~Nature~

Clouds Reflect Sun's Set

2 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

I live in that transition where clouds go,
From being orange to deep purple gray,—
Restless motions ceaseless form my soul's core,—
Changing, shifting, playing to wind's refrain,
As if life in endless melody reigned,—

There's no fear in this aery landscape's fay,
Patterns reeling to a jig and dancing,—
Not abstract beyond heart's comprehension,
Just emotions freed to wander-wonder,

Just formation,—dissipation,—constant,—
Energy roaming over vast domains,—
Heedless of daily things that drive most minds.​

 

Eden Fair

4 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

In all tropic Edens, slash and burn farms,—
But rape and plunder sustains village life,—
Those tattoos aren't ornaments my dear,—
Piercings not some exotic fantasy,—

Peaceful villages aren't what they seem,—
Violence underlies all that gentle sloth,—
Claw-for-claw, tooth-for-tooth, eye-for-eye ways,
Older than our finely polished high-ways,

¿Ever felt cold greed inspired by money?
¿Ever feel stark jealousy uncontrolled?
¿Ever realize murder's just this close?
Don't forget,—Eden was man's crucible.​

 

Predators

12 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Raptors feast on dragonflies in autumn,
When in droves they flee south to evade cold,
Darters quick accumulated target,
Fall random prey to birds flying above,

I suppose Monarchs going Mexico,
Also have predators that feed on them,
No matter eccentricity in mass,
Together they a temperature make,

¿And what you ask my fine friend is man's mean?
¿What tendencies derive from our herd's run?
¿Can trampled ground afford our passage new?
¿What hope of change for all our deeds so far?

I wish that iridescent were our glow,
But more like locust rampage our true path,
I wish that my poor heart held out more hope,
But more it seems we yet remain raptors.​

 

All's End

13 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

¿How to contemplate moon's end,
Without shivering for fear?

¿How would lovers now keep time,
No more twelve months to a year?

¿Would anyone ever stay,
Round another's orbit then?

¿Would not it seem constraining,
To revolve around someone?

But the end we contemplate,
Is something else beginning,—

Tomorrow's all differences,—
For universe is all change.​

 

So Pure Upon First Sight

14 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

After running a while we reach small pond,
Amidst development a sanctuary,—
But all you want to do is lie on grass,
And have me softly twirl your ears softly,

As we approached a grey heron flew out,
Startled by sharp tinkling of your dog tags,—
What a pleasant day of sun and cool breeze,
Ripples that strong wind makes so different,

From those that jumping silver bass create,
Standing interference patterns spreading,
Mathematical their cancellation,
Or circular enhanced their addition,—

This wind calls for a sailor's sails unfurled,
To over briny deep be cutting waves,
Enchanted voyage of discovery,
As motion fills our soul and fills with glee,—

But here on land flowered purple and green,
Yellow sunflowers all happy to please,
Fill heart with tenderness at nature's fay,
Fill soul with hope without a cloud in sky,—

Yet as cigar smoke reverie wears on,
Details of where I will dispose of ash,—
I start to look more closely for a place,
Where I can properly leave my own trash,—

Beneath this thin veneer of wilderness,
Civilization's artifacts peer out,
Beneath clear pond's surface a cheap lawn chair,—
Plastic that will outlast my old body,

More details start to slowly filter in,
I spy the flotsam and the jetsam here,
Where turtles swim and tadpoles quiver on,
The filthy mess that others failed to clean.​

 

Beauty's Price

17 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Here rises up red bramble rose,
No one will tramp on her rock ledge,
For pink skin bleeds when brown thorn pierced,—

Not so soft lily in green fields,
Her purity soft subtle sheen,
A chastity soon bruised by feet,—

¿Is it thus fair that life must be,
A battle constant for our peace,—?
Awaiting hesitant quick end,—

Not even beauty given free,
Can earn a price to live and breathe,
Without assurances of sting.​

 

One Drink

20 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

With smoothness cellophane,
Clear, crystal coverlet,
Thou doth cool my day's pain,
Soft caress touching soul,—

In Thy ripples I'd dwell,
Content to fly and float,
On currents ocean bound,
Seeking Atlantis home,—

Yet on dry earth I live,
With dreams of Thy sweet kiss,
A nectar of true gods,
Refreshing in Thy fill,—

For done all labor's sweat,
Only Thou can remove,
That patina of work,
That dulls our dark night's mood,—

