Lilacs

Years ago,

you  planted a wild lilac bush

in front of my window.

You probably hadn’t planned it though.

You simply brought home a bouquet

of bright, blazing purple flowers for mum.

Then the wind carried their seeds

down to my garden

and brightened my view

for every May to follow.

Its fiery fuchsia

mixed with lush green leaves

never ceases to remind me of the coming of summer.

The tantalizing scent

fills my nostrils

and plants a smile on my lips

as I remember your unexpected, annual spring bouquets

and your joyous smiles when you brought them in.

Years ago,

you planted a wild lilac bush

just outside my window.

Now that you’re gone

every wild lilac bush I see

still reminds me of your well-worn wrinkles

and never-ending, gentle smiles

for every May to follow.

Drowning

the weight of the world is

pushing me down

pulling me towards the ground

the earth is trembling, shaking

underneath my feet

Depths are opening, luring me in

swallowing me whole

need and greed and sorrow

lying heavy on my heart

weighting it down into oblivion

between the shadows of the earth

my body disappears, vaporized by heat, taken over

by love, lust, regret…

drawing closer to hell

than to you

Schedules

drowning between the treacherous lines
of a never ending to do list
obligations chasing away precious inspiration

North of Nowhere

Dust
swirls around the cool evening air
as a pickup truck passes me
on the lonely dirt road.

The driver waves
and smiles;
his dark glasses reflecting the setting sun.

I greet back – lips tugging upward -
and pat my dog.
Life is good today.

Somewhere in the distance
I hear coyotes
hollering their pack together
waiting
for the cover of night.

The scent of fresh-cut grass
fills the air and I thank god
 - for mosquito spray -
as I am nearing the outskirts
of the forest.

As I turn back towards the ranch,
I can see the horses
peacefully grazing in the pasture;
the proud colors of the stallion
shimmer between lush green trees.

The setting sun illuminates everything
in a soft, red light.
Even the mosquitos
look magical today.

I raise my hand to greet
yet another truck driver rushing by
and my eyes follow his dust trail
into the west.

My lips are still smiling.

Some people might feel lost out here
- but I think I’ve just found my way back home…

Writings in the sky

Writing on an airplane
lines shaken by turbulence
words of running away, 
dreams 
             and fairytales

The cabin crew serves 
yet another drink
and the pen pushes on
running
over page after page
building castles
                in the sky

Writing on an airplane
high above the ground
chasing clouds,
falling
head first
                into the sunset

and the pen pushes on
escaping
the past, the present
          ...reality...

10.000 miles from home

Alberta

The autumn sun turns everything golden.
The changing leaves on the trees,
the cornfields, softly swaying in the breeze –
even the street signs have a golden shimmer today.

lush green hills fly by
outside the car window.
Here and there,
they are separated by
a river; the valleys are crowded
with cattle
or horses.

Somebody said “this is the last of the wild west”
and, as we drive further up north,
I couldn’t agree more.

Here and there,
lonely houses pop up:
a corn farm, a trailer, some estates
with trimmed lawns and fancy gates.

But for the most part,
it’s only fields and streams;
farm animals and wildlife.

As we cross yet another river,
a pack of wild geese takes off
into the sunset.
I close my eyes, turn my head west,
feel the warmth of the sun on my face
 -and smile.

 Life is good today

Christmas Sentimentalities

In the end

it’s the feeling you get

when you look into your mother’s eyes

bedded in wrinkles.

Her smile lighting up her face

her arms

stretched out in a greeting.

It’s the implication

not in the words of your father

but in his embrace.

His strong hands holding you tight

pressing you against his chest,

saying so much more than words ever could.

The unexpected affection

in one simple,

spontaneous hug.

When you look down

and see your niece

wrapped around your leg,

happily showing off her tiny teeth.

And then you remember.

Even if you’ve spent the summer of your live

in the land of your dreams,

wanting to stay there forever –

sometimes…

It’s good to be back.

- Merry christmas everybody -