Virginia

butterflies circle,
dixie's heroes survey lawns -
buddhas of richmond
(12-11)







embers in th’campfire –
hiking th’shenandoah, she feels
removed from th’battles
(1-18)







thick fog in th’blue ridge –
bear ‘n’ th’through hiker both lost th’way,
but hear th’leaves rustle
(8-17)







bearded through-hikers
bring big shoes, big appetites
down off cave mountain
(8-05)










down from cave mountain,
th’old through hiker speaks ‘f his goal –
th’all you can eat place
(7-16)










her tale ‘f stonewall’s death,
knows like th’trails ‘f th’shenandoah
don’t tell it often
(10-16)




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monument mansion
kitchen – th’cool mint tea, ‘n’ th’question
‘f hon’ring ‘heritage’
(9-17)








in th’twin oaks hammock,
he tells about th’commune, ‘n’ his
whole summers reading
(5-15)








in th’twin oaks hammock,
th’guy says he took th’garbage shift
t’spend th’summer reading
(10-16)






th’search for th’great channels –
lookout tow’r, rusted ‘n’ dang’rous,
lush forest, all sides
(3-17)







near roanoke, camper
curses union, rebels both -
poking at embers
(6-13)





campfire’s hot embers –
roanoke folks knew th’north and th’south,
didn’t like either
(2-17)






through hiker ‘n th’blue ridge,
sore joints ‘n shoulders show his age –
never been happier
(7-16)







way up on th’blue ridge –
through hiker’s got th’best map, but
th’fog’s too thick t’read it
(6-16)







blue ridge through-hiker
takes a week to hitch t'd.c.,
say what's on his mind
(6-13)









blue ridge through-hiker -
come t’d.c. t’speak his mind, stops
‘t arlington’s white sea
(2-16)








arlington’s white sea
reminds her ‘f th’wide western skies
where th’clouds would talk t’her
(10-16)








camped 'n th’broomsedge, she says –
virginia grasses’re pretty,
but th’land is worthless
(2-16)







sleepless night 'n th'city,
but 'cross th'river, th'locusts pause
at th'unknown soldier
(11-14)





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th’locusts’re deafening –
they feel th’spirits ‘n th’night’s stillness
‘t th’tomb ‘f th’unknown soldier
(10-17)




th’streets’ relentless noise
‘n’ even th’locusts’re quiet now –
found th’unknown soldier
(4-17)





th’finest of cheekbones,
‘n’ blue eyes t’kill – she’s ‘n albemarle,
and she’s dressed f’r th’hunt
(6-15)








bright charlottesville morn,
red jacket, black leather boots -
can’t get more sultry
(6-15)








got your hounds ‘n’ your fox
‘n’ your virginia countryside –
it’s th’essence of life
(6-15)








look so fine on th’horse,
finest mare in all albemarle –
seems t’poop where she wants
(2-17)







so fine, th’alb’marle horse –
she tries t’notice th’good things ‘n life,
‘n’ stay on top of th’hunt
(10-17)







quarter off th’chain bridge –
these same or'nge woods, george too camped,
‘n’ threw h‘s money away
(3-17)





jefferson’s buildings –
she likes th’stately atmosphere,
th’sisters drink like fish
(6-16)





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long night ‘f debauch’ry –
cold ‘n’ hungry, wakes up t’ th’judgment
‘f jefferson’s buildings
(1-18)











th’lass and th’boyfriend
‘n’ jefferson’s architecture
it’s th’students she hates
(2-17)





good life 'n charlottesville -
leaves changing, pretty college, job,
willing t'leave 'n minute
(12-14)






small house on grove street,
charlottesville ‘n fall, but you know
when you have t’get out
(2-17)







dark james holds secrets -
tree bark skims churlish waters,
'skins game drones from shore
(10-08)






‘cross th’james, th’skins game drones
th’state has mountains, th’sea, th’cities
‘n’ def’nitely th’hist’ry
(2-17)





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leaves ‘n th’arlington grounds
blaze with th’promise ‘f coming back –
th’white crosses, silent
(1-18)







unexpectedly
warm - november memories,
arlington shadows
(11-10)







th’new malls ‘t manassas -
she hates th’black friday traffic,
‘n’ at th’light, looks out ‘t th’fields
(10-17)







black friday at th'mall,
m'nassas teens push t'get xbox -
what happened t'thankful?
(10-14)







hol’days ‘t liberty –
th’boss loves th’media, ‘n’ has no shame
‘n’ don’t cotton t’dissent
(11-17)





champagne toast, new years
wish - sent with a prayer, over
arlington's white sea
(1-13)









car off th’road ‘n th’cold woods,
th’devil’s th’enemy, says th’dad –
outside chanc’llorsville
(10-16)









scripture’s stern ‘n’ final –
th’truck brakes hard ‘n th’frozen gravel
‘n th’beltway exit ramp
 (10-16)






pack on th’frozen ice –
beltway exit ramp trucker’s
pray’r f’r th’weary hiker
(10-17)





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road t’appomattox –
no question, some folks’re stuck ‘n th’past,
he says, ‘n th’freezing rain
(1-18)






ninevah red light,
flurries cloud scholar's mem'ry -
turns green soon enough
(3-10)









chanc'llorsville waitress -
cold march rain, tale 'f stonewall's death
chill her to the bone
(12-11)






bacon and waitress'
remark: drunk curses avon
a cold march sonnet
(3-11)








waitress, avon dive,
rhymes as she curses th’march wind –
but never heard ‘f th’bard
(10-16)







spring rains, time is stopped,
visibility obscured
manassas strip mall
(1-07)








th’nazis killed ‘r fam’ly –
by chance, th’spring rains ‘n charlottesville
‘ve made her cry again
(3-18)









redbuds ‘f lexington –
like th’town, put stock ‘n looking good,
‘stead ‘f being friendly
(10-16)






redbuds ‘f lexington –
explosion ‘f color ‘n th’valley,
but th’store clerk’s churlish
(10-17)





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back from th’grand canyon –
grew up in roanoke’s dogwoods,
never quite saw them
(2-18)





galax mechanic
writes out universal bill -
mountain spring beckon
(10-08)







assateague's wild foals,
born on the virginia side -
sea breeze, their first breath
(12-13)








virginia bluebells –
th’slow sunrise, morning coffee,
‘n’ wait t’get back on th’road
(2-17)








del ray baseball field –
your bill armed th’mentally ill,
he’s got you in th’sights
(6-17)






fear ‘f random shooting –
you want t’play baseball ‘n del ray,
something t’think about
(6-17)






virginia bluebells –
morning coffee, ‘n’ th’argument
that th’place’s for lovers

 (11-17)

music's good in june
where crooked road comes down t' floyd-
nothin' else to do
(10-08)



e pluribus haiku