The Book

it must give comfort
to have the answers
written on pages
line by line

no questions to ask
no mystery to ponder
when ancient words
guide their thoughts

science might pry
but faith prevails
and truths endure
locked in a book

Oregon

from rocky coast
to desert rim
a slope of rain
a shadow of sun

a spine of peaks
divide its realm
majestic falls
to streams below

valley hills
of oak and grass
soften the land
where rivers run

along the edge
a rugged shore
wrapped in fog
and lashed by sea

above the surf
towers loom
seabird lofts
til waves prevail

Poetry

why resort
to lengthy prose
when just a phrase
or two
will do

Romance

we first succumb
as cautious teens
different creatures
alien beings

attraction builds
a change in view
thoughts uncertain
words unclear

soon we learn
our needs comply
though how expressed
takes time to know

one day sought
the next ignored
feelings drift
intentions blurred

if love unfolds
all seems well
but romance fades
and pain ensues

nature's trick
this endless quest
trapping hearts
thrashing souls

Autumn

from summer heat
a welcome change
the shorter days
a lower sun

painted woods
a drier land
restless flocks
escape the chill

with milder days
the urge to roam
a harvest moon
unfurls the soul

as darkness builds
and sun retreats
colors fade
and winter reigns

Newfoundland

rugged cliffs
a choppy sea
gulls cavort where
humpbacks feed

fog drifts in
to bathe the rocks
ocean views
for seabird lofts

spruce and fir
bent by gales
cling to slopes
above the swells

beyond the edge
a grassland sprawls
boulder strewn
and swept by squalls

inland bogs
and coastal bays
shape this land
of greens and grays

carved by ice
now rimmed by sea
its beauty shines
wild and free

The Owl

he sits in mist
as darkness grows
among the trees
a meadow view

for this is all
he'll ever know
no past or future
cloud his mind

seasons change
but his is one
rest and hunts
consume his time

no thoughts of death
or problems rise
he lives by feel
no plans unfold

but now a movement
caught his eye
on silent wings
he drops to kill

his meal consumed
at rest once more
summer heat
or winter chill

A Friend

once we met
the bond was there
enchanted by the earth
and all that she gives

new places
brought more wonder
new creatures
more mystery

simple things
were what we sought
no need for glamour
in nature's world

but change occurred
real or imagined
born of success
or stirred by loss

the truth uncertain
now that he's gone
still a friend
an eternal bond