alaska

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








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






tokyo to new york,
her plane laid over 'n anch'rage -
that sun never set
(1-12)







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








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








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)








fairbanks mission soup,
still warm as days get shorter -
stay for the oil boom?
(12-11)





sitka cann’ry tale –
mind-numbing season ‘f fish heads,
money t’burn on drink
(~15)







down'n tok he'll decide,
hitch t'th'forty-eight for winter,
or cut back t'kenai
(12-11)






since th'night th'grateful dead
came t'anch'rage, endless darkness,
pale lights've been his stage
(10-14)








new year’s eve, and th’moose
crashes palmer man’s party –
quits drinking for good
(6-15)







wolf moon, bering sea -
from th'airplane, earth's ghostly face -
tea, while others sleep
(1-14)








d'nali train has t'stop -
man, dog, long trek t'their cabin
by dark 'n' snowed-in trail
(1-14)








cold, rain, fog - juneau's
best valentine flowers, but
she misses texas
(1-13)








otherworldly robe,
feet on fresh-turned earth - kenai
sun on old b'liever
(12-11)








sitka fishing boat
saved those deer from certain death -
frigid march waters
(12-11)







fairbanks library –
she tells about her dogs, ‘n’ why it’s
all about winning
(5-15)





changed her life th’first time
she saw them pull th’sled – on th’map,
traces th’iditarod
(5-15)








in willow, th’mushers,
off t’skwarentna and yentna –
th’blizzard clouds th’vision
(5-15)






single ptarmigan,
a stunted spruce, a spring cover -
freeze-dried blueberries
(12-11)







eight straight days of rain,
not a road out of the place -
juneau in april
(12-11)







'n tolkeetna cabin,
she's so far from home, but here's
'r field 'f forget-me-nots
(11-14)









dreamed 'v northern lights f'years,
one week they came up t'fairbanks,
'n'june rains settled in
(1-14)










near prince william sound,
week in an alpine meadow -
devil's clubs talk back
(12-11)

-

arizona

baked out wash near why,

still asleep, th'cool hours 'f morning -

th'rattler disapproves

(12-14)

sky harbor pilot

scorns hazy summers, but loves

t'lift right up out 'f them

(11-14)

window rock on fourth -
this ain't ar'zona, he says,
but sure is th'u.s.
(4-10)

sixty six motel -
gideon's cool, but kingman's walks
egg-fry hot by nine
(5-10)






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

car breaks down 'n oracle,

kid's sure it's sign of god - hiker's

back on dusty road

(11-14)

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






oatman's wild burros
bob for apples - ghost tale of
some irish miner
(1-13)

decorated skulls -

bisbee schoolteacher explains

nat'ral confusion

(11-14) 

two vets, red poppies,

phoenix walmart parking lot -

a little conflict

(11-14)

philly - l.a. hitch,
jalapeno grits 'n' stuffing -
mesa hol'day grace
(11-13)






balloon santa, propped
up on phoenix lawn, inches
from prickly cactus
(12-11)






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





snow on strip pinon -
canyon's fresh blanket shelters
from mormon country
(2-10)



played th’clubs around flag,

she says, mitten on her tears –

she, too, does his songs

(5-15)

navajo blankets,
ride, from gap to snowed-in flag,
remain unfinished
(4-10)

tonopah exit -

even the desert winters

strike him as extreme

(11-14)






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






saguaros stand guard -
joy of desert chicory,
escape from tucson
(4-10)






phoenix traffic - swath
of mexican gold poppies
don't mind the diesel
(4-10)

tucson beer garden –

she left him here ‘n th’blooming yuccas,

he still plays th’beeswing song

(5-15)

sunrise, from small tent
wide, pastel, ancient landscape -
easter, hermit's rest
(1-14)





-->

ajo lass – th’blooming

cycle ‘f th’organ pipe cactus

‘s one thing she knows well

(6-15)

sonoran peoples,

th’topic ‘f h’r books – tucson folkfest,

th’present attraction

(6-15)

slight may rain, th’red blooms

of th’ocotillo on ten –

sudden change of mood

(5-15) 

serious saguaros’

flow’rs hold out in th’sonora heat –

and th’town’s called carefree  
(5-15)