From my spring vantage
at cliff’s edge
overlooking the mighty pacific
I behold a natural marvel
the annual northern migration
of a large pod
of majestic grey whales
adults and recent born
as they pass
the rugged cliff regions
of the breathtaking
upper oregon coast
they are on their way
north to alaska
where they will summer
raising their young
in the autumn
these beautiful behemoths
will pass here once more
on their way south
to their spawning lagoons
of baja california/mexico
these are sacred processions
as these giants
make their graceful way
slow and steady
as their inner clock
dictates these seasonal pilgrimages
as it has over 10 million years
from my lofty perch
I catch sight
of another ocean titan
as roaring in
the chest of a huge wave
slams a massive boulder
the great stone rocks back
undetectably
with a deep thud
more felt than heard
it bumps solid
against the base of the cliff
to which it crowds
and upon which I stand
in deep reverence
the awestruck sentinel
as the spent wave recedes
the hulking mass below
settles once again
immovable as bedrock
defying the next swell
and the next
and the next
but the sea
like that pod of greys
is steady and patient
this steadfast giant
in the ebb and flow of time
will acquiesce
becoming the grains of sand
upon which it now rests
here it will bear witness
for hundreds of thousands of years
as mighty grey whales
continue their amazing migrations
sustaining their cycle of life
As is the spark of birth, as is the burst of a seed, as is the first ray of dawn, as is the tug of love awakening, as is the moment of humility, as is the pen to blank page — so is the essence of becoming.
As is the marriage vow, as is the shifting wind, as is the chrysalis, as is the moment of death, as is the boil or freeze of water, as is pursuit of a new direction, as is the solstice — so is the essence of change.
As is the month of May — so is unwritten possibility, so is renewal, so is a great lifting of the spirit. As is the opening of the blossoming daisy, so is the gentle opening of the heart, warming to love
Here’s a love story to blow yer mind
about danny and his big ole belly
who loved dotty and her grand behind
now neither one looked like a model
but their passion was well defined
they loved to go dancin’ dressed up tight
yes it’s amazing what spandex can bind
they’d shake it like balloons full of jelly
they’d feel the feels — the big love kind
they’d dance n’dance like crazy
they’d bounce jiggle and roll
neither one of them was lazy
they’d go and go and go and go
‘til morne was dew-drippin’ hazy
‘til the world was a golden glow
‘til they both were feelin’ spacey
‘til they stirred their hun’gry souls
then make lotta’love — a wee bit racy
Peace and quiet is not always easy out here on my back deck in the months of early Spring. As Seattle lies nestled in a flyover zone for Canadian Geese, it can be rather noisy in the evening when I’m out trying to enjoy the relaxation of sunset. These beautiful creatures are flying V-formation north into Canada. It’s breeding time. The propagation urge stirs in their blood. The honking is on the wing — look out below!
Fascinating how nature has instilled such instinctual “body clocks” in so many of its wondrous beasts — fur, fin, and feather. Just as the powerful bear knows when to hibernate, and the agile salmon knows when, and even where to spawn – the gorgeous geese of Canada know when it’s their time. Something told the wild geese it was time to fly. That something was their amazing natural cyclical imprinting
Oh spirits
of toned wood and bamboo bent reed
of taut tuned steel and sizzlin’ skins
come to me now — jazz must be saved
jazz must be served — we’ll riff contrapuntal
play for me in healing virtuosity
I found a box and jammed it with jazz
whisper to me in purest resonance
unleash the chordal’d structure
espouse the harmonics of truth
tell all about the wirebirds
we must take violaville by storm
strummin’ wild in the tenth world
taunt me in a 3/4 minor chord flurry
of rich sizzling scalded jazz
I found a box and jammed it with jazz
here I come — I am an inferno
ensemble desire rages strong
as we rise skyward in musicality
ride’n the bliss of improv in scat
soaring in untethered sacred syncopation
well damn — we’re totally musicalirious
Selfies find me quite perturbed
one might say I look disturbed
it’s just that I’m fed up to here
with all the lies, truth is blurred
patience has been left behind me
might just loose my mind completely
madness seems to grip this world
that’s lost interest in reality
so who’s to say that I can’t fly
and whose right is it to question why
I wear my trousers inside out
it keeps the pockets dry
I see you smirking at my hat
it’s aluminum foil — imagine that
it helps with my cell phone reception
and fascinates my cats
yes I do lose track of time
hours, days — is that a crime
you know it’s all just one’s perspective
and I am very fond of mine
and I’ve a language of my own
like no other you’ve ever known
I speak it only to myself
and only when I’m all-alone
now if you see me on the street
notice the bells upon my feet
the ringing’s meant to scare you
not meant to be discreet
am I strange — perhaps that true
but I’m not nuts — I’m just offbeat
yet — sanity is so damned hard to find
this world has lost its fucking mind
