Only a House When Clean

A house is only a house when clean

but as the dweller leaves it suddenly reverts to an archeological scene,

growing day after day, layer upon layer into the fabric of time, 

each thin veil of dust obscuring another line.

Each object only a clue to why you were you before you had to let it go

and your dwelling reverted to a site to excavate and record

just what happened in this place in it's measure of time and space?

Was the dweller civilized?

Will the remnants of your garbage allow us to decide?

Were you the leading edge of the human tide?

Knowing

It happened one day as I was crossing the street.

right in the middle,

The world dissolved

then reappeared.

Nothing had changed

but me.

Knowing it was all an illusion.

After that there were two,

the watcher and the watched.

Do Not Disturb

Suzi's sleeping now. Do not disturb her please

or you may trigger a response from those two boney knees.

She's rather like a spiny oyster or starfish if you get too close.

She's snoring ever so lightly and she's as warm as toast

but don't attempt to snuggle or borrow a little heat.

Her response will be robotic and may land you in the street.

She's on a heavenly vacation if her face is any indication.

for her wrinkles disappear at night. 

She seems to glow with soft angelic light.

So, I try to keep my certain distance

and be content within the lower realms

besides, I can't afford the bruising which disturbing her entails.

Erthanesia

Earthanesia is what we all have got each day

as we attempt to make our earthly way.

We can't remember where we've been or where we're going.

We always have a nagging hunch there's something more worth knowing.

But sitting still until the spinning stops is very difficult 

for being who all live like tops.

Elk

Elk are social creatures

in a bullish sort of way.

Each Bull maintains his private harem,

and though he will not share em, he will fight to have his way.

Upon his head he wears the the family tree

displaying proudly all the branches of his progeny.

Wapiti, the native people say are just becoming civilized

and so they have to live this way.

Emily's Cabin

Emily's cabin is out on Broadford

at the place where water flows beneath the road.

It's a charming little cabin made of giant logs.

Her house is magical

because her parents built it log by log just like a beavers lodge.

You might see her playing in the woods as you drive by

but remember she is living in a different world

than you and I, 

Way out on Broadford

like a cloud

Floating in the sky!

Fishing

Fishing is for me a private comedy.

I cast my line to se just how tangled it can be

from end of pole to tip of tree, from tree to bush to sock.

I thrash about and splash from rock to slippery rock 

and when I've nearly given up I chance to hit the water with a hook

and some poor starving fish finally get to take a look, and strikes.

Yipes,

I am a fisherman once again, that's all it took.

Next weekend I'll be back performing these and other tricks

o'r the rushing waters and way up in the trees.

Don't watch me, Please!

Flicker

When I hear tap, tap - tap, tap, tap, 

I know that pesky flickers back to make another hole.

I wouldn't mind if he'd stick to trees, 

but he's perforating my cabin eaves!

He'd like to live inside the hollows of my walls.

Who knew a woodpecker had such balls!

Going Into Ketchum

Going into Ketchum takes the best part of a day.

You've got to stop at Atkinson's and the old Stock Pot Cafe.

The lumber yard is calling and what about Chateau?

It's just another run for Coca Cola and supplies

and sometimes if we're lucky a celebrity is spied.

We politely ignore them to protect their privacy

but what we'd really like to do is invite them home for tea.

Oh well, They will never know just what they've missed

by not knowing you and me.

The van is loaded to the brim and we're headed

up the canyon once again.

We hope to see a bear or better yet a moose, 

but one thing's for sure

and that's the fact that some surprise 

is always seen along the way

any time we go into Ketchum for the day.

Gone To Ground

Indians know and I have witnessed

how a fawn can vanish suddenly from sight.

It sounds impossible but when it happens

it's a strange delight,

I was riding on the ranch on a bright and sunny day

when a spotted fawn appeared. I tried to get a rope on it

but it vanished from my eye. 

Several cowboys I was with had formed a circle with their horses

but neither they not I could find a trace.

We searched and carefully looked around, 

but the fawn had "Gone To Ground."

Grandchildren

Grandchildren are the most fun

Grandparents can ever have.

Their smiling faces are like the rising sun.

Their hugs and kisses are blessings direct from heaven

and even their most naughty acts

just add a bit of leaven.

