e pluribus haiku 2015

Alabama

iced tea, mint, sugar
calhoun county’s best manners –
little extra sugar
(2-16)






gadsden barbeque –
no matter how hard times are,
y’all’re welcome for th’fourth
(2-16)



 

in mobile, th’junction –
heavy rain’s cancelled th’fireworks,
‘n’ her plans are in th’air
(10-17)






she’s back ‘n fairhope f’r th’fourth –
a town that’s absorbed ‘n itself,
kind of refreshing
(10-16)








lazy fairhope morns –
th’old mansion has issues, hers,
th’cool mint tea ‘n th’study
(10-17)





fishing th'tombigbee, 
his sultry prison 'f a town's
million miles away
(11-14) 









-->

back home from th’army –
wants t’work f’r th’birmingham police
‘n’ crank th’air con at home
(2-18)





kudzu chokes back road,
ominous warning posted -
go back to mobile 
(4-10)







clanton tourists' tale -
came hundreds 'f miles in this heat 
to pay our respects
(11-14) 






picnic near clanton –
their honor, their lives, bound
t’ th’confederacy 
(2-16) 







clanton picnic tale –
he knows th’confed’rate gen’rals,
names his sons after’m
(6-16)






second-guessing lee –
clanton picnic folks insist
stonewall would have won
(10-17)







grew all th’mint herself –
vegetables all got withered
in th’hot ‘bama sun
(5-17)





shocked t’see th’yankee hat
on th’red clay bama backroads –
little out of place
(9-16)







windows closed ‘gainst th’heat –
active shooter ‘t th’arsenal,
but th’word seems t’get ‘round
(6-17)




midnight trucker’s voice,
they’re burning tires up ahead –
then, th’crickets ‘f fort payne
(6-16)







good manners steeping, 
iced tea, mint, lemon, sugar -
sweet heart of dixie 
(7-05)






nice fiddle ya got
come up blount mount'n, he says - got 
folks play all summer 
(8-05)







muscle shoals fiddler –
used t’ th’summers ‘n’ th’culture of th’place,
loves those dixie songs
(2-16)







trowbridge egg n' olive -
iced tea to cool the tongue, from 
florence gossip's sting
(4-10)





fairhope maiden's wish -
her own front porch, summer read,
someone to talk to
(4-10)







fairhope, she says, town
where folks notice ev’rything,
‘n’ summer still drags on
(1-16)






excited ‘bout th’tide,
eager t’take that hopped up truck
‘n’ parade th’red colors
(1-16)





 

old yankee hat on 
rider, old 'bama clay in 
truck, fall sky outside
(8-05)










her wood’s cut and stacked,
guy ‘n th’old truck, ‘bama clay,
drops off th’venison
(10-16)







ven’son ‘n’ collard greens –
not happy ‘bout th’auburn game,
‘n’ scroungin’ for dessert
(2-18)








'bama fans trashing 
auburn streets - college prank, 'cept
they aren't in college
(1-13)








don’t care f’r th’college kids –
he’s fixin’ t’do some damage
when th’tide beats auburn
(4-17)







twenty near ranburne –
rolling hills, autumn fog, dusk,
th’u.f.o. was real
(2-16)







hauling through ranburne,
th’changing leaves through th’fog, then, th’lights
from another world
(10-17)








confederate flag,
united we stand sticker- 
'bama football day
(8-05)



 



red ‘bama jerseys –
for each number, a player,
gods of th’pantheon
(6-17)






ranburne trucker’s tale –
th’saucer landed ‘n th’autumn fog,
right along twenty
(3-17)






behold, the first frost,
th’hanging bottles, th’morning sun –
two-lane t’montgom’ry 
(9-15)








black friday ‘n gadsden –
mall owner tries to explain
why they kicked him out
(11-17)







pedophile ‘n th’senate –
election season, ‘n’ asks ‘bout
bus’ness as usual
(11-17)











bottles hang from th’trees –
first frost, two-lane t’montgom’ry,
walk past th’eerie light
(3-17)






dothan laundromat -
young boy, inconsolable
saw santa drinking
(1-13)






road forks in mobile -
cut north to face family,
or winter on gulf
(4-10)








coden temple gift,
from shrimper's wife to buddha - 
new year's storm hits gulf
(4-10)






coden shrimper’s boat –
hull ‘n’ ornament, all they found,
after th’new year’s storm
(2-16)





