earth note 136

ice-out this spring
will be unusual
white hills melting
a volume
hard to contain

we're cautious
putting-in
too early
there'll be a blast
of heat & debris first

wait for the river otters
tune into their creeping
below the watchtowers
& bridge abutments
watch the flood line turn down

love is a smooth take-out

--- e b bortz

earth note 135

stirring across the ridge
out back
my boots break a trail
a minor snow crevice
uncovers a few seedlings
not enough to eat
the deer have moved on
leaving the old trees creaking
for sunset
dogs in the valley bark
frustration
as a long-legged one
steps up to a branch
wind-split
his ears popped up
nose twitching
seems the imported coyote piss
saved a few white pines
.....one hand
.....one crow clapping

--- e b bortz

a sense of satisfaction

bicycling in southern Thailand...early 1989...published in BikeReport, 1992:

http://www.adventurecycling.org/default/assets/resources/199204_ASenseOfSatisfaction_Bortz.pdf

accountability

convert the trillions
of wall street bailout
into one dollar bills

distribute the weight
equally to every yes vote
in the house & senate

include the executive branch
designers & hucksters
throw in their media mouthpieces

if it's too heavy
ask china to carry
some of the load

double the weight portion
for arms manufacturer c-e-o-s
& the joint chiefs

for bank & insurance
bail-out-tees
also provide ankle bracelets

as they all work off their burden
at minimum wage
redistribute the wealth

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Mar 14, 2011)

poetry without walls 2010

poster by Adam Brodsky

earth note 134

daydream big snow 2010

a winter move
salt lake city to northern minnesota
started christmas day 1983 or four

wyoming a foot of ice
on the interstate
a rental truck towing a pickup
an Ltd station wagon following
close behind
dad you always pick
the craziest times to move
the boys kept mocking
dreams get lost all the time
was what i thought
but couldn't say
let their dreams stay young

it was cold enough for ice fog
when the right front wheel
started shaking
our lucky day
to be near
a snow-drifted rest stop
& desperate exit

lucky again to have a lug wrench
tighten a loose wheel
& keep on rolling
there wasn't much choice
every motel filled
every dollar allocated
every gallon of gas planned

every darkness brought
a magic sky
milky way & northern lights
nebraska open arms
western swing on the radio
the snow held off
til we hit the minnesota border

tamaracks poplar white birch
frozen bogs
wild swamp grass stalks
milky way brighter
whispers secret messages
to the fishing shacks
frozen lakes vast & free
defy all categories

the homestead wasn't much changed
from when we left five years earlier
there was dry wood
in the cellar
we all pitched in
re-started
with our first fire
of a long winter

--- e b bortz