Gray Ghosts on a Misty Morning

Soft misty morning;
Gray ghosts take over the trees.
Owl hoots far away.

Ahead there's blankness;
Mist absorbs all sight and sound.
Then the rushing stream.

I strain for a sound;
Fog envelopes everything.
My ears are ringing.

The woods are soggy;
Water comes from all around,
Flowing and seeping.












The familiar bend,
Mysterious in the fog.
Unseen dog barks.

Is it mist or rain?
Soft moisture touches my face.
Clouds are descending.












Racing by the road,
Small waterfalls tumble down
Rushing to spring time.

With its fog lights on
Pick up truck swishes past me
Its tires slap wetly.

Inside, the goats bleat;
Outside, warm pungent hay smell;
I head for my door.

Humming transformer
Breaks through the morning stillness;
In the blue sky--a plane.

Like fuzzy statue
Schnauzer sits still on the snow;
Must have a cold butt.








On the frozen road
Spider webs of ice spin out,
Ornate--treacherous.












Nobody's here now;
Door swung open blocked by snow;
Next door the dogs bark.







Patches of dark ice
Spread out along the roadside
Almost blending in.

The snow bank's ridges
Are cast darkly on the road--
A joke of the sun.

After the deluge
Water drips through exposed roots;
Stream bubbles again.

From beneath the snow
Water rushes next to road--
Solid to liquid.

Racing down the rocks
Water falls relentlessly
Surrounded by snow.

White line in the sky
Cutting across the blue heaven
Fading instantly.

Digging and chirping
Little people shovel snow--
It's all just a game.

Sun plays hide and seek;
Wood smoke drifts over the roof;
Lone dove coos on wire.

Mirrors in the stream
Reflect the icy gray sky
And shimmer slowly.

Green and flourishing:
Ivy on the snow capped trunk
Defying winter.








Overwhelmed by snow
Back of the mailbox peeks out--
No delivery.

Winding through the rock
The slim tree trunk emerges
To reach for the sky.












Now covered with snow
Abandoned nest high in the tree.
Two crows caw in woods.

In the road ahead
Deer runs to the other side
In blink of an eye.












Bowed down by the snow
Fir tree almost touches ground--
Homage to winter.

Birds are singing now;
Sun is out, snow fall has stopped.
A car slushes past.






Sleek mound in the snow
Curves and bends like a sculpture;
A car is beneath.

Falling white snow clumps
Detach themselves from the trees,
Land with a whisper.









The driveways are closed;
Dried lilacs are capped with snow;
Only cars make noise.

Descending snow clumps
Burst silently on the road;
Then whirling white wisps.









Gnarled one eyed tree stump
Stares dolefully through the snow
At endless whiteness.

Snow fills old washer
But it is already clean;
Just has to sit there.

Now the sun is warm;
Large snow clumps fall with a crash.
The icicles drip.

Morning light on snow;
Sharp shadows on the barn roof;
A cloudless blue sky.







Frozen mounds of snow
Stand like statues in the field.
The children have gone.

Sparkling ice flowers
Bloom within the running stream.
They are relentless.

Snow ghost on the stump
Peers blankly through the brambles.
A school bus drives past.

Motionless red flash
Makes the brambles come to life;
Cardinal is waiting.











In the bare brambles
Frozen piece of snow is trapped--
February prey.

Hanging by a thread
Dead leaf trembles in the wind.
Why does it survive?

Buried in snow bank
Trash can and mailbox emerge--
A work in progress.

Sculptured white and brown
Twisted tree transformed by snow.
Crow sits beyond it.










Icy stream still runs
Cutting through the frozen banks--
Black swath--endless white.

Beaten up mailbox
Choked with and covered with snow.
Nobody is home.












An endless driveway
Winds through the whitened forest;
Soundless snow clumps fall.

Falling to the road
Snow clumps burst into whiteness
Like stars descending.












Moving up the tree
Snow seems to be ascending;
A winter secret.

Wooden tentacles
Surround the tree and reach out
Seeking to entwine.

Hanging ice flowers
Bloom again over the stream,
Translucent and changed.

The road is empty;
Two crows caw from their high perch.
Snow falls without sound.

Whiteness everywhere;
Silent lines of snow slant down.
Look! There are footprints!









With an open mouth
The mailbox sticks out its tongue
And catches the snow.

Now the flakes are large;
One catches on my eyelid
And then disappears.












Ahead in the snow:
Woman with green umbrella.
(She's from the city).

High above the snow
A plane hums along its way
Leaving white silence.

Trees are frosted white;
Branches are no longer bare--
Silhouettes of snow.

The car moves slowly,
Crawling on the whitened road--
Power of snow flakes.

It's a 3-D day;
Snow bank shadows are sharpened;
Sun gives the trees depth.

Car stops near me;
Dear old friend extends his hand.
We touch and depart.









Slush is crystalline,
Frozen solid glistening.
Beyond, the stream runs.

Car slowly crackles,
Backing out of the driveway;
Then rushes away.









Dark swooping shadows
Caress the curving snow banks.
Dead leaves shake in wind.

Black and white cat sits
Near the snow, next to white house:
Black on white on white.

Here the water runs
Under an icicle bridge--
Its frozen cousin.

Cloud has crossed the sun;
A chill wind blows in my ears.
Now it's bright again.