Saturday, November 05, 2005

illinois

-

kingshighway shoulder,
flat stone stuck in his sandal -
cahokia fossil?
(12-10)






sore from detassling,
knox county roads shimmering,
drive home first, then sleep
(9-08)






a fourth of crackers -
ancient farmhouse, acid rock,
washington county
(8-11)






porsche convertible,
lakeshore drive sparkle in sun -
let me off at king
(3-10)





kentucky side's just
as steamy, says pilot of
cave-in-rock ferry
(7-05)







in the kickapoo,
lazy waters, shallow breeze
mud on nettled legs
(11-11)






cahokia mound's
shadow - east saint louis fries;
bones rest one more year
(4-10)






blazing heat, cornfield,

ten silos here, small town there,

train stretches t'champaign
(12-14)





sox traffic ties up
th'dan ryan - locals grateful
to have their streets back
(7-05)






danville exit sign,
no shade from sun's reflection
skin reddens and dries
(9-08)





fragrant hay on truck
old blue hills, sunset, dirt road
lincoln's gaze on plate
(7-05)






corn tassels for miles
august breeze, shimmering fields
near use exit sign
(9-08)






carlinville clerk says
not much to see here except
labor day cyclists
(9-08)





bridgeport hiker’s sweat
get on the wrong side ‘f this bridge,
they throw you on th’road
(5-15)





off thunderstorm road,
civil war graveyard's secrets
rest in a cool shade
(10-05)






orange cones and sox game
add minutes to the commute -
strangler to the loop
(3-10)





giant city stars,
falling leaf - he made it to
another campfire
(8-10)






outside new baden,
drivers in traffic gaze at
harvest beans, flooded
(10-09)






murph dormer to roof,
to tree and down to bushes,
to apple-fest jam
(3-10)






the heron circles
at evergreen reservoir -
might stay for winter
(11-09)






in the shawnee caves
nomads barter for hemp socks -
october drizzle
(6-12)






walmart pumpkin sale
drivers become impatient
trail of tears junction
(11-09)







chief illiniwek
blanket with indian corn
image, illusion
(7-05)







well into vets' day
mums keep their yellows, dragons
guard the castle park
(11-10)







ribbon of traffic
soars down brown icy hillside
about to cross th'spoon
(11-09)





perry county teens
making plans behind manger -
snow on courthouse stone
(1-13)






not knowing grand tow'r
tales, we stop at th'river's edge -
in comes the new year
(12-11)





machine capp'cino
warms hand, feet slip on ice at
effingham rest stop
(1-07)





gray january -
salt stains shoulders near king bridge,
sun sets behind arch
(1-10)








deisel fuel chapel
where gravel lot fades to weeds -
icy carlyle sign
(1-10)





depot's crackling snow -
train man statue's gaze falls on
town I abandoned
(1-13)





glazed ice on bean fields -
blue hue deepens, sun sets on
okawville exit
(1-10)






unyielding winter -
working man's song, a hard brake,
pekin road off ramp
(1-07)





the toll collector,
on frigid night near o'hare -
smile of the buddha
(12-11)





tollway or dan ryan
or'nge cones on slick deadly ice
fatal drudgery
(1-07)






worked thirty-three years,
ford plant, chicago heights - now,
it's cold, 'n' i'm leavin'
(3-10)





ry'n and ninety fifth -
warm change on icy platform -
first train to the loop
(5-11)






on snowy o'hare
tarmac, pilot says it's all
physics - but i pray
(8-05)





plane circles o'hare,
march hail sweeps city beneath -
above clouds, sun sets
(3-10)





the green-colored beer
green streamers, bulls game background
outside, spring on rush
(3-11)






six lane ninety four
lake cook traffic hides spring - then,
japanese garden
(9-05)






rain pounds river road,
piasa cliffs - high water,
frogs jump in darkness
(5-10)






memphis wood river
sign - low wet mud, fresh new corn,
ghosts of cahokia
(5-10)





murdale laundromat
may rains, dust and lint, a nap
dryer calmly waits
(5-11)






"th'judges 'r all on th'take,"

she says and shrugs - flowers bloom 'n 
loop buildings' boxes
(11-14)







big muddy's
risen
standing water in the fields -
long plantin' season
(3-10)





inside loop taxi
blossoms reflect off glass walls
open the window!
(7-05)





- more illinois haiku (carbondale and local- some repeated)

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