O precious for Thy love,
A bounty blue and white,
Above, below and 'round,
Our blood in clarity.​

 

Sky Dream

17 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Perfection sets an orange orb in soft pink hues,
Full moon awaits her eastern rise amidst light blue,
While Mars and Venus cavort over Western skies,—
In these orbits mathematical fleeting fast,

Zodiac spins with Fate its mysteries divine,
Enchantments of allure that Love will find its way,
Expectant destiny slow sips of Time's sweet kiss,

There, —high above petty earthly woes abide Thee,
Ethereal and sublime huntress soul desired,—
Bright diadem embracing all facets female.​

 

Grave Markers

31 October 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

whirling dervishes,
crenelating spiral,
spinning downwards,
precipices crystalline,—

moss on gray stone mark,
knows not of time's passage,
slow erode roots,
little man's poignant farewells,—

not for sympathy,
from impartial nature,
but relentless,
life calling in its strange ways.​

 

Silver Turtle

1 November 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

I'd never seen a reptile glisten so,
Amidst green-yellow fluid wind-blown waves,
Sinuous motions reflected sun's rays,
Bobbing and rambling it left muddy shore,

Ambling and meandering towards my seat,
I took notice of this strange animal,
Stood up and squinted to look further out,
It seemed its head at times popped up quite high,

To then in frolic hide submerged a while,
This day of sun, prelude to hibernate,
To sleep a while off summer fat in mud,
Awaiting future tilt that will bring warmth,

But errant motion became random weave,
I noticed then, a bass or two nibbling,
Greedily their pounce would twist, heave, quick turn,—
Making of my bright Phoenix,—Chimera,—

Just and old silver aluminum foil,—
Flat and listless without animate force,
Drifting in current from a stiff blowing,—
Had found in brown pond waters permanence​

 

Dark Night's Symphony

1 November 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Blindness is a vision that only can hear,
Crinkling leaves on branches' syncopated notes,—
Sharp their crackle as soft wind susurrates long,—

Falling cascades tumble random rumbling songs,—
Flying over waves terns fight cacophony,—
As a gypsy tambourine inflames passion,—

In a blending pressure's sensations form round,—
Filling high violins echo low cello moans,—
In quartets, quintets and octets of pure sound,—

And though sightless all red heart can do is see,—
What evident is clear to soul buried dark,—
An endless life,—symphony of time and love.​

 

Oil Spill

2 November 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

In green ditch, revel twenty three blackbirds,
Purple iridescent on rainwater,
Streaming specks splash and sparkle dark plumage,
In bright autumn's day of long-drawn shadows,

I've seen this small flock cavorting gaily,
Midst yellow sunflowers' upright stalks green,—
Now raucous gay revelry celebrates,
Afternoon's perfect gloried accismus,

I love rain's spine chilling feel in cool Fall,
When every single drop goose pimple draws,
Making hairs all military parade,—
Not their lackadaisical normal ways,—

Though I have never found a raven still,
Their animation is their constancy,
Incessant boisterous cacophony,
From one beak to another,—insults flail,

I've seen them gloat over carcass putrid,
As if beaks knew their feast was once alive,
And now supine cannot complain abuse,—
Ripping ill-tempered table-manners crude,—

Straight singing sunlight depression dispels,
Morbidity finds little hold in bright,—
Just like clear drops on tar's smooth oily sheen,
That feathered play and crystals toss about.​

 

Bird Food

11 November 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

From life's cage flew little canary,
To a place and destination unknown,
Without notion of how birdseed bags came,
Just that rain made pools of crystal water,
And that winds blew through tall tree tops rustling,

O,—so much delight in being set free,
To have all God's cerulean orb to sing,
With all the dignity of majesty,
Perched on spring leafed branches full of pinkness,
All of nature's perfumes assailing breath,—

But, no one had spoken of predators,
Lurking camouflaged in shadows waiting,
Listening with intent ears for sweet sounds,
That would lead their sharp claws and incisors,
To a long awaited soft and plump bite.​

 

New Soils

27 November 2005
Houston, Texas

Sunlight splash,—yellow on dusty windows,—
Three dogs hover closely for affection,—
Autumn mists with cool linger on brown sear,—
Clear pools of glass reflect jagged tree lines,—
As soft clouds frolic in cerulean,—

Only love's feeling could thrall me quite so,
Thy nutmeg kisses memories remote,
A sultry summer afternoon of rain,
That stormed and ripped my sky's infinity,—
Left pungent ozone suffused reminder,

