Utah

navajos ‘f bear’s claw –
‘n th’open hogan, ask how th’tech’s
finding th’petroglyphs
(12-17)





off th’road in saint george,
th’lost lass stumbles ‘n th’midday heat,
looking for th’rainbow
(11-16)






th’enterprise ranger
slows down th’traffic ‘t th’reservoir –
full moon for th’rainbow
(11-16)







cave valley, zion –
hikes ‘n th’hot sun t’find th’petroglyphs,
th’well-guarded secret
(3-17)







best summer harvest,
irish coffee - from mountain,
sparkle of salt lake
(12-11)






summer sun ‘t salt wash –
back ‘f th’pickup, she shares th’tarp’s shade,
th’dog decides t’make room
(12-15)








salt wash, pickup bed –
she ‘n’ th’dog hitched from panama,
on th’way t’alaska
(4-17)







she’s come thousands ‘f miles
wants t’feel th’rainbow drum circle
near th’caves ‘f enterprise
(6-15)









enterprise reservoir
ranger’s suspicion for th’rainbow –
she gives him a kiss
(6-15)









th’rainbow hugs, th’campfire,
th’welcome home – it’s good f’r th’spirit,
th’cool air ‘f th’ent’rprise caves
(6-15)







from blistering heat
enterprise reservoir caves
offer dusty nap
(10-08)





well off beaten path
u turn in heber city
summer sunday shot
(10-08)








moab rafter’s tale –
deep ‘n th’canyons, saw th’cave drawings,
‘n’ he’ll never be th’same
(12-17)








fire ‘n th’uintah ‘n’ ouray –
steep rugged terrain, ‘n’ dry heat,
had t’go with th’copters
(12-17)






train cuts salt lake, stops -
one side green, one red, bugs'n both,
oh f'r a drop 'f water!
(11-14)






crossing th’great salt lake,
th’train stops, bugs on th’pale surface –
forgot t’bring water
(6-16)







bryce canyon hiker,
stark valley, ‘n’ bright flaming cliffs –
forgot t’bring th’water
(6-17)





hot sun, road t’short creek –
good relations, all eighteen
‘f his brothers ‘n’ sisters
(9-17)






off th’train at logan –
joys ‘f th’lush and verdant valley
after hours ‘f dust ‘n’ salt
(6-16)





using map to roll
one, seed falls out north salt lake
in hot sand - wasted
(8-05)






hope rests on promise -
summer back on mountain land
across the jordan
(5-13)








bank clerk's perfect world
threatened by august rattler
outside orderville
(10-08)



;
outside orderville,
love ‘f th’sun-bathed desert’s tempered,
rattler’s bit th’puppy
(10-17)






new t’salt lake ‘n’ confused –
th’first quorum of th’seventy
on th’august night’s news
(8-17)






harvest moon, nephi
exit's silence - a small town's
feelings, unrevealed
(1-14)





paradise valley –
th’weather, he says, ‘bout perfect,
th’apples, sweet ‘n’ sharp
(12-17)




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first coca-cola –
brigham young senior’s lament,
just one year t’partake
(1-18)



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fall, state ‘n’ north temple –
th’gayest bake sale ever, held
t’bring up th’issue ‘f cakes
(1-18)










husbands’ve gone hunting –
th’ladies, all dressed up, ‘n’ bound for
th’city creek center
(12-17)







zion painted red,
autumn colors mixed and changed
on desert canvas
(10-08)





-->

‘cross th’plains ‘n th’motor home –
ready t’bust out ‘f her marriage,
‘n salt lake, halloween (1-18)







painted cliffs ‘f zion –
th’world’s ablaze in color ‘n’ joy,
he’s feeling th’first frost
(6-16)







hiked down through salt lake –
banff t’mexico, hurrying,
leaves changing b’hind him
(3-17)








red rock cliffs, fall sky -
eight wives, forty six children,
short creek family
(2-10)









frost on zion's rock
window - camper's worst nightmare,
l.a. cop's doughnut
(5-13)








train across th’salt flats,
extra blankets, thermos ‘f tea –
speed’s not an issue
(8-17)









at sawtooth campsite
poke fire with orion,
million stars witness
(10-08)






bar near hurricane –
each mormon’s got twelve, says th’kid,
no point ‘n that mistl’toe
(11-16)






motor home, salt lake
evening rush hour - how she dreads
th'desert in winter
(1-14)







icy glaze, salt lake -
hiker wants to know why they've got
those names in th'mountain
(11-14)








east across salt flats,
some frozen town, stopped f'r coffee,
couldn't find any
(1-14)







saint george guy's complaint:
new year goes on forever,
all th' women taken
(5-13)







mem'ries of topaz,
red cliffs - wartime pains undulled
even at new year
(12-10)







to th’red cliffs ‘f topaz,
to th’new year, and to th’nisei –
jailed f’r what we looked like
(~15)








at th’red cliffs ‘f topaz,
saki ‘n’ champagne – can’t bear it
when one year’s like th’next
(4-16)







back at th’cliffs ‘f topaz –
new year’s toast t’ th’day folks can trust
in spite of one’s race
(10-17)






wolf moon, wasatch range –
tales ‘f th’vault where they store all th’names,
‘n’ th’reasons they’d do it
(3-17)






wolf moon ‘t bountiful –
halfway t’mexico they’ll stop,
‘n’ try t’find some coffee
(12-17)







plays th’bars ‘round salt lake –
get lots ‘f bus’ness all winter,
t’drown out th’background noise
(3-17)





sundance filmmaker,
mormon store clerk, small dispute –
no coffee t’be found
(12-15)





sundance filmmaker –
th’way they said there’s no coffee
soured him on th’whole state
(8-17)



-->

big cottonwood drifts –
get t’ th’bottom ‘f th’hill, ‘n’ they’re gone –
‘n’ winter’s gone with them
(12-17)









cactus’s flowering –
framed by zion’s pinkish cliffs,
known t’mold th’character
(11-16)





a sip of mad dog -
bottle waits in flowers of
brigham young's garden
(8-05)







mad dog,’n’ th’wrong kind ‘f drugs –
th’local lad’s passed out ‘n th’flowers
‘f brigham young’s garden
(10-17)






‘nother sip ‘f mad dog –
one’s lost, th’other knows ‘xactly
brigham young’s garden
(10-16)

th’mountains near provo
watch th’kids frantic t’graduate,
and, th’mid-morning nap
(12-15)





top ‘f big cottonwood,
fifteen feet ‘f snow – at th’bottom,
it’s springtime for sure
(3-17)






finals time ‘n provo –
th’grounds crew, so busy with th’flow’rs,
on th’bench, th’senior naps
(11-16)







night train, wendover,
june chill, miles ‘f salt flats – sudd’nly,
rider on th’westbound
(12-15)








wendover-bound train,
freezing ‘n june, no signs ‘f life – ‘cept
th’rider on th’westbound
(1-17)










westbound through th’salt flats,
only th’blanket ‘n th'june desert chill –
‘n’ this guy’s on th’flat car
(1-17)








orderville rattler –
warned th’young mormon ‘n’ his prom date
t’stay away from th’nest
(3-17)









field ‘f sego lilies –
legends ‘f th’early settlers, sure
they’d found th’promised land
(11-17)







liked th’sego lilies
‘f th’wide ‘n’ fertile jordan valley,
sign of th’promised land
(12-17)


e pluribus haiku