Pampas grass flags
document the speed and direction of the wind.
Nest
Winter laid an egg of snow
for March to roost upon
we’ll count the days until the hatch
of finely feathered spring.
Before the Storm
the sky gathers greyness and weight
and pushes itself upon us blanketing us with
anticipation in the stillness and the stirring smell of approaching snow.
Hydrangea
As you hover on the edge of Spring,
your youthful summer color is long departed
and in its stead stands the eloquence of aging with grace.
Wide Sky
The southern wind announces Spring is on her way to us.
These clouds are ruffles on her petticoats.
Mountains beyond Mountains
You may recognize the mountain by name or shape
but to truly know her is to walk the contours of her mass,
to watch her reveal the secrets of the seasons,
to remember and to feel the spirits of all the other feet
who have touched her and whose hearts have found home.
Frozen Memory
I dreamed of the marsh in winter
and saw tawny wheat growing in sand as soft as a cloud.
Two Trees
These trees wear their limbs
like curly haired twins.
Sugaring
First the sap runs, then drum drum drums
drop by drop into the buckets.
Soon to be simmered, then rolling boiled into maple syrup.
Oh that sweet sweet nectar of the mountain.
Paradise
resides right outside my window.
Stand of Birch
Their feet close together
the birch stand shoulder to shoulder
weathering all seasons.
Jacob’s Brook
Before Me
Red flags in a blue sky
reminders to
stop for beauty.
Sunbeam
Illumination comes from above
lighting that which lies within.
Tundra
This winter’s frozen landscape
turns the familiar field into an alien surface
the dark side of the moon.
Winter Conspiracy
Comrades of the cold
the trees and the river share and keep
their secrets of the silent season.
Blue Sky through Pines
The afternoon sky’s hues of blue
momentarily quenched my thirst for Spring.
Affection
The earth smiles
when the field is kissed by the sun.
Delicate
Tree Bones
Weathered by the seasons
bleached by the sun
the bones of the tree remain.
Couples
Two by two
it’s best when your partner
doesn’t look exactly like you.
February Afternoon
Cozy on the couch beneath the quilt
daydreams gather and drift by like the clouds.
The Sound of Color
Morning light
sings my heart’s song.
Grey
The February forest offers
ten thousand shades of grey,
haven for the mourning dove.
Black Bird
Singing in the tree tops
perched higher than your high note
morning is your muse.
Ridge
Just over the ridge
reside my dreams of Spring.
Leafy trees and blooming things;
the sun’s warm embrace, kisses on my face.
Beautiful Day
A lace of branches
across the painted sky
the world is dressed up
and waiting for time to pass by.
Dormant
Four fallow fields full of snow
hold their place on the mountain side
patiently waiting for Spring to arrive.
Leafless
Black branches against brilliant blue
whispers of clouds wandering by
winter’s silhouette.
Lightening Tree
Immortalized by lightening strike
the tree’s remains are a monument to itself.