the good parts

Field Guide

Once, in the cool blue middle of a lake
up to my neck in that most precious element of all,

I found a pale-grey, curled-upwards pigeon feather
floating on the tension of the water,

at the very instant when a dragonfly,
like a blue-green iridescent bobby pin,

hovered over it, then lit, and rested,
That’s all.

I mention this in the same way
that I fold the corner of a page

in certain library books,
so that the next reader will know

where to look for the good parts.

- Tony Hoagland

live on the Vinyl Cafe

"Walking up onto a mountain where we fall asleep
holding on to a little bit of love.

Waking in sunshine, warm air, feeling fine

I lost my mind, holding on to a little bit of love."

pleased to meet you, Algonquin Park

Remembering an adventure, September 2013

six-pack of hearts

My heart feels like a lightbulb, 
faltering, flickering and ready to go out. 
Can somebody step onto a stool and install a new one for me? 
They are so delicate and easily destroyed. 
If only Canadian Tire would sell them in boxes of six 
like everything else I need.

the sounds of home

"Cold grey winter, sank in like a splinter"

mother tongue

When people full of wit and knowledge

say that math is the universal language

I laugh, I shake my head, and I wonder for a moment

if they are correct, and that the answers I’m after

lie waiting somewhere in an equation that I will never see.

I think though, that the language spoken

by this planet is nothing to scoff at. I believe

that every human and every living thing

speaks that language that I speak.

I think the language of trees and insects,

rich soils and trade winds is every one of us’s mother tongue,

and that our lives are all a little bit empty

until we put an ear to the ground

and learn to speak it again.

go forth and sing in stairwells

"So you’ve got the morning, I’ve got midnight

You are patient, I’m always on time

Oh, what would I do without you?

You’ve got your sunshine, I’ve got rainclouds

You’ve got hope, I’ve got my doubts

Oh, what would I do without you?"