Sketches - 22 (September 6th, 2014)

22.

Up in bold strokes

foot on gas

up Saddle Creek Road

to Center then right

past  Hi-Vee grocery

and fuel, usual

stop for coffee / tiny

bit of lunch for work

and drive further west

up Center Street over

the viaduct above 72nd street

on further past the

Catholic Cemetery

then right turn on

80th through a quiet

aging neighborhood,

larger houses and generally

quiet semi-forgotten lives

then work, and I take

these series of streets

every morning 5 days a week

few holidays and

few real complaints

except I’d rather be

navigating mysterious

highways and playing

              songs.

(September 6th, 2014)

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Sketches - 21 (September 6th, 2014)

21.

Unafraid.

Cool breezed shade of an underling

afternoon.  Almost chill despite a

full hot sun and insect wire cricket -

cicada hum buzz softened down

considerably after this morning’s

cool-hand shiver over the sun

in cold cloud mist and full intentioned

cold-dew threatening and hinting

at this year’s first killing frost.

(September 6th, 2014)

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Sketches - 20 (September 4th, 2014)

20.

Hot 4:45 PM at the tire store

sitting in an old chair next to

a pop-machine, garage bell

terse, silver-sounding, mechanical

and since the young mechanic

with the wax-curled mustachio

didn't manage to fix my tire

            ALL the way, I’m now

returned (no hard feelings) and

the older wiser manager says to

me in the all too loud mechanic

garage ‘There’s not a tire I can’t

                fix.’ as he knows

they don’t have a spare size for

a Chevy Cobalt, my tire now all too

small amongst hundreds of

larger more masculine tires

            black unwholesome

oil, grease, rubber

at this strange intersection

just as Leavenworth intersects with

highway 480.

Drove away from there with the

tire fixed and the old mechanic musing

over pillars and blossoms of black

smoke visible on the semi-distant horizon.

‘I wonder where the hell that’s all

coming from.’ the mechanic asked

the machine riddled air.  

(September 4th, 2014)

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Sketches - 19 (August 30th, 2014)

19.

Today was game day, first Cornhusker

play off with Southern Florida, first game

                            of the year -

beer popcorn potato chip

                            couches -

assortment of cheap grocery store

dip and men yelling at tv screens.

(August 30th, 2014)

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Sketches - 18 (August 30th, 2014)

18.

Up after a Saturday afternoon

nap sitting in the freshly mowed

back yard watching the late

day 5 PM sun glance it off

with all that is green after

yesterday's torrential downpour.

Chainsaw cicadas hidden

away in giant neighborhood

trees screeching steadily

rhythmically with what my grandmother

used to call ‘such a lonesome sound’.

Green sharp thorns of black berry

bushes reach out almost reptile-like

from vines covering a common city

chain link fence behind me.

And of course sounds of

unknown neighbors moving in

to the house/apartment next door with

windows overlooking old garages

and a gravel driveway/parking

lot, scree kritch of tiny stones

under tires, men attempting half

explained logics, their women close

behind whilst digging through their truck

bed tool boxes and again those chainsaw

cicadas keep it up something

fierce as dogs yap and bark

at semi-distance and Chopin

twinkles from the open kitchen door.

(August 30th, 2014)

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