Iron skeleton
spans the water.
Weeds sprout from ties,
rust eats its way under
flaking paint & over
rivet heads.
I remember the whistle's blow,
a long, long time ago.
Troubled Bridge [Free Verse]
Reply

One clump of flowers has the power
To lure the eye’s focus.
The background blurs as mind infers
Which hue shall be the locus.







I see the Peach Blossoms of Spring,
And think of old Li Bai’s answer.
In wordless replies, the world sings;
In unpeopled worlds, there’s a dancer.
The referenced poem by Li Bai [李白] is entitled Question and Answer in the Mountains [山中问答] and is crudely translated as:
I'm asked why I live in mountains.
I laugh while giving no reply.
Peach Blossoms flow from sight & mind;
Beyond men, another Earth & Sky.
Or, in Chinese:
问余何意栖碧山,
笑而不答心自闲。
桃花流水窅然去,
别有天地非人间。

Nature writes “Spring”
in colorful blooms, even
over rough bark.


yellow blossoms
herald the Spring:
fragrance spreads the news.


early Spring seed pods
of Red Maple hold tight
- patiently —
til one day in late Spring:
they’ll drop, spin, and fly.