pre-travel grounding

 travelling is almost upon me!
 birdsfoot trefoil and purple vetch
that theme again, 
bloodroot and violet,
goldenrod and aster
those brilliant compliments
are the opposite of winter
and tucking in.
they are about generosity, 
livliness, 
shocking me out of dreariness. 
 sunset sometimes provides an entertainment
 bringing along clouds
dancing at the horizon
 coyotes chatting a little bit later,
 and the clouds are so worried about it all.
but the nutty structure
woodhenge, i absurdly call it
plays pick up sticks
to pass time.
 a few backporch flowers.
the hibiscus will come to school with me in september.
and on the dirt road where the new place lives
where i see a continual, untidy, glorious
parade of wild things
(the mower goes there, too).
swamp milkweed
said to me, "look here, velma,
LOOK i say, we're here, you must 
pay attention."
i know this because i did find sweetgrass this summer
for the first time,
i took one or two threads of growing silver
with the tiny flowering nibs
and then the blasted road crew
mowed them down.
~~~
i leave tomorrow
at the crack of dawn
for women's studio workshop.
this is the closest to 
new york city
i will have been in 50 years.

around the place

 there are reddish rocks here
and in spring especially these little bits
of potsdam sandstone
show up.
i think the road crews 
fill up at the local sand pits
and some of them 
 have a bunch of this stuff.
i like it.
i like the layers.
 and i like holding them in my hand as i walk.
 it's a leftover pumpkin 
and prints on old pages
 old pages, latin.

and contact print over pressure print
lichen under and on cotton under plants.
i've been having a conversation with my friend catherine.
 work here 
and at the new place continues.
i love
the honorable nature of work clothing.