Delaware

grew up in glasgow –
‘n th’cool shade ‘f th’park, she tries t’magine
any other world 
(2-16)






slaugher beach fam’ly –
mom reads, ‘n’ th’kid puts th’horseshoe crabs
into th’sand bucket
(10-16)






slaughter beach downpour –
yesterday’s sandcastle’s gone,
and th’fireworks‘re cancelled
(2-16)






th’horseshoe crabs survived,
thrown by th’slaughter beach tide, now
‘n th’moat ‘f th’kid’s sandcastle
(10-17)





tide ‘t fenwick island –
th’lifeguard, when he’s bored, tries t’find
‘nother ‘f those fin whales
(1-18)




wood'n shoes, zwaanendael –
again she sells th’bright red ones
that nobody wears
(10-17)




rehoboth lifeguard,
his attention diverted,
loses a moment
(1-07)




rehoboth sunset –
lifeguard tells ‘bout th’time he lost
th'few precious seconds
(2-17)





r.v.'s in dover -
ribs, beer, anticipation;
race day approaches
(4-10)






decked out motor homes,
finest ribs, lawn chairs ‘n’ th’telly –
back 'n dover for th’race
(3-17)






nascar champ buys th’shots –
second race ‘t dover’s his best,
‘n’ got th’pit crew with him
(7-17)








danger, speed, power –
after dover, th’racecar champ
buries his feet ‘n th’sand
(10-17)






slaughter beach - the child's
sandcastle saves th'horseshoe crabs
stranded by low tide
(10-14)







free t’go t’new jersey,
says th’new castle fisherman –
four bucks t’come back home
(1-18)





th’seas crash ‘t zwaanendael –
th’dutch lass lets th’tourists handle
th’wooden shoe trinkets
(2-17)





centreville meeting
graveyard - picnic with folks who
don't share my lifestyle
(12-14)






glasgow gardener –
all th’good things about th’east coast,
don’t have t’pay taxes
(10-16)



 

shady streets ‘f glasgow –
good life, ‘n’ almost no taxes,
feels like he’s arrived
(4-17)








dover nascar champ
logos bathed in vict'ry lights
speed, power, gold tooth
(4-10)






nascar driver, th’star
buys th’next round – to him, dover’s
th’center ‘f th’universe
(10-16)





peoples’ festival –
she explains how ‘one luv’ fits
th’job with th’credit cards
(10-15)






down on th’christina,
reggae beats echo – she tells
‘bout credit mark’ting
(10-15)





wilmington, reggae,
ocean breeze – but she calls th’job
ethic’ly challenged
(10-15)







back from th’one love fest –
reggae, ganja ‘n’ th’rest, and now,
wilmington traffic
(8-17)







diplomat's beemer
double parked in rehoboth -
summer's patience gone
(4-10)








high tide ‘t rehoboth –
dry as it is ‘t th’harvest moon,
th’cold water slams th’shore
(3-18)







two ninety five bridge
traffic hums - in batt'ry park,
fall comes in with tide
(4-10)


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hick’ries, ashes ‘n’ beech –
come t’winterthur f’r th’foliage
‘n’ so glad t’be alive(2-18)






centreville graveyard –
silence, bed ‘f leaves, intense dream,,
wakes t’face ‘nother day
(2-17)





restless commuter –
spends his life watching his breath,
at churchman’s crossings
(10-17)







nap ‘t churchmans crossings -
commuters ‘n’ trains come and go,
bed ‘f leaves envelops
(10-16)






outside zwaanendael,
leaves in wind - couple argues
about 'going dutch'
(4-10)





big night at the schwarz -
small town wears its pearls and heels,
first snow hits east coast
(4-10)







jealous of dupont
and his immaculate billiards,
winter t'hone his skills
(11-14)







dupont’s windows, washed
so well – how frozen, th’gardens,
how peaceful, th’billiards
(10-16)







drove through th’middle ‘f th’night
bit icy, th’truck was jackknifed
top ‘f th’memorial bridge
(10-16)




she works ‘t zwaanendael,
‘n’ she’s dutch – but only ‘n winter
does she feel it’s hers
(3-16)





chopped wood, blazing fire,
can of beans, bread, potatoes -
hardscrabble new year
(9-08)






countdown, hardscrabble –
no limit, how hard it gets, or,
t’generosity
(10-17)






memorial bridge slows
t’a crawl – flor’da t’maine trip stops
as th’east coast counts down
(11-15)






epiph'ny tide at
rehoboth - bottle, note from
th'canary islands
(4-10)





dime off memorial -
frozen delaware's better
than that flyers' rink
(4-10)






ice ‘n brandywine creek –
she’s mad enough t’push him in
tries not t’act on th’urge
(12-17)







eight ball, side pocket –
rememb’ring dupont’s billiards
when there’s frost on th’panes
(11-17)







des'lation, despair -
th'faces 'f bundled up commuters
at churchman's crossings
(12-14)








wilmington rest stop
tourist daydream - visit folks
tax refund goes to
(7-05)







wilmington rest stop –
th’man still seethes ‘bout th’credit cards,
‘n’ th’tax refund they stole
(2-17)








ocean of water
spring rains, and nothing to do
beth'ny's dry's ever
(4-10)






bethany complaint –
th’ocean pounds ‘n’ ‘t rains through easter,
no wine to be had
(10-16)





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spring rains ‘n th’delmarva –
from th’plane, th’lass looks for her home,
‘n’ georgetown can’t be found
(1-18)









gets th’crabs f’r old times’ sake –
knows th’best ‘f delaware seafood
t’bring t’easter dinner
(2-17)








winterthur gardens -
her smile looks diff'rent, thousands
'f flowers behind her
(11-14)






rarely seen ‘n this world
th’lass as calm as she, ‘n th’flowers
‘f winterthur garden
(10-17)






delicate but strong –
fav’rite del’ware wildflow’rs, she
calls th’quaker ladies
(2-16)






th’glasgow lass blushes –
likes him, but he’s set his pack
‘n th’bed ‘f quaker ladies
(10-16)






come t’love her garden,
‘n’ th’glasgow lass, who favors th’ones
called th’quaker ladies
(9-17)






she works at nemours,
faithful t'dupont 'n' th'legacy -
when flow'rs bloom, she dreams
(11-14)







tulips ‘f zwaanendael –
tells th’most savage ‘f histories
‘mong th’brightest ‘f flowers
(1-18)








first came f’r th’may race –
th’only hotel was down th’beach –
th’next race, was still here


e pluribus haiku
(5-16)