earth note 677

wind stalled out

after the rain

leaving reflections in black & white

treetops in small pools

looking upward

the river is the only one moving

a railroad bridge

& penitentiary

have a secret meeting

loose spikes & stone walls

ante up in carbon notes

the river bends     looks the other way

--- e b bortz

authenticity is not a workshop subject

ain't a dialect

or something

to be taken

for granted

how many voices

in your inner ear

have deceived you

how many times

have you stepped

     in it

but refuse to show it

you carry the stink

like anybody

in spite of it

origins make the obvious

an easy blind spot

give it enough time

& the words have a way

of elevating themselves

above the repetitious

so it's probably better

to just keep walking

picking up those

not found yet participles

scattering off a volley

of buckshot angst

as it comes to you

eventually all the roads

become footpaths

where the feet become the imprint

touching the earth

never to be taken for granted

--- e b bortz

theft

i never considered

stealing anything

after all the act

is really just an act

against oneself

you never know when it'll all

come back to bite you

even a friendly dog has limits

let me qualify this

the only thing i ever stole

was second

third

and once home

what a feeling

pony league was all about

playing by the rules

which meant stealing

so it was important

for at least one of my sons

to become a catcher

with a rifle arm

those who steal

need to fear

a hard peg to the base

'course you could say

this is all harmless baseball talk

or maybe you're missing

the one chance to be more bold

taking that extra step off the bag

upsetting the rhythm of the game

which might not be a game at all

there's a theft about to happen

it's the only one that counts

the crowd is stirring for an upset

the pitcher fidgets in the stretch

you wipe the dust and sweat off your hands

     crouch like a feral cat

ready to spring free

sliding head first

arm extended

the tag is late

because you stole

the only thing worth stealing

     that head start instant

     that extra step

--- e b bortz

forecast (+) or (-)

clouds moving so fast

they're leaving a trail behind

but a good center fielder

can probably catch it in the gap

before it all comes apart

if the trees don't calm down

     a bit     there could be a run

on the banks

the money line's not safe

but it might be a little less risky

'course that all depends on the center fielder

--- e b bortz

earth note 676

gray overcast

low light

the hawk banks a 90 degree turn

then dives low

talons into the brush

like there's no balance

between failure

and survival

--- e b bortz

earth note 675

marshall trail

green finally taking hold

wild ferns looking up and down

ready to spread their wings

a cardinal goes first

lifts the head

starts a new song

--- e b bortz

earth note 674

early autumn rio grande valley

the hot spring was well hidden

a warm inlet pool
in the dry cool air

in the heart of the big bend

if patience prevails

soothing powers

rest in the stone perimeter

we follow a native family

to the river

their heartbeat

the source

--- e b bortz

earth note 673

rocky mountain front range

the sun is patient

rises off the plain

leaving sunflowers

melting shadows

--- e b bortz

there's no comfort in my naivete

take my coffee black

with the clarity of a newly photographed

     black hole

     calculated and scribbled from einstein hands

even as the sweatshop jackboots go stomping

     across the planet

a planet on the verge of falling out of orbit

in flood or fire

already long past 1984 orwell

just consider all of this

     the re-elected of the corrupted

     the arrest of the whistleblower

     the children lost on phony borders

     the theft of the body

          but not the soul

--- e b bortz

the tired old men of the planet

have left you the meltdown

this wasn't in your plans after graduation

     floods and fires     that is

extinction might have been too casual a subject

in biology     or botany

not a frequented word in your vocabulary

i'm sorry we didn't put all this in perspective

     in time

again     there are no good rationalizations

of course this is all more than generational

there has always been a recycled shitload

of excuses & diversions & campaign cash

endless streams of swamped-out boats

passing each other but never making contact

nonetheless

it's a new year for blooming

forsythia and magnolia

     their colors bright yellow & pink

     steady     not running

--- e b bortz

earth note 672

each letter of the word

of each poem

reaches out

kneading the ground

like potters

molding clay

taking form

growing roots

--- e b bortz

earth note 671

warm rain slowing

to a trickle

finally in sync

with a heartbeat

like a dove starts cooing

before sunrise

from the hollow

the river pulls everything

towards it

rushing past the sumac

what's left of the maple

refusing to bend

--- e b bortz