July 31

Back in college again

(Wined, dined, and welcomed to a seminar

With alumni)

How the decades shimmer behind us --

Not melting away, but thinning --

As we name professors, classes,

When we were first here, first adult,

Everything still possible

July 30

What wit and verve,

Imagination, insight,

And humor abound

At this miniature SF/fantasy/horror

Convention!

John Rezmerski - poet, humorist

Joan Slonczewski - new book out: High Frontier

July 29

In the afternoon, going home,

Text from my son:

My old friend's death - too late now

For that talk over old times

My dear, sweet troubadour of the city 

Photo from http://www.thecie.org/mcbride/

July 28

Yes, the river view is lovely

Evening light glows blue

Above river's edge, city profile --

But what am I doing here

In the office?

July 27

After speeding through four states,

Along river gorges, piney slopes, 

Past rock formations and wide ranch lands,

I return here to my cocoon:

The timeless river of email

Pulls me in

July 26

Campground neighbors, my road

Takes me back to tree-shaded office

And unvaried routine,

While you set off this morning for adventure

(Motorcycle, tent-trailer)

Joyous vagabonds

July 25

Outside the car

Gallatin River rushing alongside

Orange and yellow rafts bumping along the rapids

Inside the car, we are in Oxford

With Harriet and Lord Peter

July 24

Time traveling,

I reach out to you, young and serene

In the photo --

Now decades behind this Now.

My children never knew you:

Kindest one --

Grandmother.

July 23

It wasn't the vows

That caught my heart, but now,

My brother's tears:

His daughter, white-gowned, veiled,

Dancing into the future

July 22

This is the day

We sit together

Eating wedding rehearsal picnic food

Near my childhood home

Future and past fusing:

This bright, singular moment

July 21

At Kate's house,

 We stay up too late,

Eating ice cream and peaches, watching

A slide show of travel in southern France

July 20

Family gathers in the fenced yard

My little curly-haired dog leaps

From lap to lap

July 19

In the dawn light, I wander

Down to muddy river

Cottonwood fluff fills the air, cushions the ground

Two large birds in a dead tree - one white-headed -

Calling "Skreee! Skreee!"

July 18

Traveling through three states:

Morning light flashes white spangles

High up, the lake gulls

Afternoon - open, wide range land

Eagle circles, circles above the road

Evening - elegant brilliance

Dazzles, the rocky horizon

July 17

What feminism looks like, today:

there on the floor, intent,

surrounded by infant equipment,

the tall man 

diapers his daughter

July 16

Near evening, after daylong rain showers --

air clear as clear,

clean as clean --

I hurry down to the riverbank

so as not to miss the feast:

sunset

July 15

Sky full of grumbling

streets now rushing streams --

wet feet!

July 14

A few drops of rain?

no matter --

the playground calls

July 13

Canadian air, clean and cool,

brings early autumn to mid-summer

in the ecstatic Now of the playground, children shout and tumble

I sit here, indoors, amid machine hum

dusty windows welded shut

July 12

At sunset, downtown,

I'm reminded

(library stretched high, people all around)

why I love being here

July 11

Crossing the foot bridge

moments from the work day,

wishing, instead

to be down there, gliding over bright water

July 10

In humid, warm silence

sitting with those I love

I discover (again)

how boring --

rehearsing these worries

July 9

Seeing you, vivid,

I renounce

the fiction, the stick-figure,

my mind created

in your name

July 8

dark water flowing

through evening's damp heat

cools my vision

July 7

sunlight gone from the park, but lingers

high on piled clouds

 

mirrored, rippling, in the pond

while in darkening sky

the waxing half-moon brightens

July 6

 lillies    lillies  

lillieslillies         lillies    lillies lillies lillies

lillies lillies lillieslillieslillies       lillies

shouting back brightness to the sun

July 5

Days like this, I peddled

my red bike uphill from the library

stopping under a shady tree

to read one or two books

in the shimmering afternoon heat

clouds like sailing ships, like other worlds above me

July 4

Tall, dew-glazed grasses glimmer

Traffic absent from the parkway

Quiet bird calls near and far

A distant pop! pop! of early fireworks

July 3

Dusk, outside open windows

Children's loud voices, and everywhere

Pop! Poppop! Whistle . . .

Bang!

July 2

All around, cloudless

Rain-washed blue

Behind flowering trees

July 1

July 1

Two days sauna heat

Orange lilies

Burst open