A trip to the warm springs

Well, we day-tripped to the local warm springs, but it turned out to be very hot out today, and that along with an apple butter festival ensured that the town was so crowded, it was difficult to get around. *sigh*

On the other hand:

Apples float downstream,
Lunchtime for turtle and fishes
Warm mountain autumn

Green-gold harvest corn
Sea laps against wooded hills
No wind today.

Warm springs bubble
Children chase the guppies
Summer blows a kiss.

Headed for the Great Outdoors

The car is packed solid. Tent, sleeping bags, extra blankets and pillows, first aid kit, camping mattress, folding water carrier, cooler, extra tarp, extra tentpegs, metal dishes and heavy mugs, rain slickers and hiking sandals, camping chairs, and all the rest of the paraphenalia to set up a comfy campsite, go hiking and swimming, and just hang out at a state park.

The little pocket in the car where I keep music is stocked with campfire music to sing along to on the way there. I've read the weather outlook for the next few days and packed some extra warm clothes since we're likely to have an afternoon thundershower or two while we're out. The banjo is neatly packed away in the gig bag I made, ready for campfire service (though right now, not in the car.)

The water bottles are nestled next to the small bottle of camping suds for the dishes and the liquid castile soap for us. And I'm off soon.

Have a good weekend everybody!

City evening: one deep breath

Evening sidewalk steams
Asphalt still breathes sun heat
Strollers buy ice cream

City neighborhoods
Beehives, stacked for honey
Oh, for a cool breeze...

Abalone moon
Southern city awakens
Sitting out on stoops.

Evening: One Deep Breath

Canoe glides softly
Into evening eddies
Tired.

Last bird calls echo
Crickets begin to sing
Evening in the hills

Mosquito lands
Ripples of water
Trout's dinner

Deck in the woods
Banjo in my hands
Evening whispers

This weekend, I went back to the hills to visit my parents and canoe down the same river I canoed down countless times as a child. I brought my sketchbook, but somehow just didn't even open it, preferring to sit out on the deck with my banjo, sometimes playing softly, but more often just watching the life of the woods around me.

On Saturday, we debated on whether to give up on the canoeing expedition and just go for a walk in the woods, but recommitted to the 7 mile paddle and headed off to the canoe livery, not getting there until the afternoon, and finding ourselves waiting. No problem: we watched the goats in a nearby pen wiggling through to get to the feedbox until our name was called, then headed upriver with a trailer of canoes.

Then we decided to explore a rock formation on public lands partway down the river, and lazily drifted for some of the trip. When we arrived near the end of the trip, I was exhausted, but happy. After my shower, as everyone else got ready for dinner, I again sat with my banjo in the gathering dusk.

One Deep Breath: Shadow and Light

Night on the mountain
I turn my face to the stars
Moonlight washes down

Emerging from shadow,
Broad trees drink the noonday sun,
Creating sanctuary.

Flame haired girl laughs,
Running in the summer sun,
Playing tag with shade.

Cool me in starlight
Summer breezes fan my face
Standing in night's shadow.

Swimming in the lake,
Rippled water, dappled shade
Watching tired cows drink.

More bugs (One Deep Breath)

As I thought more on this week's prompt, I thought of the summer parade of insects, and more came...

Cricket fiddle show
Continuing Engagement!
Lasts all summer.

Waterbug dances
A surface tension ballet
Bright trout swim below.

Praying mantis sits
Eyeing juicy grasshoppers.
Evangelizing?

Seventeen years wait.
Cicadas emerge and sing!
Hymns of pure joy.

Head to One Deep Breath for more insects...

Warm red clover heads
Soaking in the summer sun.
Bees fly heavy laden.

Clouds, heavy with rain
Gather to see the lightning,
Hear the wild thunder.

Taste the wild sunshine
Running warm and tartly sweet
Cherries in the tree.

Cool, shaded treeline
Eating burning summer sun
Guards noontime naps.

One Deep Breath Anniversary

Rain dewed magnolia
Petals unfurled in the wet
The South in summer



This week marks the one year anniversary of the One Deep Breath poetry prompts, and the subject this week is "poet's choice". In the end, I felt myself torn as I tried to think about what I would submit, whether it be my most recent poem on the casualty count in Iraq, or possibly the magnolia haiku: this post, in fact.

In the end, I chose the magnolia poem because I feel that it is the better of the two. And I like the pictures... And, well, sometimes I think we need to take strength from joyful things in order to face the shadows. So I will likely edit the magnolia post to include a bit of this commentary, and possibly a link to the poem I didn't choose.

American casualties updated

And for further recent poetic activity, largely inspired by writing to the One Deep Breath prompts:

Afternoon picnic
Summer afternoon

Summer afternoon.
Dappled sunlight freckled face
Napping under tree.

Waves softly lapping
My still, quiet little boat
I spot an egret.

Curious questions
Seeking Universal Light
I am made this way.

Afternoon Picnic
Rain caressed magnolia leaves
Tiny frog hops away.
You smile at me lovingly.
Grinning, we walk hand in hand.