a cheerier post

Here is a cheerier post! The first one was a little sombre because I've been sitting on those thoughts for a long time. This upbeat one comes from my trip to northern Pennsylvania last summer.

Paul Belz
PO Box 11507
Oakland, Ca. 94611 Copyright 2008 Paul Belz



LULLABY
Pennsylvania grabs me by the heels
and pulls me to the fungus scented earth.
This lake’s far shore is so dark
I can’t tell where the long mountain ends
and its rippling water reflection starts.
Pale Jupiter climbs the darkening sky
slowly like night’s approach. It comes back
each dusk. Safe at home, all my cells shout!
This purple flower that I can’t name
waits nightly on the lakeshore for me.
Cicadas rattle like tambourines..
Two cricket species join with single tones.
One’s a flute, the other’s a high pitched electric guitar.
Safe at home, all my cells join this chant.
Now wrinkled clouds dark as the lake
crawl briefly across the dawning stars,
"Awwnk!" Something’s disturbed a goose.
Clouds softly part and drift away.
Faint Polaris greets Jupiter
while the Dipper, the crooked W
and all the stars circle like a hawk.
The goose calls again. Safe at home,
none of my cells will sleep.
Mauch Chunk Lake, northern Pennsylvania