fragments from the road

rearview make-up applied

gas pedal pressed to make up last time

stop signs rolled and full out blown

Lexus bumper suspended

with shredding duct tape

bent plastic fenders line the ditch

"kids" laying rubber out by the lake

Coors can rolling on the shoulder

beside the new black stripes

El Día de Muertos

a little wall hung shrine

golden framed photo

of a tiny one

born with a broken heart

ceramic knick-knack 

kept on display

for 45 years

cross stitched art

dates of birth and death

not a mote of dust

today - this 

el Día de Muertos

a new candle is lit

forest edge poem

bits of wood flying

from a dead tree hole

woodpecker

red squirrel

a porcupine?

masked face looks out

surveys the forest edge

yawns

curls back inside 

a long ringed tales

blows in the breeze

the fence

a few holes

here and there

rotted out cross beam

about to fall

whole section sagging

posts leaning

into the yard

tired monk approaches

tool belt over robes

boxes of nails, and deck screws

sawdust in sunlight

fresh new wood

(donated at that!)

fixed straight and true

lastly

the gate is rehung

latched up tight

and that's right

 

When you've got so much to say it's called gratitude
And that's right...

gratitude 

collected compiled

in a new leather journal

pondered

before one drifts to sleep

thinking back 

over precious moments

a smile

a laugh

a minute of peace, 

quiet solitude

or

spotted and appreciated

right in real time

constant

consistent

beautiful

gratitude

and that's right

deers and beers

one fawn deer eating

her brother approaches

little sheepish bleats

as he comes through the hedge

the don’t see me 

and munch a few more 

fallen crab apples

I crack another cold can

of German pilsner

they leap up

and white tail away

bounding over lawn chairs

and fallen trees

into the forest deep

accident

accident up on the new highway

crumpled metal, tire in the ditch

smoke in the sky

glass over three lanes

cars, trucks, delivery vans

drive down onto old country roads

avoiding gridlock grief

most speed past

rolling stop signs

blasting gravel road dust

a few stop...then more

at the farmer's stand

they purchase crisp apples

huge field pumpkins, and 

big bunches of beets

then slow and easy

back to the city