The branches wear snow caps,
fluffy hats of cotton white,
at the behest of old man winter.
Sacred Shape
When Buddha and the Madonna met
their spirits left a sacred shape
a touchstone for peace and practice.
Wind and Reeds
The river wears the weather like a skin
a snake skin she sheds from season to season
She slithers into winter, slowly slowed until dormant.
Christmas Cactus
Grandma’s flower
bursts with blooms
her Christmas joy.
Put the garden to bed
With a blanket of hay
the garden is tucked in for the winter,
snug as a bug.
Garland
Mother Nature decorates the pines with garlands of vines.
Bare
Naked branches await
their winter coats of white.
Christmas Leaves
Railroad Tie
Steel and oak.
Strength at rest.
Endurance is often silent.
In the Valley
In the quiet of the valley
farms and forest prepare themselves
for the demands of winter.
Winter Green
After the leaves are gone
lichen paints the forest green.
Curl
A frozen wave encircles the dormer window.
The tube can be ridden from inside the house
until it is dissolved by the sun.
Intensity
Morning began with a light pink sky so delicate
it could never suggest the evening it brought
and its intensity of red and orange.
Day Break
Gently comes the new day.
Pine
Powder sugar frosted pine.
Divine.
Bambino
The cement child with his faithful squirrel
wears his winter cloths
a cap and shawl of snow.
Hush
Snow covers the land with quiet,
muting the colors of Fall.
Winter’s paintbrush holds a thousand shades of grey.
Roof Tops
We are safe beneath the peaks and eves
as cold gathers in the big grey sky.
Ambition
Number 498 had a dream
to create a herd of high end sweaters.
Resting Fields
The days grow shorter, the land lays dormant.
Rest is essential to creation.
Winter will gestate Spring.
Purple and Orange
Bold as a butterfly’s wing
foliage sears color into our memory
before the white blanket of winter descends.
Wasp Nest
The masters of paper machê
built their condo in the trees
and displayed leaf flags.
Bounty
The first feast is for the eyes
colors and shapes
to feed the soul.
Blue Moon
Standing alone I saw a blue moon.
So I held onto my prayer and the dream in my heart
and both were answered in your ring of gold.
On The River
The diving ducks race each other.
Running on the surface of the water, shattering reflections,
before launching themselves into flight.
God’s speed web-footed friends.
Pine Grove
This is the spot
to rest on the plush pine needle carpet,
listen to the song of the leaves and the river
and hear the wisdom of your own heart.
Center
The pines encircle the most ancient one
who has lost her needles but not her magnificence.
Sacred is the center.
Swarm
Like a swarm of bees looking for their hive
yellow leaves flutter and buzz in the breeze.
Passing
In late fall fragile leaves delicately adorn the trees,
their transient nature intensifying their beauty.
Needles and Bark
Tiny needles and a massive trunk
are balanced in the pine,
perfect counterparts.