The Kiss of Winter

"You looking at me?"

Lady cardinal regards me--

Then goes on eating.

A flurry of birds

Takes the place of the snow fall

Which is soon to come.

Still stuck in the leaves

Red piece of plastic survives

It its "out of" place.

Solitary bird

Perched on the electric  wire--

Poof! And then it's gone.

Small flower of ice

Blooms above the rushing stream.

(Beyond, water's calm).

Just the ice remains

At the bottom of the stream bed.

Winter takes its turn.

Large pile of stacked wood

Stands next to the empty house--

No people. No fire.

The field is frosted

With a layer of whiteness--

The kiss of winter.

In State of No Mind

Bare forsythia

Lights up in the bright sunlight;

Winter meets the Spring.

Sunlight is so bright

That branches seem like shadows

Beneath the green fir.

Standing and chewing

Two cows seem meditative--

In state of no mind.

In front of the flock

Rooster walks in dignity.

He is number one.

The play of sunshine

On the rushing stream water

Echoes its soft song.

Wood fence is rippling

Soft shadows along the road;

Keeping out the ghosts.

High up in the woods

A flat slab sits on a stump.

(What is the purpose?)

Its head on the ground

Excavator takes a rest,

Its mouth full of food.

December Spring Time

 Shadows disappear;

Sun's hiding behind the clouds;

Wind chime swings softly.

Warm enough for Spring;

Yet it's early December;

Where has the time gone?

Through the wire fence

Reflections in the puddle--

The sky is on earth!

The fuzzy bear crawls

Slowly across the wide road;

He's five months too late.

Piled against the fence

Some melting snow piles remain:

December Spring time.

The two trash cans lie

Beyond the fallen globe post.

(There is no one home.)

Fungi congregate

Taking food from the tree stump:

A circle of life.

A drop of liquid

Falls softly upon my lip;

Is it rain or snow?

That Light is Temporal

A flurry of birds

Gathers around the feeder;

They keep on coming.

Sun's ruling the clouds;

Snow banks seem like yesterday.

Still, it's December.

Shadows etch the trees

Leaving temporary marks

Just for an instant.

The birds seem to know

When the weather is joyful;

They keep on singing.

A cloud blocks the sun

Giving us a reminder

That light is temporal.

Fallen fence post points

Through the shadows to the ladder

Which scales the tree tops.

The moss covered rock

Now hosting some new green plants

Sits soft in the sun.

Hanging in the woods

Flags of many colors wave

Without a purpose.