blueshadowed cat

cryptic colored cobaltblue cat creepily climbing
from a cage constructed curiously concentric . . .
2002

Zen

it is the discouragement
of metaphysical speculation
in favor of solitary meditation. . .

it emphasizes intuitive
experience as opposed to
priestly ritual and doctrine. . .

it is the study of nothing. . .

it is the being of everything. . .

it is emptiness. . .

it is like an empty sponge
that absorbs energy. . .

1979

Communication gap

. . .i'm losing track
of my own vibrations
because i'm trying
too hard
to understand yours
which are coming
in from left field
at cosmic speeds
and in cryptic
configurations. . .

1987

The wealth of the dawn

Pensacola, Florida 2006

Graveyard shift

midnight hours, dark and bleak,
wornout muscles, bones that creak,
living nightmares loom ahead,
others laugh at what you dread,
hopeless, tangled, time goes by,
i often wonder, why oh why,
a whistle blows, the line is down,
another crash in brewerytown,
the people stare, you stop and sigh,
and walk to see the reason why,
the brewery is a living beast,
upon my peace the thing doth feast.

4:00 A.M. on the bottleline
1991

Somewhere

she never looks back
and shes always lookin' good
never looks back
sometimes she knows she should
shes lookin' to the future
to another point in time
where the winds of chance blow kinder
and the hills less steep to climb
theres more to her existence
than dullness every day
there has to be a reason
a dragon she can slay
the road ahead is endless
and boredom here is vast
the worries of tomorrow come
when this day is past

1969

blue bromeliads

2001

Meditation

. . .i sink
down into my self
all else fades away. . .
i feel nothing
as the floor pushes up
i am heavy
and yet i float. . .
as soon as i sink
all the way
to the bottom. . .
i know i am at the top. . .
i feel not here
and yet
i know i am. . .

1986

Rainy day run

Dallas City Hall Square
Saturday morning
October 13, 1984
7:30 A.M. 71 degrees
i pinned on my number
in falling rain
five-thousand runners
all around me
jabbering, jogging, jiggling
ready to run
in the rain together
at nine the starter
fired into a torrential downpour
for five miles
we slopped and slid
through ankledeep waves
of urban surf
we splashed through
and through and through
downtown Dallas
forty-seven minutes later
i passed the finish line
someone handed me a beer
and said, "here, you just won"

Strohs Run for Liberty
1984

NINE-ELEVEN

Versimilitude
and
what
really
occurred
on
9-11 ?













2007

Yelladawgs

2007

So craddy

go ye out among the frappis
slithering at the edge,
frathering by the nibber,
brisking in the ledge:
wusking with the reetee,
those geebee at their norbs
stand they out among the rest,
they fear and dread the orbs,
your crasker oh so craddy
and your diriggercat so glien
they will not take your dirbah
but they know just what you mean,
the whelking all in fervor
and the rogah ever loud,
nor will a frizzy snurra
ever do his brethern proud,
at such a cridden cradder
is a snipper in a fog
just a little sneller snoothie
sniffing out a hurl of grog,
they gather in a homsom
farkened at the snidge
with a sky of purple feathers
and a Frappis on the Flidge.

1980

Faded Flowers

Year Two Thousand and Five

Bizarre Bazzaar

the other day
i found myself
inside the Bizarre Bazaar,
where nothing was fingered
only handed,
where everyone lingered
uncommanded. . .
i walked around
that awesome place
looking near and looking far,
where nothing was sold
only borrowed,
where everyone smiled
and never sorrowed. . .
i stood alone
and gazed around,
inside that Bizarre Bazaar
where nothing was kept
only passed,
where everyone mingled
so unharrassed. . .
i told myself
that this was it
and wished upon a star,
where nothing is counted
only numbered,
where everyone passes
unemcumbered. . .

1978

The Araunja bug

Araunja bugs
are thought
to be
instumental
in the
origin
of the
word
JITTERBUG
due to
their
erratic
movements
in their
mating
rituals.

2000

Morning

early morning
sun so bright
fleecy clouds
chased the night. . .
lengthy shadows
dark and long
lovely morning
quiet song. . .
gentle breezes
in the wind
magic moments
time to spend. . .
golden sunlight
cobalt sky
its you and me
we like to fly. . .
all was fine
there was no haste
but i've forgot
the way you'd taste. . .

