Friday, May 19, 2023

Radio Silence

one more big stretch to go
big city radio station
finally within range
first tolls of
Acca Dacca bells
next brother Gord
sings of New Orleans
blessed trifecta rounded off
with Neil's blazing licks
I'm indeed Rockin' in the Free World
radio cranked to 11

...commercial break...

a mellow set
The Tired monk sings
Lost Together
out the window 
cows look up chewing

then...
opening chords of
New Kid in Town
radio clicks off
silence 
on the open road

The Dude was right.




Monday, May 15, 2023

The Collected Works: Poems by Brother Ollie the Tired Monk




This looks so much better all opened up...  I'll work on my cover design for my next book (My Collected Haiku).  I'm a total amateur in the realm of book publishing, but it is nice to have a printed version.

Thanks to Sherry Blue Sky for the Foreword.

Visit my bookstore via this link:

The Collected Works of Brother Ollie   Tired Monk Poems 2009-2023 



Thursday, May 11, 2023

the edge

mowing less
letting it grow out on the edge
aspens, spruce, and baby maples 
shoot up above the long grass
makings of a mini-forest

volunteer flowers
that have floated seeds
on a breeze
grow with the wild trout lilies

a few fallen logs
dragged into the furthest shadows
damp and rotting slow
a perfect salamander home

oh this wild edge


Thursday, May 4, 2023

Walking Poems

1.  The Tip

tangled weeds
mangled trees
growing up through 
a rusty washing machine

cabinet record player 
rotten and pulped
glistening smashed
TV screen glass

a push lawn mower
twisted blade 
bent handle
two snowmobiles
sinking into the earth

scattered Labatt 50
stubby brown bottles


2. Trilliums

white trilliums
hundreds? 
thousands?
deeper down the path
out on the edge 
of a shady glade
one red trillium

3.  Jimi

singing 
"I stand up next to a mountain"
loud 
echoing down the path
into suburban windows


 - just out walking 
 - collecting moments in poems

Monday, May 1, 2023

spring walk

beaver crossed  here
dragging a tree branch
foxes and coyotes mingling
with cattle dogs
a deer straight down the trail
then through the cattails 
deep horse hoof prints
walking side by side

tracks in spring melt mud