Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Sierra Nevada "1957"

Townes is playing
he's fingerpicking a Martin
under a sequoia tree 
he yells out:  "this one's called red wine blues"

Jack laughs 
hoists up two jugs 
and takes a healthy slug
and passes it to his young wife

more people arrive
walking up the winding path
Gord, Stephen, John, Benjamin...
and many more
some are holding cases of Labbatt 
over their heads
then dumping them into
troughs of ice

Gary wanders down
from his mountain shack
he'd been up there cooking
all afternoon
huge pots of chili
we start to spoon it out
two California girls 
top the bowls
with shredded cheese

everything shimmers...fades
a robin starts to sing out
into the dawn
a crow joins in

a final ethereal glimpse
of Gary smiling
 

Sunday, June 9, 2024

On the Road

On the Road 
beautiful Penguin edition
photo of Jack, and Neal
looking out over the library...
(learning commons)
up high yes
just like a fire watch tower
on Desolation Peak

below
students sit
staring into chromebooks
and the occasional Manga

the Kerouac paperback
sits unstamped since 2007
yellowing under 
fluorescent lights