Bird Tracks: Collected Haiku

By Steve K. Bertrand

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664194465

Steve K. Bertrand

For this pictorial history of Paine Field, Steve K. Bertrand has selected more than 200 images from the local community, historical societies, regional libraries, and state archives. He has traced the rich history of Paine Field from its earliest days to its present status as a bustling airport and commercial aviation center. These photographs provide a glimpse into the people and events that influenced this small community in the Pacific Northwest.

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Copyright © 2021 by Steve K. Bertrand.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/17/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Everything that moves on the earth leaves a story.

-Tom Brown Jr.

Preface

Bird Tracks

Where the beach extends along the Salish Sea,

an uninhabited sandy spit,

beneath steep, clay cliffs,

carved by glaciers a million years ago,

amongst rockweed, sea oak, bladderwrack,

salal, driftwood, mossy stones,

sea whistle, sweet grass, Indian plum,

low tide, warm breeze, scarlet dawn,

just past a leaning, red-barked madrone,

a killdeer, I’d know that plover anywhere –

slender, lanky, short-billed, long-pointed tail,

brown-faced, black & white patches, bright orange-buff tail,

two black bands along the throat,

ran pigeon-toed along the water’s edge,

stopped, then quickly glanced around,

paused – then broke the stillness with his high, sharp plaintive

Kill-Deee song,

then satisfied, ran headlong down the beach,

but left his small bird tracks,

three toes facing forward & one back,

etched like words, upon the damp, illuminated sand.

Steve K. Bertrand

Through the

freshly-fallen snow –

bird tracks.

Night –

coyote offers a prayer

to Harvest moon.

Spring –

bees waiting anxiously for peonies

to blossom...

How far

dandelion spores have traveled

on gentle breeze.

He pulls

his pickup to roadside

over ripe asparagus.

The view

from my breakfast nook – squirrel perched

atop birdfeeder.

Right before the rain –

rich smell

of garden soil.

Old Man said,

"I’m not political. It helps reduce

indigestion."

She falls asleep

to coyote songs, wakes to

owl songs.

Saturday morning –

lying in bed, Old Woman clings

to her dreams.

Just look at crow –

showing off

his hoarded treasures!

How easily

the wolves pass amongst trees

of the forest.

Above the Salish Sea,

a skin of clouds

haze the full moon.

Sometimes –

Bush crickets singing in

the ripe mint field.

All day looking down

at nonsense – sky has a good reason

to be brooding.

Winter –

geese resting in a stubbled

cornfield.

Sunday’s

packed church parking lot –

empty on Monday.

What separates

a man from wolf – why, the sharpness

of his flint blade.

Winter sun –

pretty to look upon, but

little warmth.

Family dog –

acting more & more like

the mischievous kids.

Winter –

river cutting side channels

across the bar.

All day boating,

then – pitching & yawing

in my sleep.

Boating on

Lake Chelan – whitewater

rooster tail.

The mossy, aged oak

with its arthritic

fingers pointed at moon.

They buried

Old Man by an aged oak

where wild birds sing.

The nature

of dogs – always sniffing

something.

Ah, to be

as free as a flock of birds

in flight.

Salish Sea -

a flock of cormorants floating

on the tide...

Old Man –

most content in his fleece

pajama bottoms.

Every afternoon –

mailman walking his neighborhood

route.

In flowered meadow,

high above an alpine lake –

mountain goats