Sheep watch with curiosity ready
for flight should you become dangerous
Talk soft like you place your boots
hoping there’s no bog below to seep in
Green is green
Ocean’s wild
You’re an actor in this epic scene
You alone with your whispers and wonder
Lean into stone window for faerie views
No one but painted sheep to question you
Sit on that bench awhile
Look up at that sky
Listen to the birds call
Imagine what they talk about
Early one morning when you’re feeling glad
Grateful just to be still around
Lace up your boots and start walking
Up around the corner
Climb some hill
Take that stick waiting
There among the ferns
Grip it like a sheep herder
Like some old woman or man
Yes, keep on moving
But pause for breath too
There is time enough for everything
If you value the precious in you
Winter earth
Hints of Spring
Ice sings a ripple song
There’s a crack where ice meets the sun
A star open to the temporary
A hole to a cool underworld
I pause in this moment to ponder
My invitation to the party below
And yes, am I tempted
But so do I remember
Qualifications lacking
I am only half blind
Unstable when disconnected from earth
And cannot swim
He is dancing to the river bed beats
beneath a canopy of Douglas fir and Cedar
Step into his rhythms as you skip stones
over low rippling waves near sundown
Deep in an echo valley of moss and lichen
forest creatures pause to sway
River man brings joy to their hearts
in a sweet sorrowful serenading kindly way
Breathing
I balance here
Between
On this cool mystery morning
on a rise after the rain
Might be you’re the last one standing
soundless these moments remain
Forest life force bounty
breathe in take a full step in view
Mother Earth songs calling
let their melody rest within you
into amber light
butterfly while I stumble
ready from deep woods
found your declaration
sprayed passion on stone
wondered as i passed
hands in pockets
if you scrawled that one
below
before or after
Pencil Notes 