Quilted Countryside

Quilted Countryside

Scattered across the counterpane,
Knots of cattle and sheep with lamb
Roads threading over soft folds.
Needles of sunlight piercing the clouds.
Plowshares feather-stitching the fields.
Circles of oats, squares of timothy,
Diamonds of alfalfa, rectangles of rye.
Farmhouse yards with calico flowerbeds,
Striped cat and spotted mongrel dog.
Velvet waves of golden grain.
Corduroy rows of grass-green corn.
Denim blue ditches crisscrossing fields.
Warm woolen warp of wheat.
All pieced with the plowing,
The planting,
And harvest.

L

Fall Roundup

Fall Roundup


Cows caterwaulin’.
Calves all a bawlin’.
Steers buttin’, brawlin’,
Cowboys swearin’, callin’,
To the heelers as they run.
Black, tan, brown,
From the hills herded down,
Cattle drive of old renown,
Fills the road that leads to town.
Almost there.

The bull breaks away,
Belligerence on display,
Cowboy patience starts to fray,
Been a long, hard day.
Cutting horse is spent.

The hills, golden, dusty dry,
Geese above southbound fly,
Wind through aspens gives a sigh,
Frosted leaves drop and lie.
Fall roundup.

L

Country Water, City Water

Country Water, City Water

The “chick-chick-chick” of the sprinkler
Announces the season of watering
Sun-dried earth.

The “chuck-chuck-chuck” of the circle system
Works its way around
The verdant field of alfalfa.

The “KOOSH-KOOSH” of the water canon
Sends streams flying.
Rainbows are born
In its arc.

But city yards are dainty,
The watering done delicately.
Silently the plastic heads rise to the occasion,
Emitting mists of moisture
“shhhhh…”

L