settling into summer

chill mornings settling into season

with heat building through the day

grass a brittle gray-green and sprouting

fine seed to contribute to the pollen-laden air

without rain, even these few days,

earth responds to the brutality

of summer

scenes we can feel

places with history speak

without words as though

we, too, experience

what has happened

within that setting

as though the archway writhes

or the rocks give witness

or billowing dust at the horizon

breeds terror, anticipating

marauding hoards

scenes we can feel

treat ‘em with rice

steamed rice in a doggie bag

from the Thai restaurant lunch

covered with bird seed to entice

the picky chickadees

but i needn’t have bothered

my wild birds picked around the seed

to get at the exotic treat

richer by far

 richer by far

for experiencing the Rhine’s flow

and stoney Roman camps turned towns

windmills’ sweeping sails staying flood

close-fit locks, padlock-by-lovers bridge

castles now ruins or renovated hotels

robber toll-takers replaced

by tourist trinket salesmen

elk-colored herds of wild horses

swooping waterbirds

cathedral spires piercing gold sunsets

family on top deck to drink in history

and laugh and bond among ourselves

richer by far                                

Kinderdijk, The Netherlands

Alisa Hampton

Amsterdam

view from my window in Hotel Estherea on the Singel Canal.

laughter and good food

sharp clang of spatula

flare of flame and bad chef jokes

Benihana set with full table

of family loving their mom

on her 30th time celebrating

her 29th birthday

and she can get crankier

chill morning, un-summerlike

odd weather for mid-June

in a year of unexpected heat

too early in the season

as though Grandma Nature

were getting cranky in her old age

striking light-fall

in the dark of night

the small, decorative watering can

is suspended over the hanging plant

with a dozen wires spread like spray

each knob glowing like brilliant

drop of life-renewing water

rather than solar-powered lights

tackling my lawn-field

personable young man

who tackles my lawn

again reverting to field

loves my mountain view

and country critters skittering

or swooping close

treats my steep slopes and

edges with the care

he would give if it were his

and stops to talk of his plans

and long hours of work

to get, finally, where he can see

being able to take family

on joyous vacation

home flights

cancellations and complex re-routings

raise anxiety before bending

into engineered tight cubes of space

and silent skirmishes over armrest

for many hours sitting to be carried

cross-nations, cross- ocean

and polar flights to take advantage

of the curve of the earth

suspending believe in time and goal

until finally setting down in native land

ah! thank you!

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still beside

a week together on the Rhine

and the family still loves each other

it must be the fascinating

juxtapositions of very old beside

so new in towns, many begun

as outlying Roman settlements

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cobble path

cobble bricks make up so many

sidewalks and streets in Germany

The Netherlands and France

fascinating individual styles and tastes

in size, shape and composition

and patterns in which they are laid

flat often, but deliberately curved

to form a gutter for dirty water

down the middle of the street

plus the quiet, insistent action

of underlying tree roots makes it

important to watch your step

onboard fun

laughter with the skilled

and playful chef who closes

his eyes so i can’t see him

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flexible strength

haiku

flexible strength yields

the path to the agreed goal

grips the objective

warm acceptance

when a husband tries to do a favor

no matter how wrong the offering

accept it with warm thanks

and praise for what is right

hugs, love and laughter

and he’s more likely to try again

delineation

from the airplane

countries appear to have distinct

patterns of farmland as though

of a class of patches in a family quilt

with colors generations have found

the comforting foundation of their view

on their lives

but mountain ranges, valley depths

streams, rivers and coastlines

keep their own identities

without regard for borders

would that we remember and respect

what nature gives as itself and try

to dominate only the little that we add

Norwegian coast and fjords

scoop-gouged by pebbles

entrapped by ice, dragged by gravity

granite mountains carved

into sharp-edged bowl fragments

enshrine stark glacial time 

chat over pear, hazelnut and gorgonzola salad

lunch overlooking the golf course

with beloved daughter and

creative son-in-law

always fun to be with

talking about family and boat-ramming

killer whales and wild bison unhappy

with people which reminds me

of how i feel about drivers who cut

me off in traffic

i leave for home feeling cherished

missing doe

haiku

whimpering within

fawn knows to remain silent

hidden long hours

blessed at my window

welcoming wild birds

with seed and tiny scraps of vegetables

in a wrought iron bowl up and away

from neighborhood cats and dogs

they come almost continuously

scrub and Steller’s jays, California quail

chickadees, wrens, robins, flickers

so many colors, shapes and personalities

a snowy owl preening on my fence

even eagles, osprey and turkey vultures

circling high above, probably drawn by my many voles as are cougar and

bobcats awesome in their sleek power

who reveal themselves seldom

so deer and even elk are comfortable

grazing my back yard

waiting to recover

a gentle day, not too hot, not too cold

enough sun to nurture the weeds

and the flowers, though they grow

more slowly and needing more care

i grit my teeth wanting to tend

the blooming iris and mow the too-

tall grass but i need to allow

myself to heal

i have experience in jumping

back into activity too soon

and long prolonging recovery

balance and poise

are not easy to achieve