1
Poppies are blooming
beneath snow-covered mountains.
Vernal paradox.
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2
The sly roadrunner
paces
past the patio
as if no one saw.
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3
A beige
tumbleweed,
hesitating by the door,
decides to move west. |
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4
A strange
desert night.
Covering everything—
silent falling flakes. |
5
Up and down
the wash,
as far as the eye can see:
cottonwoods greening. |
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6
Look, in this cholla,
spiny needles everywhere,
a cactus
wren's nest. |
7
The wind kicking up,
blowing out old tumbleweeds,
making room for new.
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8
The red sun, flaring
between the charcoal rain cloud
and the flinty butte.
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9
The sun baking down
is a warm, cozy blanket.
—Let me be, bee. |
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10
One
hundred degrees.
A lizard is exploring
the dying poppies. |
11
Little ice pebbles
are all over
the barren
ground. (Just before spring.) |
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12
A pinpoint of light
in the
slate-blue, evening sky.
A neighboring world. |
13
A perfect rainbow,
it has formed
a complete arch
over the valley. |
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14
The sunset has left
a pastel-enameled sky
for us to gaze at. |
15
Brightening the scene,
the first blossoms of the year:
ten orange poppies.
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16
Those spring
wildflowers
give the desert a carpet
of many colors. |
17
"The Lord's Candlesticks."
—Blossoming yucca plants
marching up the hill. |
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18
The sky is deep blue.
A flock
of sparrows takes off
for a closer look. |
19
A bird is whistling
from the top of a Joshua,
"—This Tree is Mine." |
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20
Zap! Across the
sky
from one end to the other.
And then—THUNDER. |
21
Birdbath has toppled,
and two confused morning-doves
inspect the ruins.
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22
Wild coreopsis
grew last year on the next block.
Now they've moved next door.
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23
It looks like
a quail's
be-fruitful-and-multiply
convention out there. |
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24
Spring is late
this year.
It's the middle of May and
no new tumbleweeds. |
25
Quail roam our yard. Then
the roar of a hundred wings.
And here comes the cat. |
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26
Small tufts of rice grass
(casting shadows) and small quail
(feeding) look alike.
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27
Mockingbird. All night:
Repeats ad lib, then segues.
Through his complete works.
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28
Slowly gliding
low,
his shadow passing below,
—a big black crow. |
29
Desert brush festooned
with little yellow flowers:
Creosote in bloom. |
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30
Tulips red, tulips
yellow. One, red andyellow,
stands above the rest. |
31
Snow on the mountains.
Migrating birds on a wire,
making a rest-stop.
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32
Tumbleweeds to dodge!
Diff'rent sizes, diff'rent shapes.
Diff'rent colors, too.
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33
A single sparrow,
hovering beneath the eaves,
is homesite hunting.
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34
A wind from the east,
sneaking through a window crack,
singing a small song.
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35
Pea-size hail dancing
around on the patio,
this first day of spring.
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36
The year's first poppies,
spending the day enfolded,
waiting for some warmth.
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37
Look, our three fruit trees.
One has blossoms, one has leaves,
and the other: bare.
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38
A cold, still, spring night:
primrose open, poppies closed.
The dark of the moon.
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39
After the storm?:
Balmy breezes, lots of green,
and buds, buds, buds, buds.
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40
Wintery skies and
bird (drinking) reflected in
silvery birdbath.
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41
A poppy growing
in a crack in the driveway.
Isn't that something?
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42
A big tumbleweed
racing 'cross the patio,
hurrying to—?
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43
Dry and windy day.
—My shirt is crackling and
clinging to my arms.
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44
Out our rear window:
three blossoming fruits. One there,
one there, and one there.
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45
The moon is a big
orange-segment, floating low
in a grape-juice sky.
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46
That little bird on
that Joshua tree. He's sitting
on top of the world.
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47
My car is coming
at you a mile a minute!
—Run, rabbit, run!
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48
A candelabra
of Joshua blossoms brightens
the darkening day.
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49
A slate-greyish sky
preceding from the east as
the sun proceeds west.
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50
The nectarine tree,
showing-off its pink blossoms
in the noonday sun.
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51 —100