That's because a grandparent knows they've seen this child before

and they are extremely glad to have the chance

to be with them once more.

Grandpa's Snoring

The walls are bulging out then sucking in

cause gramps is is doing it again.

Grandpa's snoring like a bear,

snorting out each breath of air.

He's sawing logs again! When will it end?

Granny has her earplugs in and doesn't hear a thing.

The world could end, she'd just sleep in,

with Gramps still seesawing.

For when he breaths it's like the tide of an eternal ocean.

How can he sleep? What can we do?

He's making a commotion!

It sounds like ripping canvas.

It's a neighborhood earthquake. 

Oh Grandpa, What's it going to take?

Stop snoring for heavens sake!

Healing Water

I believe in healing water

that comes up through burning sulfur and deep black sand

emerging from the broken mountains

like a healing hand.

I've seen the Elk and Deer

wade across the chilly waters of a mountain stream

to drink from steaming hot springs and then lay down to dream.

Hot water from the earth is more than simply heated.

It is mother natures tea that's specially treated

from within her deepest seams

perhaps inspiring special visions 

fulfilling forest dream.

How Do Seagulls Know

How do seagulls know when a farmer is about to plough?

They never fail to show
to dine on earthworms freshly tilled.

I have always thought it odd that they knew.

There is no ocean near.

From where do seagulls suddenly appear?

It's one of those great mysteries which surround us all the time.

It's a scientific key to understanding the sublime.

In The Attic

Living in the attic with bats and mice

isn't always bad.

In fact, it can be very nice

if you have a running brook that you can always hear

and there are elk and deer and foxes and mink

and a thousand chipmunks near.

That's our situation every summer at our little mountain retreat

where we sit around the campfire just warming up our feet

or laying in the hot pool observing shooting stars

where the telephone is silent

and we seldom see a car.

We love our little attic room where we look out at the sky.

It's the best place in the world for experiencing

 a natural smokey Mountain High!

Main Street Ketchum

Main street in Ketchum is a very busy stretch of road

with no safe spot for motorists to unload.

The traffic quickly pulses between two traffic lights

but on corners not protected 

and you can play the local game,

"Pedestrians Plight".

Just grab the orange flag provided

and proceed as if protected by an actual traffic light.

Each time you pass unharmed, you're free to play again.

The prize is "Life Itself."

See if you can win.

Major

Major was my buckskin, a tough Morgan horse.

He could tolerate a gun shot near his ear

or even biting flies.

He could stand and wait.

He could back up after opening a gate.

He could side-step up the steepest hill.

He would never bit or rub you up against a tree.

He was a true companion and a guide.

He was much much more than just and animal to ride.

Married To An Angel

I've been married to an angel for more than forty years

and I've learned some things about them

despite my ignorance and fears.

They're always on duty night and day.

Their voices have a softness

which could bend a bar of iron

their skin is softer than a babe's.

They can speak to anyone without the slightest fear.

Their gentle touch can heal.

They are eternal optimists and carry their own light.

They have the willpower of lions

and are always right,

a trait that makes them very difficult to live with

for those of us with only ordinary sight.

Mighty Little Man

Frank Lloyd Wright was the mighty little man

who made the T-square popular by drawing gridded plan.

He introduced the human scale
 laid the carpets wall to wall

and heated up the floors.

He made long walls entirely our of glassy doors.

He brought the outside in and vice versa.

He's the might little man,
the hero of the open plan,
the cantilever

and the long clear span.

He built upon a floating slab
and screwed his work together.

He let the wood show through
instead of covering it with paint

and when the rain fell in the clients soup,
he advised they move the plate.

He was a mighty little man
who made the tall look taller

and the long and low look even lower and longer.

There was no one with a mindset stronger.

He was a mighty little man
who made the chairs stand tall

and hung the toilets directly from the walls.

Surmounting all impediments, he was a mighty man
though small.

Millionaires Are Weeping

The millionaires are weeping for their fate

as billionaires displace them throughout the old Gem State.

But the tragedy's most apparent in the Valley of the Sun

Where billionaires out-number millionaires ten to one.

The trout are getting smaller and the license costing more.

The streets are getting crowded and the rich are feeling poor.

You can see by our new airport that the jet sets doing well.

