"MORE THAN ENOUGH"
"Never catch a break,"
Said Harold.
"Not from these storms."
More rain than
He needs.
More wind than his crops
Can handle.
Livestock jumpy in
Their pens,
Soaked rows of
Fresh turned hay.
Never-ending battle
In the middle of
This land.
JP
"SOUND OF WATER"
I walk through the field,
Smelling the damp air.
Search the distance
For the glint
Of water.
Around the bend,
Noises of swift moving
Water.
Never disappointed
On the road
Less Traveled.
JP
"HAVEN"
The only conifer
On the hill.
Safety net for
Birds in flight.
From a distance,
A murmuring of swallows
Sweeps inside its
Shape.
Minutes pass, I anticipate
The explosion
And am not
Disappointed.
Alone.
Ageless feeling of
Solitude.
JP
"FOUND PATH"
Again and again,
Wandering the
Flatlands,
The clouds gather.
Can't stop it,
Can't wish it
Away.
Sharpen the
Senses,
Focus the
Mind.
Bring it
Home.
JP
image size 8" x 30" $2,200
image size 8" x 30" $2,200
"ORANGE COLORED SKY"
Never ceases to
Amaze.
No matter the number of
Times.
Photographs don't
Express,
Paintings can't
Depict
The brilliance of
Your first
Orange Colored
Sky.
JP
"OVERGROWN"
Old path, long
Abandoned.
Haven't been there for years.
Half forgotten memories
Resurface.
Alone with my thoughts,
Recalling childhood
Forays.
Missing friends on
Horseback,
And dogs that follow.
Across this field
A way still shows.
Worth the effort.
Time spent wandering
With companions in my
Heart.
JP
"A FATHER'S SECRET"
His favorite spot
For fishing late.
Took no one here
But Uncle Bugs
And me.
Gave him that name,
I did.
Uncle Bugs did
Fly tying.
Lots of fish
Caught on those flies
In that lake.
That name, "Uncle Bugs"
It caught on, too.
Still have his
Bamboo pole.
JP
"HEADED BACK"
Walked back home
(where home was for a
Few months.)
Turned around a
Hundred times.
Pondered the canvas of
Colors.
Going the wrong was the
Thought.
In the moment,
In unfamiliar
Territory.
Darkness called me
Home.
JP
"KEEPING ON"
All or nothing
Is what I'm thinking.
Can't leave it
Alone.
See what comes next,
Or turn around and
Run.
Never been a glutton for
Punishment.
Sometimes, you've got to
Stay
And face the
Music.
JP
"PAINTING 101"
Looks like the long
Trip
Will end in darkness.
Miles to go,
Decisions to
Make.
No reason to stop
Now.
Paintings appearing
Before my eyes.
Let's just hope the
Memory holds
What I see.
Time will tell.
JP
"COMING FAST"
A regular occurrence in
These parts.
Just another day where the
Sun gets pushed
Aside.
Nothing new here.
Get in a few hours of
Work.
Darkness spreads
Quickly.
Work shifts again,
Indoors.
Nothing stops.
Much to do in these
Parts.
Gotta get it
Done.
JP
image size 8" x 30" $2,200
image size 8" x 24" $1,600
"INEVITABLE"
Time and again,
They gather.
A glorious
Sunset denied
Exclusivity!
Seems like a nightly
Ritual.
Saving grace is
Sleeping through the
Rain.
JP
"FORMATIONS"
"Lie on your back,"
Grandma said.
We watched clouds and
Made up names for the
Shapes.
The clouds still gather.
I watch now with
Grandchildren
Of my own.
She watches from
Another place,
Taught me well.
My turn with her
Will come again.
Footprints to
Follow.
JP