earth note 785

today is a gray valley

rivers cling to riverbanks

every cloud is seamless

in a blanket overcast

a squirrel runs on the top rail

of a cyclone fence

listening for life

on the other end

--- e b bortz

earth note 784

photo by Sandra L Hazley

rolling like the glow of an eastern colorado sunflower

down a flatland gravel road

pinging in the dust

a turnaround for the community park

passes a roomful of teenagers

in the rec building

tuning up a guitar or two

we stop at the outdoor privy

painted sunset earth brown & gold

--- e b bortz 

earth note 783

before they are gone forever

be sure and walk across

a cobblestone street

before the ice melts

that feeling that you don't

have control with what's

under your feet

one slip and the whole world

might slip away

a day past valentine's day

can bring crazy thought trains

daydreaming on a highway

random road signs

the trees are becoming ice sculptures

before turning to water

the hilltops might go first

if the sun can be coaxed

to see the light

--- e b bortz

black crow black dog white snow black coffee

could be the blues

or not

the contrast wakes you

from a sleep you should have had

a week ago

but couldn't pull it off

for a hundred reasons

having nothing to do

with the weather

the slush trucks are rolling

with the best of them

the snow is bringing out

the caffeine hoards

slogging thru

shovel in hand

i'm proud to be

with the addicted

--- e b bortz

earth note 782

orange sometimes pink

street lights before dawn

climbing up and down hills

out of charles street valley

buena vista street

city steps & radio-tv towers

satellite dishes

talk amongst themselves

the snow leaves a new landscape

windows reflecting

the illusion of a desert town with castanets

somewhere in the distance

it's those lights again

city crews will be replacing the ones

who have died

with the ground common

always leaving you

with more dark

than light

--- e b bortz

earth note 781

low branches

laden in wake up snow

still powder light

diving down my neck

clouds from the east

wind from the west

the dog rolls like a puppy

nose & ears tuned

for the neighborhood coyote

sometimes found to be sprinting

along the fence line

across a busy city avenue

two hundred yards to the park canopy

& free

--- e b bortz