 

eastbound at grand bay,  
epiph'ny wind - unprepared,
for dawn's light'n her eyes
(4-10)






space heater, packed church - 
sand mountain snakes stay in box,
amens all around
(2-14)








b’lieve god speaks through th’snakes,
but th’sand mountain church burned down –
left th’space heater on

(3-17)








fam’ly’s kicked around
bama – now he stays warm ‘n’ works
making odysseys
(4-18)









snakes of sand mountain –
spits on th’frozen ground, says she’s
punished f’r ev’ry thought
(3-18)







tales ‘f old ‘bombingham’ –
rubs hands t’keep warm, ‘n’ tells how you’d
stay out of th’churches
(3-18)






plain old city bus, 
a mid-winter way to work - 
selma's reflection
(4-10)






selma bus ‘n winter,
take it just for th’experience –
often late, she says
(1-17)







standing by th’trash can,
burning th’news t’keep warm, telling
why ‘t’s called ‘bombingham’
(2-16)






oh so ord’nary –
selma bus, winter morning,
driver keeps ‘s eyes down
(11-17)






trash can fire, share th’heat –
th’black folks ‘n th’city can tell you
th’hist’ry ‘f “bombingham”
(3-17)







blount mountain music –
so good, he says, ya tend t’forget
y’ain’t worked all winter
(1-16)


 



ain't been this cold in 
gadsden, she says, since th'war of
northern aggression
(8-05)




 



not much to see here,
grim march rain's soaking florence,
blues in muscle shoals
(9-08)








dothan court, spring day,
she mutters about justice -
her son’s still locked up
(1-16)






gadsden magnolia,
flowers, strong ‘n’ fragrant – behind th’bush,
they’ve thrown some beer cans
(6-16)






‘nother round ‘f spring winds –
trailer home ‘n tuscaloosa
not th’best idea
(10-17)






inside th’van, th’guitar –
no money, th’grim ‘bama spring,
‘n’ now, ‘t’s raining again
(8-16)






rain, mobile exits,
on t’ward th’new orleans blood bank –
somewhere, it’s easter
(8-16)








from montgom'ry west,
spring dawn wakens th'countryside, 
ir'n rails sing f'r freedom 
(11-14) 







th’local lass jumps th’train –
west from montgomery, th’flow’rs,
th’valleys call to her
(12-16)







th’trees’re blooming ‘n dothan –
outside th’courthouse, th’mother yells,
no justice f’r th’poor folks!
(3-17)





westbound, seminole,
green-eyed lass, bouquet ‘f flowers –
he’s stopped in his tracks
(10-15)


 


lives on th’styx, th'flowers 
are all over th’place – he tries
t’imagine stopping
(10-15)







scent ‘f honeysuckle –
all up th’river styx she feels
so overpowered
(10-17)





it’s honeysuckle, 
she says – he admits he’s not
from alabama
(10-15) 








flowers on th’river styx –
surprised you’d notice, what with
all th’honeysuckle
(12-16)








rains pound birmingham, 
bright unmatched sock - another
laundromat easter 
(1-14) 






proud ‘f his ten c’mmandments –
gadsden gard’ner’s tales ‘f how th’guy
don’t mind th'coveting
(11-17)








train t’montgomery,
th’brakes screech – wisteria in th’fields,
th’morning dew shines ‘n th’sun
(3-18)








dothan magnolia –
th’place itself holds onto her,
‘n’ ‘t’s just now getting hot
(2-18)






 

june rains ‘n muscle shoals –
th’river rises, th’hiker waits,
somewhere, there’s music
(4-17)



e pluribus haiku

Alaska

camping near northway –
wakes up t’find mouse using
th’hole in th’bug’s floorboards
(5-16)





dull glow ‘f evening –
anchorage clerk won’t sleep,
time t’go see people
(1-18)





camping near th’alcan –
had some meat ‘n’ fry bread ‘n th’skillet
of course th’bear found him
(1-18)






delaney park strip,
th’fireworks – outside town, the bush,
th’purple swirling lights
(3-16)




huge feast, out in th’bush –
miles from th’d’laney park fireworks,
they share their whole world
(3-17)






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







th’guy flips his kayak –
quick bath ‘n th’clear blue alcan lake
which seems t’have no name
(1-17)






awkward, th’broken pack –
from th’kenai, sparkle ‘f th’sea’s edge,
‘n’ money won’t buy much
(3-17)





short hike into th’bush
th’ev’ning sun sets ‘t tok junction –
th’bear, too, has noticed
(1-17)






tok junction camper –
haunted by th’impounded cars
back ‘t th’yukon border
(2-16)







through th’yukon border –
th’image ‘f th’impounded cars ‘n’ trucks
sticks with’m all summer
(1-17)







