pennsylvania

morning sun lifts fog
from heart of state college - wall,
coffee, sticky bun
(7-05)





cross this picket line
work summer in mills, escape
east pittsburgh alive
(~08)





lancaster postcard -
garden with order and grace,
not a weed in sight
(6-13)




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riding down th’incline,

lush woods, view ‘f th’city – grandpa,

though, remembers th’mines

(6-15) 

fires of centralia,

b’neath these hills, they’ve burned f’r years –

thou shalt not camp here

(6-15)

 

turnpike summer dreams
back of a station wagon
lights up in tunnel
(7-05)

old a-t hiker,

'round labor day, done in by

p-a's rocky trail

(10-14)

mouth ‘f th’fort pitt tubes,

rake, top down, points t’ th’ bridge t’nowhere –

went over it ‘n’ lived

(6-15)

road to east stroudsburg,
what you get, hitching two-lanes -
harvest moon, crickets
(6-13)







deer racks, p-a tags -
antlers point all directions,
except back to woods
(8-05)





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from mount washington,

th’skyline twinkles, th’rivers glide –

stay f’r th’winter, she says

(6-15)

walks right through frick park,
from squirrel hill to cathedral
each day, all winter
(9-08)

truckbed 'f christmas trees

sold, he's gathered up supplies -

long ride up t'bethl'hem

(10-14)




johnstown water mark -
even in january,
a chill in her spine
(4-10)






bitter erie wind,
you come up from the city,
knocks you on the ice
(12-11)





bethlehem cabbie
delivered a baby last night -
now door's frozen shut
(12-11)

germantown store clerk

tells of war days - bitter winds

and spies at the door

(9-14)

pittsburgh's krishna house,
hot bowl of rice in cold hands,
saffron robes on ice
(9-08)






warm van, raging squall
south at erie, or westbound
out o'er frigid plain?
(12-11)





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slush and months ‘f bleak skies –

you’d think they’d be down, but no,

they’ve yarned th’warholbridge

(6-15)

plays the poconos,
stirs passions 'til dawn, drives home
on glazed mountain curves
(6-13)




northern blizzard wind
blows off lake into erie -
southbound ramp looks best
(2-10)






spring on the schuykill -
bartram's flowers greet river
and its history
(4-10)




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back ‘n hershey f’r th’wedding,

he remembers too much – th’prom,

his date, and th’kisses

(6-15)

in turnpike tunnels,
wipers' pointless beat awaits
april rain's return
(9-08)






falling water dream -
june weekends carried away
by river catfish
(4-10)