Golden Tundra

Tuesday morning raining hard
across tundra, autumn gold
in this cabin far removed
from the common mold,
Came here to spend some time
to supervise the dogs
feed them each, take long hikes
through the morning fog,

And when the night creeps on in
darkness fills the void
the moon and stars above the clouds
sleeping bags unrolled,
Pour a glass of drug store wine
past its best-by date
we wonder where we would be
had we not met so late,

Out of college, long ago
Chicago or Des Moines
Illinois - Iowa
some roadside pay phone,
Can of beer, cigarette
money for the call
voice says “yes, please do”
as summer turns to fall,

Now we’re here, far away
north of the Alaska Range
pretending we are kids, again
a feeling rather strange,
Rolling on a stranger’s bed
perhaps this was fated
that distant Iowa cornfield
where we first copulated,

Then we drifted well apart
then back together
often in the fall
with the changing weather,
We fall asleep together
the dogs on the floor
and, like before, at 3 a.m.
we both yearn for more …