Song of Winter

Late winter afternoon.
A dream,
Of soft, easy light.
Where hope hangs from delicate branches
Stretched across the wind.
.
.
Here,
This wind roots out bits of summer,
Then sends them across the fields,
Sailing to quiet places of rest.
Out there they come together,
And find it all again.
.
In this wind, everything is big.
Telling all our stories at once
Whispering…
Stammering…
Caressing…
While singing comfort songs
From far away over [...]

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Leaving Autumn Dreams Behind (with much reluctance)

Endless, golden October afternoon
.
There we found our river,
A simple quiet.
Our place.
.
Along ocean sand.
Under a setting November sun.
Another afternoon for us
Each walking little paths,
Soon shared.
.
Returning,
We convened with water.
Falling from dark December skies.
We found ourselves then.
Picking up little bits
of the dreams to
Hold us tight.
.
We wondered along the creek
Through snow, woods and
All along the grassy hills.
.
Together,
At year’s end [...]

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The Places They Go

Nobody heralded the arrival of winter this year.
Soon enough, days hang still
Here we are.
On the cusp, the trailing end of something.
Unannounced winter.
.
Leaden December sky,
Look west and see apricot sunshine
Spilling over everything.
Tell me your secrets here on the edge.
.
Tomorrow the children will gather here
The snow gone in the oak woodlands
In the valley, the first flower peeks [...]

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Descent into winter

These days
Falling into hushed calm
Of mornings lingering
And afternoons brief.
I cannot say
Those fearful words
We’re done
And yet you persist
And I find you there.
Find me again
Along the river
Starved for rain
As I gather the last memories
As fast as I can.

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Night terrors

Waking into darkness
A dream lingers
Disturbed and unwanted.
.
A dream like spilled milk
Across a table
Soaking into linen.
Never undone.
.
Instantly, everywhere, spilling milk.
Now part of this,
A moment unchosen.
.
Beginning easy,
Then running and
Pouring rampant
Into nameless unease.
.
Dream dripping onto floor
Spreading and soaking.
Waking me.
A memory uncontrolled.
.
A fear pushing inside,
In darkness.
Asleep, powerless, unable.
.
Everywhere, or just somewhere,
A fear spreading
Inside, outside,
And, finally, into my bones.
Unseen.
.
This [...]

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Downpour Priorities

Sudden rain moves across our conversation
Out the café window.
My eyes turn round,
Following the watery sheets,
Or dreaming again.
.
I feel your eyes on my face
Yet I don’t turn to see,
Held, instead, by wet passersby.
Except from the corner I can feel
How deeply you can look.
.
And I can’t turn now, fearful
Break your gaze, then what?
But I should, easy enough
Forgetting [...]

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Sitting on a Rock in Late October

Find me along the river
Dreaming in golden afternoons
Telling of long summers
Not yet ended.

Find me holding you there
Lightly to a touch
We tell all those things
Seen along the way.

Will you still be here
With springtime?
April showers perhaps?
And scurry for cover
Under the mossy rock ledge?

Will you show me those places
Only you might see
on a starry night?

Maybe, then, we might [...]

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Emerald Velvet

A golden maple leaf
While falling
Tells the story
Of Spring, Summer, Autumn.

Dropping on a wind
That left yesterday.
Beneath clouds hanging low
Clouds hiding more mountains behind

Soft hiss of light rain on water
This river now whispers winter.

Down here
A quiet singing surrounds
Sounding like
Emerald velvet sliding
Over little slate pebbles.

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The Wonderful Life of Cobblestones

Always afterwards.
And, with a pause,
A recognition,
Smack dab in the middle.
This is it!
Then returning,
Ascending maybe,
Into this intensely focused moment.
All around,
Quiet work takes place.
All these things, for now,
Hushed and hurried
In a purposeful way.
Everywhere there is movement.
And it’s just a moment
Passing too soon.

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Finding grace

Breakfast with a side of grace, please

These things would have blackened
Like little drops of blood
Sprinkled in a flowerpot.

Becoming festering blisters
Across a life already too beautiful.

I would not have walked away happy.
Because you explained to me, gently,
In the most gracious way you could.

And I want to hear “Not yet”
And I cradle this idea in deep satisfaction.
As [...]

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