that wide blue sky
a living proof
warmer days will not be denied
Snow Queens
lacy queens patiently sit
for their still life portrait
by the pond
Understanding
the pond’s edge
the reach of shadows
winter renders a new view
and understanding of the familiar
Exposure
starkness unveils
beauty’s vulnerabilities
Queen Anne
in her final season
still she reigns supreme
Tree Tales
their shadows tell the stories
the trees themselves
cannot utter
Submerged
a fallen leaf
in the not yet frozen pond
reaches for the sky
Sun Dance
Sunlight glittered
in the cold
dancing on the pond
Ray
a shaft of sunlight
holds the pond open
Layers
the pond is a mirror
that magnifies beauty
Liquid Leaves
The pond and wind
conspired
to turn the leaves to liquid.
Water Iris
petals cascade
a liquid lavender blue
the bloom – a fountain
Monet’s Pond
Trees and water,
shadows and light,
shimmer and ripple,
paint today’s ephemeral masterpiece
Familiar Stranger
A goose glides around the pond
keeping company with its reflection.
The Prince
catches flies
to pass the time,
dreaming of his princess’s kiss.
Perched
In the cattails
the blackbird
ponders his song.
Debut
Next year’s chorus of peepers
waits and gestates in the watery wings.
Rising
The sun’s warming rays
reach the depths of the pond
summoning fish to the surface.
Frosty Morn
The pond has broken winter’s icy hold
but the land struggles to shrug off the frosty morning cold.
Beneath
A thin blanket of snow covers the pond
concealing the secret lives of fish.
Metamorphosis
The freezing pond
becomes a verdant marble.
January Thaw
Only shadows dare
skate across the pond.
Connection
The bench by the pond
my meeting place with God.
Entirety
rain drops into the pond
ripples merge
into the whole.
Open Door
The pond frogs serenade the cows
with an early evening lullaby
when the barn doors are open.
Summer Snow
Water lilies adorn the pond
Summer’s snowflakes
The View from Heaven
Nature will keep the pond’s promise that the world will green itself in Spring.
Things may appear upside-down, but everything is as it should be.
Math
The winter term is in session.
The pond provides a lesson in icy geometry.
Pond Side
Dusk sweeps in on a sparrow’s wing.
Freezing Reflection
The ice erases
the sky and trees
as it creeps across the pond.