The average house in Ketchum is as large as a hotel.

If the rich get any richer we'll know it in this way;

There will be no space left for architectural display.

Minds Eye

The horizon is the limit of what the physical eye can see.

It is a limit to "what is" but not to "what Can Be."

It represents the here and now but may be transcended by the inner sight.

The "Minds Eye" sees beyond the day and night

and is not altered by the clouds, but is an inner light

that penetrates all shrouds.

Worlds Longest Mineral Bath

The story is told of one silly fellow

high on a mixture of drugs

who climbed into the hot pool at Crony Cove

in all his duds.

It was winter and when he stumbled out his wet clothing froze.

Not thinking clearly and in a panic,

he stripped and went back in.

When help finally reached him thirty-seven days had passed,

 moss was sprouting from his skin and He was white as ash.

By being the survivor of "Worlds Longest Mineral Bath" 

he'd learned a very shallow lesson

but not very fast.

62 Pontiac

My 62 Pontiac was a mighty machine,

low and wide and mean with 425 horse ready,

As we cruised the neighborhood, every eye would stop.

It was a a convertible, electric blue, white vinyl top.

It had mag wheels and glowing lights to show them off.

It made the older people scoff but to me and my teenage friends

it was the living end.

We washed it twice a day or more.

We fed it gasoline and oil and polished every spot.

We lived within the confines of that car

and while it lasted, we were hot.

On Meeting A Celebrity

On meeting a celebrity it's best not to stare.

It helps them to feel normal if they don't know you're there.

If they speak to you directly you may respond

but please,

don't expect a lasting bond.

It's O.K. to say you are a fan but don't demand an autograph

or from their presence you'll be banned.

And never, never snap their picture or a paparazzi you will be

attempting to exploit them photographically. 

So when you see a star, stay perfectly calm

do not stare or audition your new song.

Just ignore them as you would a perfect stranger

and you'll be a proper friend.

Paddling A Canoe

Paddling a canoe is something everyone should learn to do.

It teaches balance, harmony and grace.

Paddling a canoe helps you learn to set a proper pace.

It is an art to glide on water.

Its a spiritual journey and a silent ride.

It a bit of ancient pride.

Its a wonder to travel by canoe.

I hope that you will have the chance to paddle too!

Potatoes

Potatoes are a basic food, the soul of many dishes.

They can be combined with eggs to make kinishes.

They can be baked and served with steak.

They can be combined with rice and still be nice.

Potatoes are the friend of chefs and campers.

They are good in feast or famine. 

They are very good with eggs and hammon,

but they propose a mighty threat to any Quail who cannot Spail.

Pseudopods

Pseudopods have got strange bods.

Their stomachs are their feet.

How would you do if your belly had to get you down the street?

Would you, like they, excrete a kind of special jelly

that would harden into spiraling shells of wondrous design

and help you move about the sea floor

even though you had no spine?

Would you think to make a snorkel along a spiral line?

Could you extend your days in logarithmic arrays

or created a crenelated shield to protect you from the waves?

Pseudopods do all of this and more and adorn the beaches

with exoskeletal accretions,

We call them simply "seashells" and collect them on the shore.

Puma

Puma, the mountain lion is a very hungry beast

and requires a lot of land to support his venison feast.

When cities expand, game recedes

and there are insufficient lion feeds

and so the lion must turn to tourists

a diet which is not the purest.

Redwing Blackbirds

Redwing blackbirds make a sound like no other, 

it electric and alive.

It's a cawing and a trilling and a clicking and it's loud.

I'm sure it makes the bird so proud to have such volume in a crowd.

It's the male that makes the sound

and I've heard that is is master of a harem

and that voice is meant to scare um or perhaps

his song is all the rage.

either way it works and makes the swamp a concert stage.

I love the redwing voices trilling in the spring.

There's a power in their singing

like no other avian being.

Rope

Twisted or braided rope is most interesting,

an ancient and useful tool.

With rope a life can be taken or saved.

With Rope a package is made.

With rope, a ship can cross the seal by harnessing the wind.

Cattle can be  herded and crowds entertained.

Mountains can be scaled.

But rope alone is not not enough. You must learn to turn a careless tangle

into a proper knot.