1982

SanFrancisco 1983

SanFransisco 1983

Phricarstonnxx

Very little is known about this strange bird,
Phricarstonnxx lived during the Frappicene Age
over 670million years ago. 2005

Arkansas eyes

dark green,
kelly green,
brown and purple too,
pink into magenta,
panoramic view.

deep green,
soft green,
white and cobalt blue,
silver water flashing,
i think i always knew.

wild green,
cool green,
mountains through and through,
rocky river tumbling,
our secret thoughts askew.

pale green,
warm green,
melting like the dew,
time moves down the river,
as i move into you.

1981
Camping along the Little Misouri River
Washita Mountains
Arkansas

Three Mile Bridge

Midnight lights of Three Mile Bridge 2007

sometimes i wonder. . .

two-time lover
one night stand
you really liked
that country band. . .

drank tequila
got you high
belly-rubbin'
time to fly. . .

took you home
familiar place
i lived there once
amazing grace. . .

crawled into
your queensize bed
we both escaped
from things unsaid. . .

never saw you
out again
sometimes i wonder
where you've been'. . .

1981

The moons of Meemuur

2000

Thought

. . .i thought of you
the other night
and the more i thought
the more
i remembered. . .
and the more
i remembered
the more i wanted to think,
and the more i thought,
the more i knew.
that you and i
were finally through. . .

1981

Chanticleer

1999

Pub crawling

passing people
left and right
raucous bar
a ship of night
not my thing
a senseless view
i'm only here
to look for you

1986

pas de deaux

2002

different views

the things
that i said or did
that she could'nt
handle or accept
are the very same things
that you not only accept
but enjoy and enter into
with such warmth and passion
that i am sometimes bewildered
by the emotions
that flow between
and through us
like water seeking its own level.

1987

the cabin

. . . .a structure
log ensculpted,
years and years ago,
gone gray
and all to rotten
it has. it has,
gone bad,
day by day,
by years
and generations,
fallen down
and tumbled upon
by time and weather,
suffered much
it has, it has. . . .


Sam Page Road
Near Hallsville, Texas
1971

Pink and purple floaters

Full stretch blues 2001

WIDE-OPEN TIME MACHINE

WEEKDAYS, SATURDAYS,
CALENDERS, AND CLOCKS,
SLIDING DOWN THE BANNISTER,
DODGING FALLING ROCKS.

HOURS, SECONDS,
WAIT-A-MINUTES, TOO,
SLAVES OF ANCIENT FATHER TIME,
WE HURRY, ME AND YOU.

CHASING PEOPLE,
CHASING WORK,
BUYING THINGS WE DO NOT NEED,
SPENDING TIME AT FULLWARP SPEED.

1973

Fumaroles of Bizzarradh

. . . i tried
to pass
them by,
but to
no avail,
they drew
me into
that
shadowed place
i can not
describe,
nor if
i could
'twould be
a crime. . .

2000

a perfect armfull

you're a perfect armfull
and you're in my arms tonight,

you're such a farout lady
sometimes you're outta sight,

you're a perfect armfull
and you're here beside me now,

you're such a lovin' woman
you could show the others how,

you're a perfect armfull
and we share our hearts tonight,

you're such a little lover
such a tiny , wild delight.

November 1981

people

. . .the people see,
they stand and stare,
some may hope, some may care,
some are locked in deep despair. . .
. . .the people watch,
they stand and gaze,
some in fog,
some in haze,
some are in a mortal maze. . .
. . .the people stand,
with open ears,
some have hates,
some have fears,
some have worried all their years. . .
. . .the people wait,
in silence deep,
some awake,
some asleep,
some will harvest what they reap. . .

1972
Inspired by cypress knobs in Caddo Lake in Texas

The View of Snarganzealia

A chancey beeler whuffling by. . . . . 2007

sasnakrA, ekiP treblA pmaC

leafy freedom
treetop rooted
sapphire colored sky. . . .
rocky paths
thread the woods
troubles pass you by. . . .
icy water
fresh and clear
nectar from the gods. . . .
scented air
smoke and flowers
blossoms give you nods. . . .
stone colossus
still and mute
stood for eons here. . . .
fantastic stones
in shapes so odd yet
changing year by year. . . .
smiling cloudbanks
filled with peace
happiness abounds. . . .
broad expanse
verdant growth
euphoria surrounds. . . .
patterned rocks
here and there
etched by tumbling fall. .. .
timeless land
timeless sky
so like neanderthal. . . .

