new mexico

pinon coffee lass -

so sweet ‘n’ friendly at th’white sands,

even on th’longest day

off las alturas,

road crosses a baked-out wash,

lizard hides in shade

pelenque ‘n’ th’temples –

he trades th’stories for fresh fruit

at th’deming crossroads

get out of this sun,

some water on roadside tongue -

'n alamogordo

roswell's alien

culture - tourists, reflection,

midsummernight's glass

shade of ancient tree,

westbound view of mesquite sign -

through texas at last 

sangre de cristo

communes, one more carload ‘f kids –

th’summer they said no

town 'f organ's ruins -

whatever else happened, they

watched th'valley sizzle

hiker 'n pickup bed

tells why th'onate statue

is missing one foot

up th’canyon from th’town,

past th’fresnal caves, springs, in th’shade

‘f th’big fat cottonwood

six times, one summer
through oilfields down t'artesia,
fin'ly finds th'pecos

show'rs make cacti bloom

soft desert colors catch sun,

gracing jornada

midnight in lordsburg –

in sultry silence, th’police

might be waiting

a fine drizzle mist,

steam rises in mesilla -

they call it "monsoon"

jumped any boxcar

said santa fe; buried him

in raton weeds though

cranes in the bosque -
elegant dance, joyful splash,
desert heat's lifted

stops t'watch th'abuela,

th'baby hands her pecans - hobbs

train whistle beckons

back from montana -
sandhill crane's seen the west,
likes his rio grande

she takes his poppy -
deming mom who's lost her son,
she's no more to give

black friday shoppers
turn collars - mountain wind hits
santa fe plaza

toward the jornada -
even with a bit of frost,
it's dry as a bone

bare feet up mountain,

as promised to la virgen

de guadalupe

flat champagne headache,

allman brothers drum solo -

alamogordo

dineh coder's tale -

sun hits frost on lead and coal,

war-hardened spirit

high 'n th'sacramentos,

snow covers th'old trestle ruins,

but not very well

hummingbirds hover,

fight at kitchen feeder - march

sun sets on organs

promise forgotten,

eyes drawn to cruces' valley -

prickly pear flowers

deming fam'lies' pain,

sore feet sunk in timeless sand -

old bataan stories

pale purple cactus

at my feet blooming - beyond,

organs and blue sky

maljamar rest stop –

she sees th’desert wildflowers

once th’shade soothes her eyes

migra near white sands -
shrewd judge of spring tumbleweeds
calmly steps aside

wild mountain thistle,

declared ‘n outlaw ‘n ruidoso –

‘n’ prettier for it

chinook winds, endless

plain - down in roswell, alien

guards th'car dealership

sky's pinks and yellows

frame jagged organs - steal eyes

from apache plumes

on high cruces ramp,

distracted by wide valley -

a few spring raindrops