too early spring

a mite warmer
the beginnings of the days
when Earl would be
loading his van at dawn
stomping his feet, impatient
over a mug of now cold coffee
at the golf course
waiting until he could loosed
onto the fairway
i miss him so

tea and listening

two close dear friends
each giving
laughing
talking full out
during our two-hour
lunches
i don’t get
a word in edgewise
with either one
but
love them both

homeless

osprey, dangling meter-long stick
looks out from man-made platform
where, for years now
he and his mate
had patiently built untidy
heavy nest atop the utility pole
neither “no longer endangering the wire”
nor “fresh start on our true dream home”
shown from his predator’s eye

aurorahead

strands of hair
painted with broad brush and
wrapped in tin foil
baked under the dryer
rinsed in chill water
fluffed and combed
old lady now
rather than silver
blue, pink, purple, and teal
joyful hair the colors
of the northern lights

dancing in a cloud

fog settles
i twirl within the mist
understanding the physical science
captured by the exhilaration

thanking yang

after reading YIN by Paulann Petersen

the sheer joy of free-fall
the exhilaration of hell-bent
in many ways has been bought
for us by the myth of male superiority
if we women are weak, petty, dependent or failures
it was only to be expected
only a man is destined to be a masterly success
uppity women, strong within themselves,
are the exceptions
the freedom, if you are strong, bold, brave,
to plunge over the falls
that is a mostly unacknowledged gift
from boys bound into the rock
are pressured to believe defines them
oh, to have that freedom
the growing heritage
of every growing child

bob

i squealed and danced
hurried from window to window
as he sauntered by
sure my back yard was
a corridor of his kingdom
on his foothill
of the coastal range
grown some
now a youth
shoulders huskier
fur darker
but the rosettes
i’d so glowed over
first seeing when
he’d stalked the edge
of my yard as a cub
stood out even more grandly
if he heard my delight
he was far too regal
to deign to acknowledge
but merely stepped beside the blackberry bushes
on the slope and disappeared
amid tall grasses
in the lower field

columbia river gorge

spectacular photo
from oregon ridge
upstream of the gorge
side by side
with image of same view
with heat sensitive film
a whole new world
opens
a new way to see
a new fountain
of privilege
and joy
for which to give
thanks to the Lord

edge

at the outermost
electron, atom, molecule, person
sense the void in attraction
turn inward
back toward self
and near neighbor
increasing surface tension
that allows the cup
to be filled above its rim
creating film, skin
barrier
between us and
them

March super moon

scuffling with dark clouds
March super moon chuckles
as he ducks behind
peers from among
emerges only to draw
blue haze coyly
across his blushing full face
his orange-gold tone
in complementary contrast
tiring, finally
of earthly games
though near
in oval orbit
glides forth
in clear, dark sky
brilliant, glistening
white now
proud, reflective
of the power
of the sun
a beacon and companion
of earth’s night