1975

Cats and shoes

2007

Hometown blues

smile me home,
with your eyes,
i've traveled a long, long way,
i've talked to the simple,
i've talked to the wise,
i've searched
for many a day.

sing me home,
with your heart,
theres something i gotta say,
theres a game of chance,
i wanta start now,
a game that two can play.

1977

RED RATISHES

1999

Nightrun

The long hill
beckons to me,
its very heighth
tantalizes me,
my pounding legs
move in painless strides,
i am as the wind,
the road is an easy treadmill
and the sky, the sky,
has no color,
and the hill has no end
i tread the infinite
bathed in puzzling light,

and then i wake,
and it was all just a dream,
a dream within a dream. . .

2007

springboard to oblivion

2005

Time traveler

the road of days
long and wide,
some folks intersect it
others run and hide,
seeing people
come my way,
some will leave me
some will stay,
human highway
passing by,
touch my hand
catch my eye,
they look at me
and then we part,
each one guards
a wounded heart,
somewhere someone
moves along,
who knows my tune
who sings my song.

1985

unknowns

what if the idea
of a secure future
is but a cage?

in which to sit
amid the tangibles
that we have
sacrificed now for?

From the greenhouse
1982

Sunset Sloops

Pensacola Bay 2007

Por dormir

when all the dust is settled
when all the light is shed
when everything is sleeping
snuggled warm in bed. . .

when all the stars are twinkling
when all the fears are fled
when everything is silent
and all the words are said. . .

1981

Melancholy

. . . .an expanse,
as wide as nevermore,
as deep as tomorrow,
as dark as everything unknown,
as cold as depression,
a hole in the floor of my mind,
a day to get there, an eon to get back,
a light-year past eternity,
a cold and rainy leapyears eve,
a crowd of faceless strangers
quietly standing around
like dumb animals,
gray in color,
gray in mood. . . .

2000

into the sapphire sea. . .

computer drawing 2007

stranger, do not follow me. . .

stranger, do not follow me. . .
i did not ask you for your name
i did not ask you why you came
stranger, dressed all up in blue
leave me be, i don't want you. . .
stranger, do not follow me. . .
i did not ask you here inside
i did not ask you to abide
stay back in the darkened hall
flattened up against the wall. . .
stranger, do not follow me. . .
i did not ask you for advice
i did not ask you for your price
do not follow any nearer
i can see you in the mirror. . .
stranger, do not follow me. . .
i did not ask you for your heart
i only ask you to depart
do not touch me with your eyes
i know you're in some strange disguise. . .
stranger, do not follow me. . .

1997

Worry

got a mouth like a gun
at back of my head
with a voice
like a saw on a nail. . .

got an eye like a bullet
without any lead
and a mind
that is thin as a rail. . .

got a head like a fish
disgustingly dead
with a skin
like milk in a pail. . .

got a way of distorting
the things i have said
if you don't leave this game
i might fail. . .

1977

Beware the Zugzwang

2007

lagrimas del gatos

singing dogs are sad
and so be cats that cry,
lacking milk,
they must lap up
only icewater
from flower-edged
porcelain plates,
while tears,
like warm raindrops
hang from whiskertips.

1972

Long may you run

long may you run,
long may you run,
although these
changes may come,
with your
chrome heart
shining
in the sun,
long may you run.

Neil Young

1976

Beachlines

sunswept skies
windswept shore
and the surf
that sweeps the sand
with a foamy touch. . .
the undertow tugs
at heaped up seashells
and tries to take
them back to the sea. . .

their tinkling together
sounds like elf laughs. . .

2004

Stopping to graze

i have ridden some miles in the afternoon sun
and i pause for a bit just to rest,
i step down from the back of my tired little dun
and loosen the cinch at his chest,
he carefully steps 'round the reins on the ground
and snorts at their sinister coil,
he searches and sniffs like some sort of hound
for grass growing sweet from the soil,
his quivering lips sort the grass from the weed
and happy he now starts to graze,
with eyes half-closed he begins to proceed,
through a world that is just a green haze,
and i ponder the thought of how many men
Assyrian, Greek, or Cheyenne
have stopped when the afternoon sun was ablaze
so their foot-weary ponies could graze. . . .

a late afternoon in Texas
1968

Broken Feathers

The Cherokee
once owned the land
from swamp
to shadowed glen,
then Andrew Jackson
forced them out
with guns
for wealthy men.

1995

2007