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









purple swirling lights –
not th’normal earth we lie on,
it’s arctic tundra
(4-17)





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)







road to ninilchik –
in th’boat, watch th’long sunset, then,
haul in th’salmon nets
(4-16)








salmon flop in th’boat –
onion-domed church ‘n ninilchik
welcomed all spirits
(6-17)








seasick and sleepless,
hauls th’kenai salmon in th’boat,
wonders where th’night went
(4-16)






near tok, ancient saab -
vermont tags, loaded down with
alcan gravel dust
(10-08)









loaded down old saab,
close t’ th’gravel – th’alcan dust
covers th’vermont tags
(10-16)









anch’rage, its bleakest –
th’cold august rains pound th’laundry,
he calls home collect
(6-16)






back t’savage river –
th’early dusk, th’snow, th’tales ‘f breakdowns
have th’tourists worried
(1-18)







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
(9-15)






sitka cannery
cash – plenty t’burn ‘til th’first frost,
then th’question ‘f where t’go
(9-17)






sitka canner’s tale
thousands of fish heads ‘n august,
but now th’money’s gone
(1-17)







th’first chill catches him –
alcan dust, vast wilderness,
he turns back t’whitehorse
(2-16)







denali park road –
th’bear, too, here f’r th’road lottery,
not playing by th’rules
(1-18)









purple lights ‘n th’kenai –
aurora ‘n fall reminds him
‘f his year with th’deadheads
(10-17)







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






souls’ day, bering sea –
moonlight, ice ‘n’ water, on th’plane,
everyone’s asleep
(10-17)







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)








they watch th’rose parade –
th’moose, stranded ‘n th’palmer blizzard,
peeks in from th’outside
(12-17)

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




earthquake detection –
aleutians have th’best ‘f systems,
‘n’ th’whole winter t’watch them
(4-18)




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







man ‘n’ dog, th’whiteout storm,
hear th’railway – but only th’dog
is sure it will stop
(1-17)


-->



he survived th’sixties,
works ‘n some post office near tok,
breath’s frozen ‘n his beard
(1-18)







frozen road’s smoother,
says th’bearded alcan trucker –
but you can’t break down
(10-16)







from th’cabin in th’bush
he watches the blizzard downtown
on th’fairbanks webcam
(1-16)




wanted t’be alone –
cabin’s whited out, ‘n’ his eyes
‘re on th’fairbanks webcam
(6-17)






dog vet’rinary –
course she carries what she needs,
mushes ten miles t’school
(10-17)





lived ‘n barrow twelve years –
‘t’s not th’mornings, fifty below,
‘t’s th’months ‘f darkness, ‘ll kill you
(10-17)





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







th’snow melt brings th’hunger,
‘n’ th’morning sun’s on denali –
th’bear, too, likes th’berries
(1-17)





from th’small flat ‘n tokyo,
flew over th’north – now, ‘n anch’rage,
it’s spring, ‘n’ folks’re laughing
(12-17)








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










on th’hill ‘bove homer,
th’old believer tills his earth –
eyes on th’western sky
(10-16)







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)








skwarentna ‘n’ yentna,
th’worst ‘f all blizzards – lost two dogs,
but still finished th’race
(10-16)







all ‘bout th’comp’tition –
points her dogs t’skwarentna ‘n’ yentna,
hoping not t’lose them
(9-17)






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)







field ‘f forget-me-nots –
moved t’tolkeetna t’get away,
now he’s everywhere
(10-16)







sets out from fairbanks,
explores th’vast wilderness, loves
th’days that last f’rever
(12-15)



 

purple swirling lights –
tok bear seems t’care more ‘bout th’smell 'f
morning blueberries
(6-17)





twin engine cessna –
clear day, blooming tundra, ‘bout
thousand caribou
(6-17)



-->
caribou ‘n’ th’cessna –
change direction by th’hundreds,
but don’t seem t’fear him
(9-17)











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)








short growing season –
anch’rage gard’ner tells ‘bout th’world’s
biggest dand’lions
(12-16)






th’forget-me-nots bloom,
th’tolkeetna cabin’s empty –
he came, but she’d left
(1-18)


e pluribus haiku