Walking Together

Walking Together
By: James Dubeau

Lush green expanses
Roll in every direction
Deep in the heart
Of the city
We walk together
Hand in hand
Down un-groomed trails
Every pebble is felt
Though the soles
Of well loved shoes
Early spring overcast skies
Begin to part
Showing glimpses
Of bright blue heaven
Hills were steep
As trails wind over
But our steps together
Come easy
Around the bend
Over the ridge line
Towers of brick and steel loom
Watching us
Reminding us
That we are still
Surrounded by urban landscapes
And have not
Been transported back
One hundred years or more
As the isolation
Had led us to believe
No other visitors
Were on those trails
Nor could automobiles
Be heard
The only accompanist
On our journey
Were chipmunks
And rabbits
And blue jays above
But our time
Amongst Mother Nature
Had come to an end
And we had
To return to city life
Grasping each other’s hand tight
We took a deep breath
And stepped from the wilderness
Back to the concrete
And steel
And realities of life

The Winter That Could Have Been

The Winter That Could Have Been
By: James Dubeau

The poem I’d never write
Would have been about a time
Which was to be
Full of joy and romance

A winter which would have began
With a night watching the lunar eclipse
Or a drive through the festival of lights
As snow fell on a starlit night

Then there was to be days
Full of outdoors fun
Such as
Snow skiing
Ice Skating
And even sledding
On these Wisconsin hills and ponds

Then we would have
Tried to stay warm
Drinking mugs of hot chocolate
While attacking each other
With freezer cold feet
Under the cover
Of warm heavy blankets

Cuddling together
Sharing bodily warmth
Through cold winter nights
All the way to the morning
Waking up to breakfast
Which I love to cook
Of eggs and bacon
And coffee or tea

And then there would have been
The handful of holidays
Trading gifts by the tree
While laughing hysterically
At our tacky sweaters
Or sipping champagne
While the ball would have dropped
Sharing a kiss
From those first fireworks
Until cupid buzzed
About our heads

But those events
Never did happen
In the winter
That could have been
And the poem
About that time
And about that girl
Shall always remain
The poem I’d never write

Forest List

Fallen log, freshly growing pine, bed of leaves, roar of a cool breeze, falling rain, pitter-patter pitter-patter, moss covered stones, cut down stumps, young trees sprouting, birch tree, pine tree, oak tree, cawing bird, chirping birds, brown and green, brown and green, carpet of dead leaves, new growth sprouting, lichen covered trunks, brown and green, white of the birch, grey of the sky, rolling hill, light valley, rotting log, stick, twig, acorn, pine cone, bark