Down by the River Li: Collected Haiku

By Steve K. Bertrand

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669861607

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 © 2023 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: 01/04/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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For the Wanderers...

"So much

of who we are

is where

we have been."

-William Langewiesche

Down by the river Li,

an old man

& his grandson walking...

Preface

A Trek to the Top of Mao-er Mountain

We followed the path along the River Li, then began to climb

the foothills amongst lush green vegetation.

Took the stony trail that wound to the top of Mao-er Mountain,

& resting amongst white billowy clouds, pale sun & silver sky,

stood & gazed down upon the blue southward-flowing river.

Steve K. Bertrand

A fallen tree limb

propping

the aged apple tree up.

Dragonfly whispering

to butterfly, while hummingbird

hovers nearby.

Beneath the feeders,

bird-splattered shrubbery

in my garden.

Sometimes waves

tip-toe to the edge of beach,

sometimes they gallop.

The brown rabbit

nibbling on my garden carrot,

I leave alone.

South of the old lighthouse,

a sailboat

grounded on the rocky beach.

A ray of moonlight

falling on

the bedroom carpet.

Storm approaching –

a field of yellow tulips

lightly tremble.

The snow-capped Olympics

this morning –

right in my back yard!

Autumn afternoon –

thud of a bird

against my kitchen window.

A wooden bucket

of rainwater – where the neighbor’s dog

drinks mornings.

He protects himself

from the world

by listening to music.

Clouds so low

they kiss the top of snow-capped

Mount Baker.

Practicing yoga –

the breath leads, the body

follows.

Sometimes while running,

how close I come

to rhythm of the universe.

My feeders full –

Douglas squirrel

returns!

Touring the old house –

a dead fly in the corner

of the living room.

Walking the rocky beach –

so much life

right under my feet!

To my suet feeder

comes woodpecker, who has a place

to rest his tail.

Such a long

job interview – no lead left

in my pencil!

A leaf

scuttling through the garden,

I thought a bird.

Foggy morning –

I greet the day

with my Lion’s Breath.

Though I’ve mowed

my lawn, this doesn’t stop rabbit

from nibbling the grass.

A smile on

my grandson’s face, watching hummingbird

at my nectar feeder.

Heavy morning traffic –

a squirrel starts

across the freeway.

Saturday morning –

a fly buzzing around the empty

high school gym.

To the old

lime kiln, deer come to nibble

moss & lichen.

The cherry blossoms

beautiful, but girls who come

to view them – more so.

The path

up the mountain worn mostly

by animals.

Such a dazzling

display of lightning, thunder does

little grumbling.

One-by-one

plums drop from tree to ground –

autumn.

The metal tub

full of rainwater, where tadpoles

swim.

Some mornings

the old rooster quite content

not to sing.

Do butterflies

know anything besides youth

& vitality?

A steady wind,

& by evening – my maple tree

mostly leafless.

A Black-tailed deer

resting in