February 2022
Tom Montag
theoldmonk85@gmail.com
Author's Note: Thanks to the generosity of Suzanne and Karl Kelm, in October 2018 I was able to spend a week writing poems along the Keya Paha River in north-central Nebraska, on their ranch called Wishin' Jupiter. "Wishin' Jupiter," as I remember, was the name their daughter gave to her first bicycle, and when the Kelms bought their ranch, it sounded just right for their piece of land. Certainly the place is a terrific one for writing poems; these are some of mine which were inspired there.

Three Poems from
THE RIVER WILL TELL YOU:
POEMS ALONG THE KEYA PAHA

Who speaks
of morning

this morning
except these

cottonwoods
and small birds

flashing on
and off like

signs of hope?

~

How much
mystery

for this much
heart? Only

the grasses
know, only

the coyotes.

~

When you can't think what to say,
listen to the sky, the grasses.
Listen to the cricket. Be

patient. The river knows
and it will tell you.

~
©2022 Tom Montag
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