Paint & Poetry: Summer 2026

Enantiodromia
by Orion Kubat

the days have finally caught their breath
as the sun rests long in the blue skies
over forests bluish in the distance.
somewhere a river prescinds from its high-water mark,
remnants of spring cascades,
gurgling along gently, clear once again.
with the grass green and the grains golden
Montana’s enantiodromia has gone from bleak
to verdant in splendid fashion.
now is the time for long rides on bikes
in the foothills and treks to mountain peaks
while fly fishermen soothe their hooks over crystal waters.
the latent sunsets blaze the sky in fiery palettes
til the stars come out, pulsing as they shine.
and we, participants in summer’s effervescence,
dance around like dingledodies
amidst the forests and mountains and rivers and valleys
ever yearning for more time.
time for stargazing, trailblazing, and storm chasing
and time for recollecting it all.
so as we dance, we savor the music playing all around,
keeping time to the vivacious rhythm of the season.

GNP
by Orion Kubat

huckleberries the size of your pinky finger,
lurking around alpine locks,
ancient mountain goats, statuesque, linger,
dancing around glaciated rocks,
skies so narrow next to the rock wall peaks,
failing to forewarn fatal thunder,
rams furtively slip through flora streaks,
grazing on their painted plunder,
birds flit high and low in startling motion
or else perch, starkly wide-eyed,
yellow-bellied marmots in rock chucking devotion,
scuttling away with minimal chide.
the trail cuts through generally unnoticed,
a brown scar slicing around in some protest
while wanderers walk along to explore
‘untouched’ nature, looking for wild lore.
disturbing the peace remains a crime
only in humankind’s world of grime.
the earth will scream if we are not its own;
we will scream if we are not the ones who own,
unless inherent harmonious existence is
all we own.

River Moment
by Samuel Allen

Glass seam bubbles bugs surge rising
Riding the surf. Slurped through swirls
Snowy white and whet spikes.

Currents curl bent behind rock, and stones
Swim flaring frantic and afraid of sheen
Flashes. The deep blue beast submerged

Swift and slimed and beauty not known.
He’s hiding now she’s not. Such fools
Paddle and glistening rainbows spotted

Spheroids sunken in a mask of slag
From fire eyes and claws fly high
And dive fragile are the feathered fish.

Rafter’s Toast
by Kent Kasting

May your runs be crisp and clean,
may you always be on the bubble line,
may your dunnage be snuggly secured,
and may the bottom of your raft never see the light of day.