hello again!

this project is long...four or five years on, and still not finished...so, i'll publish it every july...why not? it's a tribute to the USA- my home- and its people and natural beauty. enjoy!

incorrectly dated notes, hidden

alabama

manners in a spoon,
iced tea, mint, lemon, sugar,
sweet heart of dixie
(7-05)








nice fiddle ya got
come up blount mountain - got some
folks play all summer
(8-05)









old yankee hat on
rider, old 'bama clay in
truck, fall sky outside
(8-05)









confederate flag,
united we stand sticker-
'bama football day
(8-05)








hasn't been this cold
in gadsden - since the war of
northern aggression
(8-05)






not much to see here,
grim march rain's soaking florence,
muscle shoals plays the blues
(9-08)


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alaska

-






purple lights swirling
heavens' light show pins our backs
to northern tundra
(9-05)






tok junction campsite
stuck at fork in road - ok
'til 'bout september
(9-05)






anchorage harbor
sunset turns into sunrise
slowly, in silence
(8-05)






in denali's lap
a field of ripe blueberries -
the bear takes a breath
(7-05)





ninilchik harbor
onion dome reaches for moon
salmon boat docks full
(7-05)






near tok, ancient saab
vermont tags, loaded down with
alcan gravel dust
(10-08)



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arizona

-
















somewhere outside why
desert summer stillness asks -
always travelling?
(11-05)









like geronimo
hides in apache cave, scorns
air conditioning
(7-05)











tucson saguaros,
twinkling stars greet new year,
guard pass through mountains
(9-08)












cactus garden brims
with exotic blossoms in
phoenix midday sun
(7-05)



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arkansas

-






two-lane near ozark,
woods ease into fall, old truck
into second gear
(1-07)









man from spur, texas
wants wooded ozark land-
snow falls on 'closed' sign
(10-05)







hard life of drinking
ends on icy glazed park bench
in texarkana
(9-08)









has millions, but gets
heet for truck, says 'nice weather' -
and leaves for f'ettev'lle
(8-05)









hope waitress' ashtray's
smoke floats to faded ceiling,
another year ends
(9-08)






-

california

-











backup on the five
cars, sun, air con - for this we
trade scraping windshields?
(7-05)








humboldt redwood dreams,
ferns, rotted bark as mattress,
canopy as tent
(9-08)









takes three days to get
from south l.a. to north by thumb
nights with roadside flowers
(7-05)





road splits in barstow
where hopes fry like egg on road
some hikers still stuck
(7-05)





high sierra storm
ice on pines and patios
takes one's breath away
(7-05)




-

colorado

-







aspen leaves shimmer
soft afternoon light shines through -
delay denver life
(8-05)







mem'ry, horizon
melt together in june sun
next town, dinosaur
(9-08)






flatlanders in vail
all summer, filling their tanks -
trip home's all downhill
(8-05)






trinidad cowboy
in town to belt down a few
cuss out the broncos
(9-08)









high above denver,
tunnels blocked by drifts, car stuck,
white noise, no defrost
(9-08)






limon boxcar door
slams on april fools' day joke
whole punchline, i missed
(10-08)
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