Late at night the ‘coons would come from across the creek

to noisily eat at our dog’s bowl.



The mama ‘coon would bring her kits,

stepping so lightly on the dry stones in the creek.

One-by-one each would quickly leap

from dry stone to dry stone until all were safely across.



They would cross the old country road in front of our property,

carefully looking both ways for errant farm hands coming back from town after an evening of drinking in the town’s… Continue

When I was a kid everybody said cattle were about the dumbest animals around.

Uncle Homer said “you can’t drive cattle from one 20 acre field to another

without some of ‘em trying to go through the fence instead of the gate!”

But I knew it wasn’t true because my friends the calves and me would play games during the summer in the field behind the barn.



Each summer’s morning when the dew was still damp upon the grass I’d take the sweet feed for the half-grown heifers and… Continue

Dreary, foggy, rainy days;

days when most people

want to stay inside and read and sleep



While little birds hide in the bushes,

feathers wet and dripping, looking dejected;

peeping forlornly, fearful of predators



The land covered with a diffuse, mellow light;

neither day or night, it seems to go on forever,

twilight from early morning until black night



One late summer’s day I took a walk in the rain

Listening to the raindrops… Continue

What about relations between men and women?

Why is it that we fuss and fight (or worse)?



Do you think it was different in the beginning

when we were running around in fig leaves?



Could it be we’re opposite sides of the same coin;

Human and definitely not perfect also?



Or are we really from different planets;

women from Venus and men from Mars?



We live in a time caught between good and evil,

a strange place seemingly neither… Continue

Groundhog’s livin’ in the woodpile;

country livin’ at it’s best

You and I might not think much of it,

but it sure passes the groundhog’s test



Eight foot high and pretty wide,

that wood pile’s got lots of room

With lots of twisty tunnels underneath,

that old groundhog ain’t goin’ nowhere soon



We got a groundhog livin’ in our woodpile,

Yeah the whistle-pig’s got him a nest

Pretty high-class livin’ for a groundhog,

much better’n… Continue

Padding through the forest feeling kinda’ mean

Sniffed peculiar bushes, their leaves the palest green



Got a bit closer, what’s hangin’ from them leaves?

Dark, round blueberries, a purple harvest just for me



Pop ‘em in my mouth, scrunch, scrunch, scrunch

Big juicy blueberries, cheeks, fill ‘em up like a chipmunk



Can’t stop eaten’ ‘em as I move from bush-to-bush

A blueberry feast goin’ swoosh, swoosh, swoosh



Uh oh, what’s that? I… Continue

All alone on the Big Rock, out in the grassy field

Staring at the mountains, wondering what it means to be real



Nothing I’ve ever tried, worked for very long

I failed at everything--sold my talents for a song



All my hopes they turned to ashes

All my dreams were scattered to the winds



And whenever I’ve reached my heart out

Love’s rejection became a rout



And if I really tried, I could almost see the goal

Until my plans fell… Continue

Deep in the primeval forest

Way past the back of beyond

A cheery glow in a secret glen welcomes the traveler anon



Outside the sphere of the campfire

The shadows dance around

Our faces contemplative—no cares and certainly no frowns



The fragrant logs pop and hiss

And slowly disappear

We think we control nature and so have lost our fear



I step out in the darkness

And look up to the sky

Beholding God’s creation and still I… Continue