Dark storm's discharges bitter trace fleeting,
Tanned leaves wind ripped from branches flailing wild,
Now form moist compost for some future seed,—
Like love with all her residues sublime,
Deposits silts red layered once divine.​

 

She Beckons

6 December 2005
Santo Domingo

A wall of orchids brings heart memories,
Of perfumes evanescent that have gone,
As darkness falls upon storm's slow approach,
Wrought iron gate beckons our soul outwards,

To kiss cloud's sweet moist lips with gray pallor,
As our dim vision will one day see death,
A mistress with allure we won't resist,
Seducing us with subtle patchouli,

To seek embraces past all mortal bounds,
Infusing every moment with fresh smells,
Inducing us to seek a wedding vow,—
No man has ever broke or ever will.​

 

Dragon's Lair

7 December 2005
Santo Domingo

Arctic winds have white iced all of Earth's North,
But here, in Saint Domingue, it's sunny cool,
Soft Zephyrs playful tinkle two wind chimes,
& Spring sensations all senses capture,—

It comes as no surprise that thought seems less,
When nature's perfumes all our heart entice,
& Beneath orchid beauty sexual,
Pheromones & musks call forth our dragon hearts,

To fiery intertwine with claw & tooth,
Enthralled in passions that consume all time,
Expressing corporal unwinding lust,
With force and dash creating ecstasy,—

But in those lands of cold & gray dark days,
"A priori" consciousness verdant blooms,
Creating realms endowed with rich moist loams,
Allowing mind to fertile gardens grow,—

Flowered interiors of thoughts & words,
Where branched induction's recursion takes hold,
Into the heart of matter or its end,—
Past Eden & past Eye's restrictive gaze.​

 

Made by Evolution

2 January 2006
Chicago-Midway, Illinois

We've learned to balance on two legs,
But can scarcely walk a life's length,
Our large cranium perched on spine,
Seems evolution's crowning feat,

But our irrational life begs,
Some answers after thought in depth,
& Following logic's train line,
Of all those bones we've found in peat,

Make man an ape so squarely pegs,
& Through unsimian split breath,
Issues complaint & whispered whine,—
That creation cannot be beat,

& Questions from angelic dregs,
About how evolution's breadth,
Could sacrifice with bread & wine,
& Soul live separate from meat,

Fly against dinosaurs on eggs,
& Would console us against death,—
For certain that we came from brine,
& Cannot sit with gods to eat.​

 

7,600 Year Old Flood

16 January 2006
Corpus Christi, Texas

Before harsh flood that cast us high on waves,
We wandered Eden's shores in happiness,
Wading waist deep in turquoise purity,
Beneath blue heaven's smiling sunshine fay,—

¿How could we know the shortness of our stay,—
Or, violence that would our short lives rupture?
For innocence is just one moment's love,
A child's illusion girded with gold mirth,—

Now older,—with deep scars of trauma past,
We look back at those sweet days so perfect,
When cashew succulent dripped down our mouths,
Or mango's orange melted on our tongues,—

For time with molars huge demolishes,
Ancestors and catastrophes to dust,
Leaving a rubble that we scared sift through,—
Occasionally finding a white bone.​

 

Earth From Sun Came

1 February 2006
Corpus Christi, Texas

There's something magical about beginnings,
That first wool yarn set on our loom,
Offsets a pattern of endless line twinings,
Moving as ripples through clear time.

¿But, what of sorcery survives in endings?
¿Is dissolution fission's win?
¿What of those atoms that in fusion's bindings,
Create the stepping stones for life?

¿Can love with all its passions and blindings,—
Create a chain reaction firm;
A house with roof and floor and all four sidings,
Where heart can grow and live life's time?

I've heard it said that there are some strange sightings,
Fleeting as quark or neutrino,
Where sparks of soul have created stormed lightnings,
That shone from structures of pure love.​

 

Chicken or the Egg

8 February 2006
Corpus Christi, Texas

Strutting like a cock with his red showing,
Spurs sharpened for a fight he'll soon bring on,
Blood's the purpose of his every motion,
For testosterone is his every calling,—

But, in every hierarchy someone fights,
And a habit started,—becomes a life,
Boxed into an arena of cutting,
Only one emerges from each contest,—

O, that mentors had shown other options,
¿Or has nature predetermined his fate?
For he'll run into quiet death dealer,
That'll bring his short career to an end.​