The Path

He had, 

in his feet,

an eerie sense of direction,
a reliable map,

a mystic compass

which directed him so that,

no matter which path he took,
he never found himself 
that lost.

Of course,
to be lost

one must first have in mind

a destination.

For an Old-Time Wanderer

like him,

this made getting lost 

nigh unto impossible.

The Path,
you see,

was the Destination.

Dangerous Like a Murder Mystery

I'll sing a song in a minor key

It'll be dangerous like a murder mystery

They's gonna be blood and black eyed crows

They's gonna be folks hiding in the corn rows

There'll be dark hymns sung through the night

There'll be fear, but there might be light.

They clawed them bones 

and gathered stones

and walked in Wild Dark Woods

They wandered strange

like a hurricane 

like half-drunk weightless Druids

And when the nightwoods

opened up

they crossed a hidden door

And those wondrous 

watchful wand'rers

went out a-wandering

wandering forevermore...

Woodlands Etiquette

Should one come upon 

an ancient set of stone stairs 

while walking in a wild wood late at night,

one is always obliged to climb them

and should one find 

a mysterious door

in the middle of the forest

at the top of the stone stairs,

one is always obliged to go through

and when one finds an open field

of flowers flashing in an afternoon sun

on the other side of the door

in the middle of the forest

at the top of the stairs

while walking late at night,

one is always obliged to stop

and caress the flowers gently

and consider the mystery of it all.

However

When one finds 
large eggs 
deep maroon and crackled
on a pile of gold and jewels,
it is generally best to turn around

and run.

Starling Dance

Sun lay low and gold,

mellow heat on an autumn eve

painting trees a rich coffee color.

A sudden tree explosion sends starlings

skyward, starward

into a flurry of songburst and wingplay

over and back

swinging loosely, easily, knowingly.

Synchronized and chaotic.

Beautiful black shadows dancing on an

alabaster sky.