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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!