Juggling

the juggler on a unicycle
coconuts on the ears
a six foot long stocking cap
spider webs on the lower deck
a house perched at the edge
of a hilltop, a dream,
a coming of age story

I recall locked doors
blonde wood paneling
indirect lighting
the revelation of the word recalcitrant
bowls of lentil soup
a fascination with fire, snow,
swamp life, the booming sound
of adolescents blasting into space

juggling memories
do all those plus and minuses
balance out in the end?

[RK, 7/26/2023]

Water

public fountains we called bubblers
school hallways, libraries, the courthouse,
randomly placed and safe to drink
remember there is a cooling unit inside
fluoride, a steady flow
faith in the moment, no thought for the future

long lasting rivers
slicing roads laid down on township lines
the up and down trails through
kettles and moraines
a landscape etched by glaciers
and collapsing limestone
the water table just beneath
our perception

a narrow definition of geography
until I fell in love with
dry arroyos and desert bajada
sere and scorching days
where water was the exception

[RK, 7/26/2023]