i dreamed i saw allen ginsberg

in the body of christ

with the blood of christ

sangre de christo

the sand suspending deep into his beard

the southwesterly mexico winds

covering his thick black-rimmed

columbia university eyeglasses

the riverbed running and reaching up to save him

from the virus

from the cruelty

from the silence

only the original people

know these mountains

don't be embarrassed

if you need a guide

the snows have lost their staying power

every crevice takes on a new identity

there are dark sanctuaries

to sing your poems

there are new muses lost and searching

even the word muse may escape

through the void

this is not the lower east side

or golden gate park

to ascend you'll need strong boots and coveralls

steady your hands on the wall of the canyon

this land transitions without notice

when the river flows

     take your turn to drink

--- e b bortz

recovering notes from the deep, part 22

from fifteen on

i went pretty deep into

the catcher in the rye phase

and never really came out of it

that kind of adolescence

that always seems naively innocent

and rebellious

all at the same time

of course it's never a path

that's consciously chosen

you try to be as honest

as the world will let you

but this is where i ended up i think

never looking long range

always looking for the unsaid phrase

mostly undefined emotions that bring a tear

when you leave home young (with youngins)

and then everyone grows up

and you return alone

from what seems like a lifetime later

imagination knows how to trick you

for the years gone when only

a nose to the grindstone

could fill empty pockets

when every road and mirage

leads to a parched underbelly

you thought you could always whimsically rely

on falling back and finding your bearings

growing up absurd

should have been a prerequisite

you know the fields should have been sowed

in sunflowers

--- e b bortz

earth note 751

the air has enough sweat

to form puddles before

it hits the ground

on the green side of the avenue

rubbish has thrown itself

at a catch-all against the hillside

from the cardinal's perch

a song is just a song

nothing has changed since the big bang

when the wind is just right

a river can flow upstream

twist in a whitecap

there are clouds that promise rain

but then there are those

who think they know the future

--- e b bortz

highway one blues, part two

the last hurricane

blew holes in every building

still standing

a cluster here & there

people lining up for a thrift store

that used to be

the wind ripped thru

and uprooted mangrove

like a barbed wire fence line

key deer are still in hiding

seeking out fresh water

from mosquito puddles

when the plague hit

the highway closed

then anxiously reopened too soon

the water's getting too warm to snorkel

i'll check the navigational maps

next time i get to the library

     if it ever opens

--- e b bortz

highway one blues

i wore out the bottom

of my sneakers more than once

before coral rock got into my veins

it's free but you'll still have to pay a price

'cause the sunrise will fool you

into thinking you've reached

the end of the ocean

when in fact maybe you've only reached

the end of time

there's a section of side road

on big pine key that turns to hard rock

can rattle a bicycle frame & your bones

you stop when you've reached the water

the gulf side gets buggy

even in the middle of the afternoon

mangrove has long arms

reaches out

& grabs you like a primeval forest

the bridge to no-name key

can be windy

the pelicans ride it out

between dives

a wing is freedom

you're not sure how

you relate to this world

there's always the road

and the iguanas

but please don't call them invaders

turkey vultures gather

for a morning ritual

the dead have nowhere else to go

back on the highway

the sun at high noon

burns through your hat

--- e b bortz

earth note 750

riverview park

i finally found

the hidden switchback

only the deer know

you can tell how the ground cover stops

hoof width in the middle

of oak and maple

snaking around

steep shoulders

when their time arrives

trees fall and become one

with the earth

their bodies

like grace

their songs

like wind

--- e b bortz

earth note 749

eight days 90+ pittsburgh

when the heat finally broke

a non-contiguous set of city steps

started steaming

alone in the rain

the river looking to join in

trying desperately to pick itself up

& move on downstream

away from the quarantine

the gray flow

of the traffic

--- e b bortz

execution death chamber coronavirus safety checklist

all you witnesses

that wanna verify 100%

     death

better not try sneaking in

if your temp is above 100.4 degrees (F...you)

and put on a clean face mask

like you're going to church

scrub your hands

like you're degreasing an engine block

but try & leave your fingerprints intact

for future referencing

there will be gasps and screams

but it probably won't interrupt

the blank stares

of vengeance

--- e b bortz

reckoning has no middle road

even with all the checkpoints

and pattern recognition video gadgetry

heat rises from the earth

like an ocean swell

     entropy has become a social term

there's a new wildfire just beyond

     the beyond

the gas stations are shutting down

in time for the opening of the stock market

i'm leaving out all the proper nouns and trademarks

     apply them as you wish

the ground is smoldering in depleted fireworks

it will end suddenly

     as it began

--- e b bortz