california
somewhere in my dreams
on a ship across an ocean
calm as a country lake
glass shimmer of still seas
impossibility of a mirror ocean
vanilla and orange-cream
melt like wax over the red-orange sky
the sun is a melting yellow candle
sending out the rivulets of color
a forest of whispering giants
deep red bark supporting impossible heights
of green arms hugging the clouds
silent traffic of bright yellow banana slugs among the earth tones
the smell of earth and moss
rich and fertile soil
darkest shades of brown barely licking at the limits of black
the fertility of the mother
at the base of her children
a landscape of smooth stone
carved gentle shapes by violence of water
space ships and ocean liners
complete with cockpits and helms
an adventure across a miniature world
tide-pool kingdoms
the end of the world a stone's throw away
careful not to slip on algae streamers
of green-white sea foam
people pull over on the highway
that runs along the cliff face that meets the ocean
pausing in whatever they had planned for the day
taking a revered moment to watch
as the yellow disc of the candle-wax sun
melts into the set-fire ocean
until the clouds turn from warm to cold
fire to smoke
and the fog cocoon spreads from the horizon once more
to encase the magic of the landscape
as if protecting it from night
_____________________________________________________________________________________
make it sound simple by saying
it's just an oil change away
just a foot on a pedal
a hand on a wheel
a caution to the wind
and even you could touch magic
on a ship across an ocean
calm as a country lake
glass shimmer of still seas
impossibility of a mirror ocean
vanilla and orange-cream
melt like wax over the red-orange sky
the sun is a melting yellow candle
sending out the rivulets of color
a forest of whispering giants
deep red bark supporting impossible heights
of green arms hugging the clouds
silent traffic of bright yellow banana slugs among the earth tones
the smell of earth and moss
rich and fertile soil
darkest shades of brown barely licking at the limits of black
the fertility of the mother
at the base of her children
a landscape of smooth stone
carved gentle shapes by violence of water
space ships and ocean liners
complete with cockpits and helms
an adventure across a miniature world
tide-pool kingdoms
the end of the world a stone's throw away
careful not to slip on algae streamers
of green-white sea foam
people pull over on the highway
that runs along the cliff face that meets the ocean
pausing in whatever they had planned for the day
taking a revered moment to watch
as the yellow disc of the candle-wax sun
melts into the set-fire ocean
until the clouds turn from warm to cold
fire to smoke
and the fog cocoon spreads from the horizon once more
to encase the magic of the landscape
as if protecting it from night
_____________________________________________________________________________________
make it sound simple by saying
it's just an oil change away
just a foot on a pedal
a hand on a wheel
a caution to the wind
and even you could touch magic