Supreme Being

the reservation crow
is taking sunday sun on the southerly tracks
whistling trains are forbidden here 
along these hay fields narrow
the bleached cottonwoods 
trunks broken 
branches broken
hung by vines
are ghostly enough holy enough 
stand oddly together in their humble prayers
the crow alone knows 

if their prayers have been heard
alone in the absorbing warmth
faith of his own
being

jppestana
6.30.18
Supreme Being

Bouquet

and dandelions thrive

line the edges of her delicate earth

reach far above the cluster of freckled stars 

she is searching the summer constellations 

for the confusions meaning

of him

while he

pulls her dandelions from the stars

oblivious to the 
blossoming risk

of his own

diminishing
garden

jppestana

bouquet

6.21.18

Layers

frida bakes 

her twelve layer 

very german cake

one layer of love at a time

each layer barely a layer

sweet chocolate spread

so evenly  

so perfectly 

so precisely 

as to defy 

my most 
imperfect

imagination

jpestana

layers

6.18.18

Italy

behind your eyes
I see a lake serene
its impossibly blue waters deeply swelling 
an easy breeze lazily dreaming  slipping away
its impossibly small waves wanting
like her lips first kiss
on an eagerly
waiting
shore

jppestana
italy
6.19.18

Moth

quite often
more than not
I end begin
in sky.
there is
no why.
it is a
simple
punctuation.
it is the sweet cream cold
over ripe plump strawberries.
it is the sweeter cream pinkish
in the bottom of a blue bowl.
it is the dream of trout flashing in the wet sun
leaping over rainbows of their own making.
it is like all things with wings with me.
the tiniest moth flies pointlessly crazily
in the middle of a cool room.
it seems like its possibilities are few
and far far between.
an open window now
too small to see
escaping
moth in
sky.

jppestana
moth
6.17.18

Passing Storm

the summer thunder
summer thunders!
clouds rub
at a blackly fractured sky
polish it
jan (as in january) gathers
her horses from pasture
races from the rain
the rain captures her swallows her
flowers collapse in the torrent
their tortured faces helpless
they may never return
and the wind pushes through the rain
opens holes
the horses run through them disappearing
and jan (as in january)
cries out their names
slapping at wet jeans
cursing out her prayers
she kneels in deeper mud
cut open by a slice
of a still 
dripping
sun

jppestana
passing storm
6.16.18

Sweet Venom

beware of the slithering hiss
of flying snakes
their split tongues
smell the invisible
the moon
its' milky
shadows

in this this darkest night
when the moon succumbs
a poet shows his fangs for all
to hear

he decides he loves love more
than the struggle of love
he lurks in rocks' shadows
along the worn path
ignores all the distractions
but one

eyes quiet
intent
he listens for
the tender words
evocations
most elusive shadow
of all shadows

coiled
he is ready to strike
at anything that may come
his way

jppestana
sweet venom
6.15.18

Iris

fish splashing in iris

bubbles of sun rise to the surface  burst open

fish fleeing to the padded shadows

of sun 
filled 
lilies

jppestana

Iris

6.4.18