Tie your daydreams to the dock
and watch the diamond dance of sunshine on water
as summer slides into fall.
Bridge
The span links neighbor to neighbor,
above the river, across state lines.
Community knows no jurisdiction.
Wind Chime
It is the breath of the divine
that makes the chime sound.
Cement Squirrel
It is the magic of care and whimsey
that moves you from spot to spot
to enjoy the views of the garden.
Window Box
When the old red barn is dressed up with a window box
not even the high noon sun can wilt away
her pretty-fication.
Hearts
Tender hearts bear their leafy souls
to the sun and the weather of the day
as the wind chime cheers them on
and a spider’s web holds them up.
Birdhouse
The babies have feathered and flown.
It is time to wing to the South.
Your house holds the echo of your song,
and awaits your return in the spring.
Nearness
Tim
seeks me
in the garden
small
white
butterfly
always
hovering
nearby
Ghost
that I glimpse
from the side of my eye
Darting through blossoms
resting on leaves
taking advantage of sunshine and breeze
Pointing out a shapely cloud
waiting on my mailbox
inquisitive antenna cocked
Reminding me
as mortality
rages on
death
is not
the final stop.
Tim Mann, dear friend and fellow traveler,
you are remembered.
Charlotte
Charlotte, my dear,
I’d prefer it if you
left your messages outside.
Family Farm
The fields empty at dusk.
The kitchen fills with the sound of hungry forks
and the quiet of resting work boots.
Rest
Until the crops have given their full yield
you may rest in the high weeds with the moon flower.
When it is time to till again you will carry the full weight of a man and his dreams.
Reeds
When the reeds begin to sing their rustling song of early Fall
the geese know it is time to prepare for their pilgrimage south.
Reflections
The images of the day
roll across the river’s surface.
A moving picture that will only show once.
Flower Farm
Shoulder high your flowers grow
row after row
awaiting their service of solace or celebration.
Dark Clouds
Seek shelter from the gathering storm.
Let faith be a blanket that keeps you warm.
Door Yard
I will pick a bouquet
of rosemary, sage, thyme and lemon grass
to honor and adorn tonight’s chicken.
Round the Bend
When the present arrives
suddenly and surely like a train
the past is left behind
and the future is forever before us.
Staked Claim
Nestled against the mountain,
tucked beneath a tree,
only the residents know the way in.
Green Mountains
You seem to extend into eternity.
Next to you I know my smallness is the right size.
I am a necessary fragment of your wholeness.
Meadow
This is where the dragonflies play
on lazy summer days.
Paradise is at your feet.
Jalopy
All your miles brought you to this empty field.
Doors are flung wide, frozen in time,
your driver and passenger eternally on the run.
Fields
The fields form a patchwork quilt,
a growing green cover that reaches from the river bank to the mountains.
Tied together with labor and nurture for the purpose of sustenance.
Sweet Corn
Hot days make you tall.
Cool nights keep you sweet.
When your tassels droop, we will come for you.
Wood Lace
Delicate adornment,
lichen lace modestly covers
the crotch of branch and trunk.
Lavender Glooming
When the afternoon melts into dusk and evening is on the rise
new dreams are born in shadows and cloud forms
as old dreams disperse with the day.
Goldenrod
Knighted by Queen Anne
Goldenrod is a nobleman
loyal guardian of Her Majesty’s meadow.
Dear John Deer
In August, with your metal seat as hot as a branding iron,
you rumble across the fields, chewing rocks and cutting grass.
True champion of summer.
Yard Art
At the charming roadside stand wait
garden embellishments for tourists.
Paper weights for memories.
Jersey Girl
Docile and dainty,
your genial disposition
makes you the queen of the dairy.
Bloom
What’s your story Morning Glory?
Trumpeting delight in each new day.
