December 8, 2014 by Chris G.

Geese by the Riverbank

Where wild geese roam

ripples in the plum blossom river

cranes suck battle smoke

the bitter wind drifting

against the bow of the moon

until the light

until the fall

a stillness, by the riverbank.

November 3, 2014 by Chris G.

No Master, No Servant

Alone among the pines

No servant

No master

only the mountain

ascension starlight left behind

when celestial fingertips

brushed our dreams.

April 30, 2014 by Chris G.

Geese heading south for winter strike an odd pose

Mercurial flock—

bamboo flutes nosing out

every goosing

outline of a wound

through Decembrist twilights;

only trailing

shadows realize the direction

wild threads

wove across the pitch

before night unraveled.

December 3, 2013 by Chris G.

Regrowth

Smooth departure

through the ashen dissolution

wander, wander, spin and toil

in the shadow of Celestia’s

frosted netting–

we wonder at the craft

of shade’s eternal touch

molding of the breathless

ageless and the fallen

twilight needling the roots

into the next night’s cycle.

November 26, 2013 by Chris G.

Educational Hush

Twilight hush amidst the room;
a voice, rising through the shadow throng
commits the universe to notes
and I, swooning through the grace of logic, rise
drifted on the captivated stars
onto the mystic sea, glittering in
transcendental mysticism fires
that will not be bound by flesh:
a word, they say, a notion
but in that heaving sky
the rush of majesty;
souls which lie
Beyond.

October 22, 2013 by Chris G.

Together

Michigan at Sunset.

Moonlit October,

silver remnants in the fog, the misty air

wrinkled by the drip

of swelling rivers, drunken lakes

which feed the tears

a lone wolf cries from the river bed.

Coyotes yip nervous cooperation

about the scent we heave,

fear of the bear baring our skin.

As we lie in our tent,

we listen to the trickle,

wonder if this place could survive

a Wolverine.

July 15, 2013 by Chris G.

The Nature of a Rose

Renoir’s painting of cabbage roses, Roses in a vase (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Rose is

made of blooming

petals

sublimated

through the pollen

enticement

red-hued fullness

heaves

on the giving

getting

gone caress

breaths chased

into dew

braving the thorns

other showers

left behind

to crave

to drink

to slip

away

into thoughts

rooted

in a blush.

(Friends! Countryfolk! Hear my plea–if you enjoy what you read on this blog, I implore you to help me cast off some of my poetry into the great starry beyond. While that may sound strange, I’m a participant in the “Going to Mars with Maven” contest, in which winning haikus may get the honor of spaceward journey headed for Mars…care to help a dream come true? Than vote here: http://lasp.colorado.edu/maven/goingtomars/entry/?22335)

(Enjoyed what you read? Join the discussion and keep up to date on the latest happenings at my Facebook page!)

April 21, 2013 by Chris G.

Pure Michigan: Waterworld

Welcome to Waterworld!

Water. Water everywhere! While many things have been occupying the eyes of the nation this week (and rightly so–many tugs of the heartstrings have gone to many corners of the U.S. these past few days), but locally, nature has been at the forefront of things.

Michigan, my home, is a land of water. It surrounds us. It pierces into the very heart of our state in its many rivers, lakes, and ponds. This is, truly, the Great Lakes State. Yet this week the state has been rocked by record rainfall. The end result: flooding. Massive flooding. And when I say record-breaking, don’t mistake me: the Grand River, in western Michigan, was predicted to hit a 24.76 foot crest today. Compare that to previous floodings here, as listed from the Grand Rapids Press…

24.76 feet on April 21, 2013**
19.64 feet on March 1, 1985
19.54 feet on May 27, 2004
19.50 feet on March 28, 1904
19.29 feet on March 8, 1976
19.25 feet on April 3, 1960
19.25 feet on September. 4, 1986
18.83 feet on March 3, 1982
18.60 feet on June 9, 1905
18.5 feet on April 18, 2013
17.87 feet on February 25, 1997
17.84 feet on December 31, 2008

Flooding is not new here, but bloody hell, this one takes the cake. Large swaths of the city of Grand Rapids and western Michigan are going underwater. To prove that point, I took a little photographic adventure. Here are just a few things to show you what we’re dealing with up here. I’d love to hear your thoughts.