full moon midnight

lawn and porch

windows awash

as on a cloudy morning

with anemic light

as though reflection

had devoured

its radiant core

of colors

held as a living

vibrant whole

pacific palette

never triumphed

in the art

of creating grays

the ocean pounds on

twilit, ashy, leaden

subtle, cinerous, sallow

etiolated, wild, griseous

gray-green, gray-blue

gossamer, glib, grizzled,

melanotic, sloe, silken

silvered, moon-shimmered

arrogance’s dark energy

it isn’t one man’s fault

so many have hung their hopes

on vacuous promises

because we privileged

have not even tried to see

their value or their needs

if we are to come together

(as we never really have been)

compassion and humility

are perhaps our only true hope

cross-speaking

i send instructions

into the void

and hope

they are read

understood

and directions followed

then, frustrated

try to clear up the mess

it seems computers

do not communicate

much more directly

than people do

cacophony of longing

cacophony of comment

and laughter on ZOOM

extended family

New York to Omaha to Portland

choosing white elephant gifts

by packaging, or stealing

the one thing, opened,

that looked useful

we watch the tiny images

trying to savor flickering shadows

of those we see without touching

love sustained on ether

holiday encounter

chuckling jabs

family gossip

prayers for pain

quiet assurance

of continued

loving support

concert of joy

gentle touch on ivory keys

carols born of tenderness

draw my croaking alto

my daughter’s busy schedule

neglected for a time

of joyous gift of herself

on Christmas eve

neighbor

over the years

nearly all my neighbors

have heard without being told

seen without being shown

given without being asked

filled needs quietly

often without letting me know who

often the love message enfolds

unbidden, unexpected

still and small

lemme in

broad december beach

wind to lift kite from sand

     swoop it in dives

        and lifts to dive again

     over the heads of friends

who finally invite the flier

to join their game of catch

bond of laughter

the small, the simple

the moments that give

joy far beyond their weight

my husband was a humbug man

who scowled at first

with my sudden fits of chuckles

he learned to observe with me

by our final years to point out

so we could laugh together