The River Talks
Listen, the river speaks to console
water riffles soft over shore rock.
Hear an inspired word, motivating,
stimulating, persuading, urging,
giving direction.

Listen, the river whisper secrets,
wisdom of the ages, common sense,
knowledge flows, data streams.

Hear a song, a melody subdued,
a waltz, a fugue, a jazzy riff,
a bluesy note, than a lighter tune.

Listen, the river shouts joy,
gives thanks and praise,
calls out for truth, justice.

Hear a powerful voice declare
in storm, in flood, in crashing wake,
in slide, in sucking undertow
Sometimes a life it takes.


The Pine Cathedral
A stand of white pine,
decades aged, still upright,
shoot stately masses skyward.
Sturdy wing shaped boughs
thrusting upward needled spires
tuned by the winds in all seasons
to vibrate in chords as would a grand
church organ delivering a flawless
opera, a divine symphony.

Branches fold into prayerful hands.
Fresh breezes draw a psalm of thanks
to the Almighty. An evergreen canopy
is sanctuary to chickadee, hawk, squirrel
and raccoon. Lumbering timbers sway
with the grace of waltzing lovers.

Trunks rising ramrod straight in exact
rows yield long, straight and true
dimension prized once for the masts
of tall sailing ships. Crusty bark sweats
sweet pitch once tapped for medicines
and preservatives.

Majestic and beautiful this pine
cathedral, a witness to God's
all-powerful hand.

River Fog
Rolling downstream, muscling upstream,
drifting shoreward, lifting skyward,
weightless nearly in summer air,
heavy with autumn's decaying leaves.
Thickening winter in icy veil,
as swiftly vanished in springtime storm.

River fog.
Vaporized by sun's heat,
dampening cool the drying earth.
Painted by moon as ghostly haze.
spirits passing caste silent gaze .

River fog.
Carrying remains of lifetimes gone
past tribal ruins now obscured.
Soothing mist lures with ancient charms.


Ark of the Sap
Amber flows as sticky resin traps tiny life
Bound 50 million years in a sun-gold sarcophagus.
Small insects, plant debris perfectly preserved.

Washed ashore by tides, mined from caves.
Past civilizations shaped it into jewelry,
carved it into art, threaded it into clothing.

Now experts explore its hidden secrets.
DNA from beasts of 10,000 millennia?
Ancient cures? Or, just bugs in plastic?

Precise science engages, locks turn.
Seals slipped on nature’s Ark of the Sap.
Yielding the unknown, the untold.


Windy River Day
Whipped into whitecaps by Arctic winds
Waves froth foamy like soldiers in rank
Forced-march attack Allegheny River bank
Scaring eddy and cove, the unsheltered shore.

Frigid air rushing over the Great Lakes
Churning icy waters into powerful wakes.
Stormy winds quickly calm, fury abates
all watch in awe at what nature creates.