Monday, February 28, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 28

Snow-covered and slippery,
as they say -

fortunately, I'm
sliding that way.


Sunday, February 27, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS

"Using paper
faster than

you're making
waste, now that

would be good."

*

"See how you
do it? You

say something,
then say it

again, find
the rhythm

in it and
repeat."

*

"Sometimes, hard work.
Sometimes, simply

paying attention."


Saturday, February 26, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"We find only that which
wishes to be found."

*

"No," he said,
"a book is not like

a bank you put
words into."

*

"Hope, like sorrow,
eats its own."


Friday, February 25, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 25

Snow on the trees,
as if all the world

is a simple study
in black and white.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 24

Yes,
it's morning,

it's winter,
it's cold.

Not much
more to say

than that,
except

the fading
stars are

lovely.


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 23

Open water
in winter,

making its own
cold steam.


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 22

Eight crows set like
great black buds

on the winter tree -
sharp noise and they

all bloom at once.


Monday, February 21, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 21

Winter day
as gray as

night is black.
Hawk watching

from his post -
sentinel -

won't look back.


Sunday, February 20, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"The poem, like wine in
its sweet selfish lines."

*

"Poem - not
the words,

the wisdom
of their sound."

*

"Short poems
only, hard-blown
in high wind."


Saturday, February 19, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"Not everything
needs wisdom."

*

"Chicken poacher? Poet?
What's the difference?"

*

"Sometimes blessings
are the curse."


Friday, February 18, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 18

Birds
huddled in winter,

snow
falling on their

noise factory.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 17

Ditches full of snow,
wind and no
place for it to go.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 16

O Sol. The sun
is singing

another tune.
The days

grow longer.
Once again

we put on hope.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 15

Snow on the empty field.
Feathers of the dark crow.
Cast of the morning sky.

Mystery of light, returning.


Monday, February 14, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 14

A certain wetness
in the in-between,

a certain loneliness
in her drive home.

The sadness of her eyes.


Sunday, February 13, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"Poem is
a roll of vowels,

thump of the beating
heart,

a little meaning
and hope."

*

"Lift
your eyes -

isn't it
sky enough

high enough?"

*

"Disarm the poet,
he will speak to the wind."


Saturday, February 12, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"Waiting for the poem?
Sometimes it's like

sitting in the sun
and something catches fire."

*

"Either the frog
has jumped, or

is jumping, or
will jump.

This is what we
live for."

*

"So often this
edge of this is

that edge of that.
How can you

make distinctions?"


Friday, February 11, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 11

Hoarfrost
on the trees

like the ghosts
of leaves.

Winter is
what winter is.


Thursday, February 10, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 10

Dried grasses
cup the snow.

The sun has
finally let go.


Wednesday, February 09, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 9

Splotched hawk
against winter
sunset - light

like an arrangement
of love.


Tuesday, February 08, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 8

Winter roads,
the weather,

the dance of chance.


Monday, February 07, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 7

A scratch of grass
in the snowy field,

the color of daylight
receding.


Sunday, February 06, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"You cannot will
a poem into
being. If you

push too hard
it pushes back

and then - nothing."

*

"Music teaches
the slow poet -

if he listens."

*

"Short poems
can't do what

long poems
can, but then

why would they
want to?"


Saturday, February 05, 2011

THREE from
THE OLD POET SAYS


"Writing poems?
It's like fishing.

Use the right bait,
find the right spot,

you catch them."

*

"You're poets -
don't use money

to keep score."

*

"How do you
write so much?"
they asked.

"I buy in bulk,"
he said.



Friday, February 04, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 4

Snowy owl rising
from the snowy field
into drab sky -

am I lost, or
only confused?


Thursday, February 03, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 3

Silence is not
the only snow.


Wednesday, February 02, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 2

In the bowl of winter
the bow of boughs

weighted by snow.


Tuesday, February 01, 2011

LINES FOR FEBRUARY 1

Ah, snow!
The day laid low.

The onceness of
this once.

The always of
everything else.


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