Beauty finds me

Too weary

to look for beauty

Beauty

finds me

as the light

finds the spaces between

to shine through

262/693

 

Gray again

 

Adrift

in an upside-down

wind-tossed sea

There is blue

beneath the gray

There are islands

of calm

in an ocean

of storms

There is

another day

waiting

Sun

Light

Tomorrow

261/692

Embrace the day

Dawn

opens its arms

and I open mine

to embrace the day

260/691

 

Warm blue

 

Lady Sun

kisses away

frost

lingering

in the shadows

and beams

on the new-frozen

pond

which sparkles coyly

in return

Above

benevolent

the sky soars

warm blue

and

endless

259/690

Holiday hush

Our human hum

muted

to a holiday hush

Tall grasses

whisper

heads together

and geese at rest

call encouragement

birds whistle

peep and scold

and squirrels

scold back

and the wind

murmurs

soft goodbyes

to autumn

258/689

 

The good work

 

The woods

are working

fungus

and insect

time

and water

recycling

reclaiming

Unseen work

Slow work

Good work

257/688

Washed out

 

A day

of gray

of swimming

against

the metaphorical current

that still feels

strong enough

to sweep me away

I feel

as fragile

as a leaf

worn

by water

and wind

til only a

whisper

of color remains

256/687

In memory

He also

kept feathers

in a bottle

and thimbles

and wooden spools

driftwood

dried flowers

blue vials

once buried

in the grove

Seeds harvested

from a public garden

and the backyard

These tangible

markers

of fleeting beauty

you can hold 

in your hands

and remember

255/686

In memory of Richard Hamlow 11/23/2011

 

Unfurling

 

Let hope

unfurl

hope

like leaves

emerging

from roots

hidden

and deep

254/685

Bared

 

Not running

from anxiety

but running

toward

what will

blow it away

like the last

of the leaves

that skitter across

almost invisible ice

before

floating away

leaving

my soul

light as 

bare branches

opening

to blue sky

253/684

Faces

 

Is it ego

that sees

faces

making nature

a mirror

for our narcissitic

self-love?

Or is it

kinship

the recognition

of brothers

and sisters

in every cloud

rock

and tree?

252/683

Basking

Like a flower

like a dizzy bee

like a cat

curled and cozy

like a stream

sparkling

and singing

like every living thing

I bask

and breathe

in your glowing 

grace

Lady Sun

251/682

 

Ascending

The wind roars

determined

perhaps

to sweep earth

clean

of our trash

Newspapers shred

against chain link

and flimsy plastic cups

tumble

Lids take flight

alien space craft

and bags enshroud

bare bushes

A lone white bird banks

then beats against

the gale

finally catching

a friendly current

and ascending

250/681

 

Ancient

 

Your lines

and mine

a map

of time

which is

of course

relative

Your century

my half century

Even more ancient

is the river

that feeds

the lake to the west

Its waters

have carved lines

across the land

this map

of eons

249/680

November between

 

Between flowing

and frozen

green

and gray

before solstice

before Christmas

before January's

stoicism

or February's

marathon

before March

feints

and Spring

plays hide and seek

November waits

248/679

Memory's garden

 

In the gardens

of my memory

it is the season

I most long for

Today 

it is summer

the sky transluscent blue

and filled with dragonflies

leaves green and fragrant

flowers nodding hello

fountains playing

with the light

and singing

to the morning

247/678

Creatures

Face exposed

to the raw wind

under a heavy sky

smudged with coming rain

I picture

summer creatures

curled

in beds of leaves

under the weight

of early snow

sleeping

their winter sleep

Not to far away

I hear the geese

gathering

to make

their journey

southward

I remain

back to the wind

with the winter creatures

braced

for the season

ahead

246/677

 

Wink

 

Sister Moon

winks

over her shoulder

at a nearby planet

Two late night

companions

bidding farewell

before

sunrise

245/676

Sheltering

 

I'm no hothouse flower

no delicate orchid

groomed

and misted

and sheletered

in perpetual

artificial summer

Yet

today

I want to curl up

with my oasis

of green

and dream

of warmer

seasons

244/675

Pastel afternoon

 

As afternoon

fades

Lady Sun

paints new snow

in pale pastels

petal pink

ice blue

faded violet

243/674

Snow again

You came too soon

but

this time

I am resigned

When the dark comes

early

and the wind

starts to insinuate

into all the cracks

and corners

it's just time

The next forecast

The next season

Time to weather

the weather

and adapt

242/673

 

In search of

I page through

my memories

in search

of color

of summer

of sun

Shorter days

and colder

are coming

For now

I wrap myself

in red

gold

and green

241/672

 

Advisory

 

The last

of the leaves

tear by

at 30 miles per hour

    as fast as the cars

on the street

below

The trees

bow to each other

and a cloud scurries

in and out

of view

This wind

brings change

not all of it

welcome

240/671

Farewell song

 

Warm

but the wind

whispers

change

a hint

of cold

to come

Geese

gather

their calls

converging

into a chorus

a farewell song

to autumn's

passing

239/670

Dawn 11/6

 

I choose

this time

over

any other time

Though sunset

blazes

with colors as

brilliant and deep

Though a summer day

is long

luxurious

in its green heat

Though a winter afternoon

dazzles

with blinding snow

sparkling like a field of stars

Dawn

invites

contemplation

of color and quiet

a new day

another chance

renewal

hope

238/669

Spirit of summer

 

I whimsically

imagine

this feather cloud

this proud plume

is the spirit

of summer

spreading

its wings

for a final flight

broad

benevolent

beaming

237/668

Autumn's austerity

 

Walking away from

or to

ending

or beginning

dead or sleeping

or waiting or growing

Autumn's austerity

reveals

a circle

not an end

236/667

Strange joy

 

This momentary

return

of sun and warmth

though trees are bare

and 

a few stubborn piles

of dirty snow

slow to melt

brings on

a lightness

a giddiness

despite

the conviction

this won't last

This won't last

but winter

won't

either

235/666

Invitation

 

Lady Sun whispers

Run away with me

Follow me west

to the ocean

to where the days are long

We'll dip our toes

in the surf

and I'll spread my red skirts

on the waves

We'll stand together

at the edge

of the world

234/665

Duet

Lady Sun

and the river

sooth

my troubled heart

with dancing light

and musical waves

233/664