A desert rain -
hope,
   or time wasted? 

[condors over the desert] 
   Coyotes don't understand
that the sky
   is a place to live in 

   New hiking shoes:
Delightful,
   even under the bed! 

   These sparrows -
Even their noise
   is bigger !

[getting dressed] 
   Thinking I had
one more clean pair left -
   and being wrong 

My neighbor's hut in the distance
   - irrelevant
during our feud 

   My sandcastle -
Invaded
   by last night's tide ! 

  Young seagulls:
Even worse singers
   than their parents ! 

   The trees in Spring -
Each blossom
   in its very own time 

   Beach filled with seagulls -
A tough neighborhood
   for the crows 

   My wall calendar -
where to make room
   for "never"? 

  A wilted rose -
Regretting
   my late arrival 

   Feet firm in the sand
the ocean
   comes and goes... 

   Summer storm
and the wind
   carries rain-scent 

  The pelican:
A precocious fit
   on that pier-post ! 

   Paddle, little ducks !
I must look
   fearsome ! 

   The bare trees,
my spirit,
   raw from the wind 

   How do these crows live ?
I have nothing
   better to do... 

  A cacophony of falling
upon the already weary:
   Winter rain 

  These ants on my roof -
Are they
   enjoying the view? 

  The old road -
a good companion
   in solitude 

  The spring breeze -
sometimes helping the butterflies, 
   sometimes not 

   The road at dusk:
Wondering still,
   where it would lead 

Travels with Jane
(Short poems)
Jonathan Bohrn

   They fit me:
air, dust, rain
   my favorite garments

    Good sidewalk café -
Chattering patrons,
   fat sparrows 

     My traveling companion -
Wind and sun make her face
   my favorite sculpture 

   In my lap
my crumpled old hat -
   Seattle autumn 

  This cat, playing -
only its claws
   are real ! 

   Reconciling
the earth and the sky -
   rocks' silence 

   I don't know
if the rosebush will bloom,
   but its thorns will remind me. 

   Even when old,
the body still heals faster -
   My soul, hurting. 

   This meandering path
must like
   to journey, too! 

   My crowded hut -
Not enough room
   for me and mosquitoes, both 

   This cat
makes
   a lumpy bedspread ! 

   Afternoon chores -
Even disheveled,
   she's beautiful 

   My late-night drinking:
Well-deserving of the crows
   at my morning window 

  These crows on the sidewalk
must think
   they're pedestrians ! 

  Each day at the pier - 
anglers, baiting lures
   seagulls collecting tolls 

   My beach shack -
seagulls auditioning
  by the window 

   Even the road
seems weary
   this autumn evening 

   Spring rain -
Each shack
   with its very own pond ! 

  The old clock:
so indifferent
   to our vanity 

   Between blossoms:
sparrows fluttering
   with the butterflies 

A too-long journey:
   Beginning to seem
like the same rocks, same sky 

   Along the baseboards
an ant caravan
   carries off treasures 

   Seeking the wilderness:
A fine place to find
   A fine place to forget 

   Contemplating
the lives of seagulls,
   the waves come and go 

   I'd rather
be ignored by you too,
   mosquitoes ! 

   These seagulls:
not every landing
   graceful... 
   
  
   
   Hands entwined,
the branches of cherry trees
   facing the river 

   A fly, wringing its hands
on my notepad:
   Was it my writing ? 


© Jonathan Bohrn (2003)