Golden Marmots (Rock Chucks)

Golden Marmots are the sexiest of varmints

hanging out among the rocks on long hot afternoons

they heat their little bodies to bring on sexual bloom.

And when the female of the species

wishes to arouse her mate

she flaps the little wings of her golden gate.

What's that you say?

Quite racy for a rodent even in this day!

Shooting Stars of August

When i'st time to see the shooting stars of August

my favorite place to be

is on the edge of Redfish Lake.

I sit upon the sandy beach

and use the calm lakes surface as a mirror

to see the shooting stars converging from above and below.

It's the axiom of Hermes as seen in Idaho.

It's a supernatural wonder

that repeats itself each year

in the sky and on the surface 

Of what ever lake you may be near.

Shrew

Today I saw a tiny shrew,

the first I've ever seen.

He has a small and pointed nose

but didn't look too mean.

I've heard that shrews are vicious

or is it that food, to them, tastes more delicious?

I wonder if the tiny corpse I saw today

was brought about by some delay?

Was the creature so polite he starved 

despite his appetite?

Snoopy

We had a wonderful dog when our children were growing up.

He was a super mutt. We met him as a pup.

He came in with a visitor and stayed for eighteen years.

He was tan with a splash of white and softly folding ears.

He was fearless, loyal and loving.

And when it came to bathroom chores 

we never knew where Snoop had been

as he went outside and hid his business like a sin.

He trained us very quickly to let him out and in

and on July the fourth at exactly 12 a.m. 1987,
the excitement of our family fireworks

brought him to an end.

SUZI

Susan is no ordinary Susan, nor is she a sue.

Suzi is a special sunny sort of name that only really fits a few.

If you're the kid of person that is filled with inner light,

the kind that never forgets a thing,

because you know what's right,

maybe you're a Suzi too!

If you can hike a mountain trail for days

and never loose your smile

or change a hundred thousand diapers

or watch your child's face being stitched

or lead a thousand tourss

or nurse a dozen pets.

Then you too are a Suzi, I would bet!

The Leader

"The leader doesn't have a leader, Grandma!"

That's what Rosie said

when she had asked to lead while we were hiking

and Grandma said "O.K."

but but arriving at the corner,

granny suddenly stepped ahead, anyway.

"Walk your talk Grandma", 

that's what Rosie really meant to say!

Time To Face The Day Once More

I woke up at seven o three.

The patio walls were glowing orange

through the green slats of our blinds.

The little throw rug uncurled a bit

and the patio swing began to sway.

My thongs shuffled impatiently

as if to beg me for a walk.

The tile not yet installed 

seem to be projected phantom-like upon the floor.

The Mexican table and chairs

were whispering in Spanish

and the little golden lion on my pillbox

let out a muffled roar.

I knew it was time to face the day, Once more!

Truth

Truth, like a feather

gives one the power to rise.

If you do not tell the truth you're in for a surprise!

For the little things we hide all come to light

as those who once were blinded regain their sight.

If you would live long, Live true, 

because a liar's account is soon called due.

Vapor Rub

Great Gramps is in the Vapor Rub again

applying it like mustard plaster to his dying skin.

What's in that stuff

can singe the eyes at ninety feet away.

And has the stench of ammonium

and the half-life of plutonium.

It's curling up the carpets.

It's driving us outside.

It a smell that even skunks and stink bus can't abide.

What it does for grandpa,

we wouldn't speculate

but one thing's for sure

while wearing it he won't get through the pearly gate!

Wagon Days

Wagon Days come but once a year

to Ketchum and Sun Valley

The Day begins with a shootout in the street, 

the re-enactment of a drunken cowboy rally.

A cannon roars and then come horses, 

bareback riders on pinto ponies, appaloosas,

shetlands, Giant Percherons, blacks and grays

some carrying fine saddles

others pulling wagons, stages and drays.

The pooper scoopers on roller blades

are really happy hockey players

who by clearing the street of horse emissions are

rectifying traffic and marching band conditions.

My favorites are the champaign ladies

and the Spanish caballero on his prancing horse 

and I always like the grand finale when

the mighty ore wagon rumbles in

pulled by as many animals as anyone dares drive.

To me this is the end of one more Valley summer

and I take special pride to have seen it over and over

since I was ten.

