Nebraska

dew on a cobweb,
cobweb on a lincoln sign -
c'cadas' pitch rising
(1-13)



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aurora lass’ tale –
twisters’d skirt th’burial mounds,
they’d use th’lawn chairs t’watch
(2-18)








across th’missouri
th’city sleeps – he’ll drive all night
t’avoid th’summer sun
(1-18)







pack on th’york exit sign –
redwinged blackbird’s not happy ‘bout
this development
(3-17)








picnic on the platte -
entrails of catfish, wrapped in
yesterday's herald
(12-13)








fox ‘f ogallala –
best dinner’s still on th’prairie,
might’ve come t’town f’r dessert
(7-17)










grand island carney
knows twisters - wind hits trailer,
wakes in a cold sweat
(6-13)







sandwich at carhenge -
prairie stretches out for miles,
cool shade of old truck
(4-10)










on th’loup, tells th’stories,
disregards th’contents ‘f th’herald,
nails th’catfish to th’tree
(11-16)







down below, th’south platte –
swim, nap ‘n’ sandwich, then decide,
denver or th’redwoods
(6-16)







tales 'f driving th'old chev -
lincoln by dawn, trunk'f ice 'n' coors,
th'kind that had t'be fresh
(5-14)







farmer, beat up truck
‘n th’lincoln backroads – th’bluestem grass
bows ‘t his arrival
(10-16)









two-lane t’columbus,
hundreds ‘f crows pick ‘t her field corn –
they give her bad dreams
(11-16)








calls it grama grass –
live ‘n nebraska long enough,
start seeing th’colors
(6-16)






ogallala fox -
miles of open range, harvests -
still rather be 'n town
(12-13)







hates th’crows most of all –
columbus lass, tired ‘f th’midwest,
‘bout t’take off for th’coast
(12-17)







back roads near burwell –
th’rodeo life’s all about horses,
cows’re just t’pay for it
(6-15)







she talks – rodeo food,
th’long drives, motels, roper’s life,
th’finals in north platte
(6-15)






it’s hard ‘n’ it’s phys’cal,
might feel like ropin’ th’stranger –
smiles, n’turns back t’lincoln
(5-15)








winner ‘t north platte –
rodeo champ’s not famous, but
some folks care a lot
(12-17)







redwinged blackbird nests
in weeds by york exit sign -
hiker hides his face
(2-10)






field ‘f bluestem, road t’york –
th’redwinged blackbird seems t’take it
very pers’nally
(10-17)






dawn, columbus porch –
busy husband reads th’headline,
straw man smokes his pipe
(10-15)






dawn, columbus porch –
kids did th’fall decoration,
in th’herald, news ‘f th’fires
(10-17)


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balloons ‘t th’huskers’ game –
th’whole stadium, a single cheer,
this year’s hopes’re afloat
(2-18)








to th’true huskers fans,
what’s eight hours on th’sandhill roads?
kind’f like th’chill in th’air
(7-17)





watching huskers' game,
they didn't see th'hawk snatch th'puppy
out in th'parking lot
(12-13)








kept our son back in
lincoln schools - so he'd have a
shot at these huskers
(8-05)




 

just my luck, he says,
six hours, nothing but grassland –
now, th’huskers’ traffic
(6-16)







lincoln capitol
guard - jingling keys, cold hands, hot
tea - talking huskers
(2-10)



 

capitol ‘n lincoln –
quotes ‘f wisdom engraved ‘n stone,
guards’re talking huskers
(3-17)





streets of whiteclay -
turns cold fast here, and folks die,
liquor man won't budge
(11-13)







whiteclay liquor clerk
shuts th’door against th’bitter wind –
‘nother sioux’s died in th’street
(10-16)







want t’make a living –
turned cold ‘n whiteclay, ‘n’ th’liquor man
knows how that man died
(10-17)








steakhouse champagne toast -
a fortune from union yards,
this cork pops for thee
(2-10)





 

may your herd run strong,
‘nother good year for th’huskers,
‘n’ good luck t’ th’traveler!
(3-17)





outside alliance,
coat ‘f ice ‘n’ th’timeless monument
to cars and th’prairie
(8-17)







grew up ‘n kabul, but
now, ‘n th’blinding lincoln blizzard –
he, too, has lost th’way
(12-17)






on th’road t'omaha -
tiny motel, icy walk,
th’world’s widest prairie
(6-16)






ash on icy lot,
rust heaps balance on prairie -
place called alliance
(4-10)







west ‘f lincoln, th’blizzard –
plenty ‘f daylight, but can’t see much
‘cept th’silver mirrors
(2-17)







blues harp ‘n’ th’car radio
on th’train ‘cross th’frozen sand hills –
they left th’keys in th’cars
(3-17)






lincoln-bound ‘n’ desp’rate,
th’driver, even ‘n th’ice, jumps out,
gives th’hitchhiker th’car
(3-17)






this road goes on to
new york, but in this snowstorm
york would be enough
(8-05)







train hauling new trucks
straight across frozen sand hills -
in one, soft blues harp
(12-13)




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th’old man ‘n’ his mem’ries –
th’grandkids sled tornado hill,
‘n’ he knows what’s beneath
(2-18)









omaha’s buried –
his idea ‘f driving t’ th’coast
lost in th’late blizzard
(12-17)








eighty past hastings –
th’whooping crane, too, has come far
t’cross this trav’ler’s path
(11-16)




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months of studying –
th’campus forsythia shouts at
th’lincoln lass t’wake up
(12-17)






 

campus forsythia –
pop too quick, ‘n’ th’lincoln weather
come back t’ruin you
(3-17)





welcome back, monarch!
salem roadside milkweeds know
you, too, are northbound
(2-14)








after th’cold west wind,
th’sun shines on th’salem milkweed –
monarch might want t’stay
(12-16)








chadron yard breakfast
homemade bread, cheese, wine and field
of black-eyed susans
(2-10)







th’minute school lets out,
puts supplies ‘n’ h’s trunk f’r couple ‘f months
pulling trout from the loup
(6-15)







grand island, june third -
his calendar, stuck on th'day
he lost ev'rything
(12-13)








grand island gard’ner –
not many twister nightmares,
calls in sick june third
(10-17)


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seven twisters hit
grand island that year, june third –
th’day he turned seven
(11-17)






kearney dorm showers –
preparing for finals, they
might take them for granted
(2-15)








kearney dorm showers –
cramming f’r exams, they don’t mind
guests’re kind’f rare, out here
(6-16)







ogallala hawk,
‘n th’ shade ‘f th’interstate bridge, near th’fork –
with spring, his choices
(3-18)






near ogalalla
interstate forks, prairie blooms
in both directions
(2-10)




-

og’llala t’om’ha –
tales ‘f th’june night they drove ninety
with th’trunk full ‘f ice ‘n’ coors
(3-17)



e pluribus haiku