Odd ends

by G Russell Peterman

stopping along the way

  friend come with me

  away from all this sameness

  away from neighbors and overtime

  endless sales and tempting credit

  petty lawn competitions

  and feel unchained

  leave this concrete puddle

  glide down asphalt ribbons to gravel

  stop halfway in neither town nor camp

  pick a place where dust clouds grab bumpers

  and enjoy being dragged along

  and feel unrestrained

  take time to explore cottony clouds

  floating around in their elephantine blue tub

  marred by ribbons of crisscrossing vapor trails

  see a late to bed silvery morning moon

  revel in this spring day

  and feel liberated

  mother plays her anxious tune

  watch angry black clouds charge over treetops

  natural lights blink midst active drums rolls

  so catch rain drops in a glass

  drink a thunderstorm

  and taste what is

  see the first struggling living greens

  burst outward before hopeful winter eyes

  change the world to warm expanding green

  sipping glasses of gentle cool rains

  in showy flower time

  and feel renewed

  study busy tractors moving

  down long rows and returning

  noisy passing trucks changing gears

  planting time for a grand banquet

  for our fine tabletop

  and feel contentment

  stand quietly with eyes closed

  inhale a gentle passing breeze

  breathe fragrances in blossom time

  smell sweet new mown hay

  listen to bees work overtime

  and feel absolved

  relish this day without questions

  stand patiently waiting your turn

  next after the bumble bee

  to smell a delicious flower

  sniff deep a sweet fragrance

  and feel energized

  walk along a gravel roll

  experience a joyful berry time breeze

  hot melting sun on a road ditch briar patch

  tempting lure of shade for a sampling

  chew and swallow a bit of sun

  and feel invigorated

  watch parading trucks and combines

  like busy beavers leaving and returning

  head bursting fits of sneezes

  gulping daily dirty air tablets

  watery eyes at banquet time

  and feel toleration

  each arriving drags a dust cloud

  down into long rows of campers or tents

  after green or silver or plastic outlay

  sneak away for a walk in the woods

  along a creek or wooded path

  and feel free

  Part three

  Science fiction

  Six

  Science Fiction: One day on the evening news the talking heads were going on about other planets being found by studying gravitational wobbles. It made me think about the only real proof of life on other planets would be for a visitor from or to visit another planet.