Observe the badger
creature of the earth
See how she moves
with the grace and ferocity
of tectonic plates
Observe the badger
but do not try to pet
her soft earth softness
Do not let your hand
get caught
between the plates
PUERTO MORELOS DAWN
Little wooden boats
lap dancing with the shore
CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG
In the Yucatan
there are little bees
who long ago
gave up stinging
Their honey
is exceedingly sweet
FALL IN ABIQUIU
Cottonwoods this morning
all along the river
glowing brighter than the sun
Hurrying to pay back with interest
gold invested in them yesterday
THE OLD PLACE
Drove past the old place today
amazed at how small and dark
it had suddenly become
Like your mind just before
you learned the thing
that changed everything
NEWS IN THE NIGHT
Tin roof tat-tat-tattling
the rains are back
STONE WALKWAYS IN THE GARDEN
Not flat exactly
but flat enough
for any sensible shoe
Colors, no two the same,
but same enough, as
two cows in a pasture,
to maintain a pastoral theme
Earth’s earliest bubblings set
and glaciers push and slice
plus workman’s choice of fit
enshrines his nameless name
To form from mud and sod
tis the work of God
the work of man to try
to walk upon it all, dry shod
GRACKLES IN AUSTIN
Crows
that couldn’t make the choir
singing in protest