Someday maybe I'll be in the thing 

but I'm content to watch till then.

Warm Springs Creek

Warm Springs Creek is an ancient stream

flowing through my cabin dream.

It adds it stream to the Big Wood River

and to the might Snake

and flows on into Columbia and on

into "great stinking lake"

Or so the Indian called the smelly waters

Of the great "Pacific Ocean Lake."

It's more than I can fathom,

those years of melting snow

perpetuating annual flow, carving mighty canyons

supporting life from the shining mountain mystery

to the graveyard of the sea, 

to the tiniest mountain springs

where all is born again from falling snow and rain, where

water reincarnates and the salmon people are born again.

Chuther

When our children who are grown 

and on their own

begin to fight

or blame each other

for some minor or major oversight

there's nothing we can do.

We remember their childhood sweetness,

how they were born and how we struggled

to make them norm.

It is a story known to us alone

but in our hearts we can't help crying

when they abandon "chuther" 

and choose to walk alone.

Architecture Often Fails

Architecture often fails when rhetoric prevails

for people see not clearly with their eyes but listen to the

ego's wishes and if they're told that such a thing is 

gold and glistens, thought it may be dull as lead,

they ignore the truth and accept the lie instead.

Both heart and head must be balanced and appeased

for us to be esthetically pleased. 

But how often the one or-rules the other

for some catchy notion presented as a vital truth or noble emotion?

Apply these simple rules of thumb as any build is begun:

Does it preserve the nature of the site? 

Does it accommodate all living creatures day and night?

Or, is it just another bit of human blight?

Architects

Most architects are slaves of fashion

fueled by money and excess.

If you can spend a million dollars on your hut,

is that really best?

Why not build a pond or plant another tree

instead of leveling forests for eccentricity?

I'm sure there's someone somewhere who simply wants to build

what nature can abide.

There must be architects who observe the natural tide?

But we don't often see them in the daily news,

they're designing yachts

or maybe on extended cruise?

Animal Answers

I sometimes see that animals are specific answers

to each of natures countless questions. 

Each species has it pleasures which are its source of hidden treasures.

Just as bees in sucking nectar pollinate the flowers.

so all the mindless species promote the growing world

Simply by their eating and excreting powers.

Wouldn't it be super if all our two legged kind

would furthers nature's purpose

without the struggle of the mind?

Could we simply by our breathing create a better clime?

Angels At Work

You can sometimes see angels 

at work upon the earth.

They are sweet and filled with reason,

their voices soft yet strong.

They are fearless in the face of danger

and will never go along

with the decision of a group

who are doing something wrong.

If only we mortals had the courage 

to listen to their songs.

Primary Destination

My first car was blue, dark blue.

It was not new but I didn't care.

With that car I could go anywhere,

 but I didn't go far.

My primary destination was the car!

Magic

Magic is the core of my existence

for I recognize its presence in everything I do.

Surrounded by miracles every day

I feel that I have realized a few.

Believing is True Magic

That's the deepest secret that I know.

If you can believe a thing,

it definitely will be so. 

Lichen Simplex Chronicus

Lichen Simplex Chronicus, a condition quite ironicus

lurks beneath one's skin.

so instead of sweating out

you sweat in.

It itches and makes one want to scratch

and scratch again

but if you do

you wreck your skin.

So seek a dermatologist.

It really is no sin.

Last Ten Miles

The most beautiful drive we take each year

ends a thousand miles from here.

But, the distance quickly fades 

and 

we know it's all worthwhile 

in those last ten miles.

We travel up a mountain road among tall pines

along a winding stream.

We cross bridge after bridge as in a dream

and finally we reach our little cabin on the stream.

We see the steam still rising from our very own hot spring.

We stay all summer long and fish and hike

and entertain and endless train

until the leaves begin to change

and the we go before the snow

but we take our ten mile parting mighty slow.

Freedom Denied

July 4th, 2005

Our fundamental freedoms are being denied

as the threat of terrorism

robs our people of their national pride.

Our Constitution and Bill of Rights

have lost their edge

As Homeland Security rears it's empty head.

Those truths once thought to be self-evident

are no longer recognized

and our personal property rights

are now the target of government enterprise.

