Croatia Poems

Zagreb

Cobblestone Street

migrate backwards under our feet

which float in one place

over a drifting city sea.

Hrovatski, a sign says,

and it blinks neon eyelashes back at us

before disappearing in a wave of

cafe chairs, umbrellas, and beer bottles.

I'm sipping sunrise, twirling a

shiny kuna in my hand, and

my cousin downs fiery vodka

smirking.

The sounds of laughter, friendly

advice, American music with a deep

beat, they all

curl around our ears, our hands, our

feet.

We fly on through the Croatian dream.

There once was a Croatian man

who came up with a non-drinking plan.

But it wasn't far

til he entered a bar-

there was one wherever he ran.

Korona

What is is about cats

that makes them lie just so

spread out in the sun

surreptitiously sinking through bushes

only moments before

in order to get to their favorite side of

the river.

He's like a tiny child, laid out to bed

but I know inside his head

he's plotting.

Green Korona

flowery tryst

do you deny the shadows of

your village mist?

Clichéd Korona

soulful prayer

Rise past heaven

carry my wishes there.

Plitvice

The lakes wear sapphire jewels

fern lipstick to accent

emerald iris pools

that twinkle upon reflection.

A foamy tear, or is a hair ringlet,

slaps onto slippery rocky feet

or slips through hanging moss beards.

If alcohol in Zagreb can ruin a liver

this place can do twice as much damage

because beauty is twice as addicting.

River

waterfalls taste like

nothing perfumes that spray me

with angel whispers

Paklenica

Hark!

A lark!

in Paklenica Park!

It flies in the dark

is eaten by sharks

and makes sounds like barks.

Mr friend Mark

called it a Snark.