North Dakota

tourists 'n' th'long peaceful
border – th’turtle mountain lass,
diff’rent perspective
(12-16)





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turtle mountain lass –
lifetime ‘f hard winters, ‘n’ one day
‘t th’peace garden entrance
(2-18)





dad ‘n’ kid ‘n th’roosevelt –
days’ve turned shorter, but th’nights are fresh,
millions ‘f stars t’be had
(2-17)






kid thinks th’roosevelt’s
about th’wildest place on earth –
dad helps him poke th’fire
(1-16)






fargo’s elms, ‘n’ th’secrets
‘f generations – she thought they’d
always protect her
(3-16)






th’elms knew your secrets,
they said – now he’s come t’fargo,
t’find th’only elms left
(1-17)







from white butte outward,
wide plain slopes for miles - nearby,
prairie smoke blooming
(2-10)







bismarck yard camper:
"burlington northern owner
was once one of us"
(8-05)








fargo yard boxcar
good f'r th'long ride - wait 'n th'weeds,
when th'train starts, jump on
(8-05)







soup from th’church basement,
crooked teeth, ‘n’ th’fargo lass’ smile –
gives her th’wild roses
(10-17)








dust on th’oil field roads –
jamestown riggers share their plans
t’keep up th’boat payments
(9-17)








train sets out ‘n fargo –
this time, has water, bread ‘n’ cheese,
‘n’ all th’berries he picked
(6-16)





fargo back alley
wild rose, defiant beauty –
days’re getting shorter
 (9-17)







dakota prairie –
westbound from fargo, th’ir’n rails
‘re chased by th’rising sun
(10-16)








jumped th’train west ‘f fargo –
sack ‘f berries, hunk ‘f cheese ‘n’ water
‘n’ th’colors ‘f prairie grass
(10-17)




he jumps th’burlington,
he says, ‘cause th’owner jumped’m too,
‘cross th’dakota fields
(6-16)








arb'retum camper,
shadow of th'state capitol,
found a patch of woods
(11-13)








park river farmer –
count’n on trade with canada
like count’n on th’warm breeze
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(4-18)






sky ‘f stars ‘n th’roosevelt –
he’s glad all his security’s
directed ‘t th’wildlife
(2-18)





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nap in fargo’s elms –
dreams take him t’ th’childhood world,
‘n’ all one canopy
(2-18)








camping ‘t th’arb’retum –
sleeping bag, candle, cup ‘f tea,
glow ‘f th’state capitol
(12-17)







dickinson football –
they play rough, but t’them, it’s th’way
t’get out of farm chores
(12-16)



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fourth down, dickinson –
unable t’score in this life,
might have t’join th’army
(12-17)






down from man’toba,
th’marsh geese settle ‘t devil’s lake –
fish dinner’s tasty
(3-17)






just west ‘f west fargo,
begins t’get hungry f’r turkey –
three more days to th’coast
(8-17)








just come through fargo,
first frost ‘n’ folks’re getting ready –
th’hiker longs for th’coast
(3-17)







after west fargo
no interstate junctions 'til
billings - frost on boots
(12-11)








bowen ave denny's -
they make the pumpkin pie last
'til salt trucks are done
(11-13)








stretches th’pumpkin pie –
on bowen avenue, they’ll plow,
but it might get worse
(1-17)







pumpkin pie ‘t denny’s,
snow on bowen, bit more wind –
‘nother scoop ‘f whipped cream
(12-17)








wide lonesome prairie –
outside jamestown, he feels th’wind
turn toward th’bitter
(3-17)






fargo boxcar drunk
doesn't know which way is south -
frosted weeds witness
(2-10)








a town called minot,
nothing but prairie around -
one winter, i left
(5-11)





ice fishing, fort yates –
beds ‘n th’trailer, nice fire, card game
like you’ve never seen
(3-17)







water protectors –
came from so far, ‘n’ then found out
how hard it freezes
(9-17)








thirty b’low, bismarck –
trav’ler’s shocked th’blizzard’s so big,
th’motel room so small
(3-17)










new year with folks in
zap - sounds a bit livelier
than it really is
(5-11)








lawrence welk, one ‘f ours –
can’t ‘magine th’countdown, without
him in th’living room
(10-16)







th’plains, frozen solid –
halfway lake lass’s changed her mind
three times ‘n ten minutes
(9-17)








stranded in bismarck -
roads keep drifting over, and
it's thirty below
(2-10)







plugged in to th’meter,
th’car is safe in bismarck, he says –
tongue might freeze, though
(6-15)




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free parking ‘n bismarck –
used th’squirt gun back at th’first freeze,
meter’s stuck ‘til may
(12-17)



you don't understand
how these devil's lake winters
make faith an issue
(12-11)








drift prairie marsh geese,
oblivious, cold - just in
from manitoba
(2-10)









likes t'catch his walleye
when th'weather breaks't devil's lake -
they jump right in th'boat
(11-14)









fresh april morning –
train stops ‘n minot, chance t’get off,
but can’t ‘magine why
(1-16)









red river valley
fin’lly turns green, ‘n’ th’grand forks lass
sings all th’cowboy songs

(3-17)

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cross canada ‘n th’spring –
after ninety one countries,
had t’stop ‘t th’peace garden
(10-17)






field ‘f prairie larkspur –
back t'raub, f'r th’freedom t'ride through it
as fast as she wants
(10-17)






may day, halfway lake -
forgot where he started out,
or where he's going
(11-13)







peace garden roses,
so delicate and sensual –
she notices th’thorns
(8-15)







she knows th’floral clock,
th’beaver, loon, ‘n’ caribou – she sells
th’peace garden postcards
(10-15)







just past th’peace garden,
she says, acres ‘f wildflowers –
on turtle mountain
(10-15)









fargo's flow'r gardens -
she likes th'wild prairie roses
in the back alley
(12-14)








hopping train f’r bismarck –
watch th’language, please, upset th’ears
of th’prairie larkspur
(1-17)






fargo back alley –
they share th’port, little hunk ‘f cheese,
bouquet ‘f wild roses
(10-16)


e pluribus haiku