a creek paddle day
brings every boat together
for swimming and grins




a creek paddle day
brings every boat together
for swimming and grins




if only these pics were perfect
as perfectly peaceful as they appear
and no one lost a phone (and all the love attached) to a lake
and no one said they hated each other
and no one lied to their mother
and no one cried.


but life isn’t this lake
this quiet Kentucky fishing lake that we ruined with six screaming kids and one barking dog
this peaceful lake for paddling or praying or both
this swimmable, all-ours, wake-free lake.

Life is this lake, isn’t it?
Perfect and not so perfect.

Kentucky cycles:
you can find happiness in
rolling hills, horse farms



nothing like my park
and isn’t that so perfect?
vines, dogs, shade, creeks, peace.


nothing like my path
and isn’t that so perfect?
sun, hills, curves, town, bike.



not what i dreamed of
for our family vacation;
pretty all the same


you wouldn’t believe
how fire Kentucky is
sunsets, family, all


Kansas welcomes us
for our pandemic travel
and his first crossing


hiking out hurts us
(to face the world’s anger
instead of these trees)

from aspens to pines
peaks and creeks guide our soft steps
toward tranquility



the packing ordeal
of a backpacking journey
is so exhausting

for these quiet views
we walk into the forest
leaving all behind


(if only we could
forget the masks and all else
and escape this plague)

we flew this beach kite
on this day seven years back
(a dream in life, Spain)

my daughter, then ten
still finding joy in small things
(as i still try to)

aspen trees at dawn
a pup always by my side
cats learning to love


the kite is gone now.
(i have ransacked every room)
locked down, we let go.