City River: Free-Verse

City River: Free-Verse

By Armando Ortiz

All the rain of a wet season,

wouldn’t clean this river.

The egret stands atop a grocery cart,

like a homicide detective wondering,

when the streets will be cleared of its filth.

A billion summer tsunamis,

could not purify the water.

The egret contemplates its murky reflection,

like a mysterious figure wearing a peacoat,

the school of fish looks suspect from the outside.

Melting snow from the  Tujunga mountains,

is unable to change the course of the city.

The egret lazily raises a foot,

rusty flakes falling into the current,

it watches a rainbow of plastics float bye.

A never ending mega drought,

wouldn't stop this arroyo from resurrecting.

The egret slowly dips its claws in the stream,

ancient dancer lifting its gray hakana,

despite all the distraction the cycle persists.

Rush hour traffic and midnight flows,

can’t silence the trickling sounds of water.

The egret reenacts its movements,

shoots its beak through the waters edge,

a small frog is trapped as the sky darkens.

Suburban medication  and the urban chaos,

couldn’t stop the river reaching its destination.

The egret glides through the crying willows,

rises up the stream that’s eternally etched,

follows the contours that lead to the ocean of time.

Summer's Arrival: Free-Verse

Summer’s Arrival

By Armando Ortiz

Jacarandas dry up 

as they fell and landed 

on the sidewalk, 

a purple carpet 

welcomes our walk.

Jasmine fragrances blend 

with the warming days, 

tiny white flowers burst

Summer's sudden arrival.

Traffic lights turn red,

a humming is stalled,

destinations unknown

in cars people forever roam.

Sparrows perch on branches,

feeding crying chicks.

Hummingbirds hovering besides

crimson nectar feeders.

Sycamore trees lush and green,

swaying with the wind,

cars resume their drive,

artificial breeze picks up. 

Offshore currents

blending with westerly flows,

longer warm days mix with

the humdrum of summer’s arrival.

Stargaze: Free Verse

Stargaze: Free-Verse

By Armando Ortiz

Materials gathered and shaped to replicate a moment, an instance of awe as men stand seeing wonders.

Celestial blanket, following the earth's curve, earthly hands making cairns, the breeze flowing to the four directions.

The unwinding coil that opens as an Anasazi trail that starts where it ends. Chaco road to Polaris, little bear forever pivoting towards mother, a kaleidoscope of lights.

The unmoving torch that seems to unweave itself from dusk to dawn, a pinyon cone falls from a gnarled branch as time flows with the passing wind, the galaxy winds an eternal ticking clock.

A mechanical thermostat ignites the flame that warms us tonight, its coil adjusting the temperature, keeping a steady pleasant night.

Our minds are still the same as before, in play and rediscovery.

The glare of the stars blinding our eyes, and modern artifacts with applications guiding, pointing towards the road where the constellations of the evening hidden lay.

Stone pillars reveal the way to a time of wonder today, with the sun rising over Stonehenge with steady trajectory, and Venus’ orbit momentarily hiding behind a Maya temple.

Galactic sign posts for eyes to search the night are also revealed by a screen’s light, reminding you that the day reveals itself in the wonders on display.

So use the gps or the star map to gaze or better yet find a mountain top to hike.

And from there, be in awe as you stand and calmly a starry delight unveils itself across the dark, where diamonds and sapphires glittering patiently float in a trance along the universal orbit.

Reignite the bonfire, joining the song, and toss more wood to be cozy through the night.