How can we celebrate liberty

while completely hypnotized?

I Saw A Naked Lady

I saw a naked lady at the hot spring

and it wasn't you.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare

but that was the prettiest animal I ever saw there.

I will never know just who it was.

I didn't introduce myself because -

but every time I go out fishing early in the morning

and pass that special place

I remember that naked lady 

and how she filled that space.

The human can be beautiful

filled with moving grace

to see such a special creature in the forest

is a blessing

nothing else can every replace.

Growing Older

Growing older takes all the time you've got

and yet without effort and despite all plans

you age.

At first you grow a little taller 

and then you get new teeth

and after that the teenage years are filled with joy and grief.

Soon you are a parent

and have many tasks and worries

and all at once your hair has turned to gray

and grandchildren are laughing at what you say.

Then the clock begins to melt

as if your life had happened

in a single day.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles were my obsession at fourteen years of age

in my life they form a very exciting page.

With flashing chrome and knobby tires

I gathered thrills and a few very memorable scars.

Testosterone and Triumph were my guiding lites.

For Franklin it was kites,

but for me - motorized bikes.

Eating burgers and greasy fries

and talking about clutches and brakes

and wearing leather and using whitworth tools.

those were the lessons I remember best

not the ones from schools.

Old Friends

Old friends who have touched our hearts are always dear

and no matter how much time and space have passed

our recollections remain clear.

We wish these kindred souls the very best

and hope to be with them again

in this world or the next.

Of All Beings

Of all beings on the earth

humans

have proven worst.

And yet there are a few

who rise above the angels

Not by singing hymns or sitting in a pew

but by the heavenly work they do. 

Along A Certain Stream

I've been growing up along a certain stream

a private world,

my own dynamic set of technicolor scenes.

close by my cabin

countless plays enact themselves each day

among the giant rocks and towering trees. 

The story is so intimate and yet at ease

all bound together by the flowing stream.

What other place could truly illustrate

the richness of my earthly dream?

A Very Pleasant Feeling

Remember when I almost died

from sitting in a chair that folded me in half

cutting off my air?

I was zooming down a tunnel toward a brilliant light

when I heard a frightened voice, it was my wife, 

saying:

Come Back! Are you Alright?

I caught myself and took a sudden breath

and was restored to life.

If Suzi had not been there I would not have paused.

The light was just in sight.

I remember how the ocean roared inside my head

as I was zooming down that tunnel

It was a very pleasant feeling
and I wasn't really dead.

A Mothers Smile

Have you done anything lately

that brought a smile to someone's face?

Have you cooked breakfast

or tied a loose shoe lace, 

or changed a diaper

or fed a pet 

or gone for a walk

or told a story to a child

or blessed someone who coughed?

Life is hard but a mothers smile can make it soft!

Who Would Have Ever Thought

Who would have ever thought I'd grow so big?

I started out like others, smaller than a mustard seed.

I was skinny as a rail

thin as tin

and then it happened

I began to swell.

Just a little to begin and then

I grew like hell.

At first it was a little roll around the middle

but now I'm more like a big base fiddle.

Who would have ever thought

a little human seed could so exceed

the ordinary spatial need!

Why Don't You Write A Poem Yourself?

Why Don't you write a poem yourself?

You can read it over and over

and try to make it rhyme, 

but don't worry

if it doesn't happen every time.

Just keep on trying 

once in a while,

maybe by mistake, 

It will turn our little better

than anything you thought 

you'd ever make!

Play Tryout?

It wasn't what she said that day

but the sound of her souls voice

that went through my heart and head.

I couldn't help but fall in love

no matter what she said!

Something carried in that sound

awoke in me a recognition, 

a frequency of life

and right then and there

I knew she had to be my wife.

You've got the part, I said.

She thought I meant the play, 

but what I really meant, 

I'm still explaining to this day!

Politics

An insane reaction on an institutional scale

to insure the false belief

that those who cannot govern themselves

can govern others if allowed to prevail'

That overreacting to every situation

after it has already taken place

is somehow beneficial to the entire human race.

That's Politics!

O.K. I know it's not poetic and doesn't really rhyme,

It's simply my reaction at this time

when sitting on the fence

seems to make more sense, than committing yet another

political offense.