how threadbare this robe
rendered soft by hard weather
graceful in despair

still adorning this corner
long past needing protection

enterprising vines
complex not complicated
paint is too simple

folk semiotics
in underground mark making
can you read the signs?

with a corner angle that’s just not right
this Irish inn looks like it’s leaning
lost in the Alleghenies, waiting
for better times and fresher paint
maybe even a revitalized downtown
train traffic isn’t what it used to be
and the kids all want to leave
as soon as they have the chance
and it’s hard to argue with them
there’s not much happening here
which is why I always love to visit

old friend
where have you gone?
we used to enjoy each sunset
parked side by side on our trailers
and now you have gone
and I remain
still watching sunsets
never knowing what to expect

an underground river of tires
on their slow way to the sea
an alley with potential
that has known
more vibrant days

like a fox on the run
who found a place to hide
like a bird on a wire
who found a way to be free

or a Neanderthal in the cave of Maltravieso
who found a new canvas
perhaps a knight errant in the cave of Montesinos
who found nature replacing art

petroglyphs and petrochemicals
cover the walls of this cave
and like the ingenious hidalgo
I am often unsure in this place
whether or not I am dreaming

pastel
yellow
beneath
a pastel sky
the sharp colors
of electric lights cut
holes in ambience

when a roof slopes the ground
at what point does it become a wall?
in the space between a modern aesthetic
and more conventional architecture
what effect do these components
exert on human experience?
and what effect their confluence?

from this angle
in this light
the transition
feels almost natural
although natural
is an awkward word
in such a setting

it feels at least
not uncomfortable
or discomfiting in the way
that such an adjacency might
easily be imagined to be

the creek that flows
past the roots of the trees
towering in the upper left
and its soothing sound
is making a contribution
as I pass through this space
although inaudible in a photo
its presence cannot be dismissed