Snow Banks Fade Away

Sun lit strawberries
Sit on my kitchen table
As the birds grab seeds.

 

Flashing in the sun--
Translucent wings fluttering
Swiftly as the light.

 

Snow banks fade away,
Just dirty little remnants
Of a white winter.

 

 

 

Knot holes in the trees
Give dimensionality
And secret portals.

It leans each winter
Road sign veering to the left--
Defeated by the snow.

Three newspapers lie
At the end of the driveway
Untouched and unread.

Three nails and blank wood
Mark the sign without meaning.
The letters are gone.

Snow drops  keep rising
On the soft moistened spring earth.
Marking the season.

A Roadside Driftwood

Another gray day;
Not a small speck of sunshine--
The price of Springtime.

 

The fat chickadee
Sits on the seeds, eats his fill.
(Uh oh! Here comes the squirrel!)

 

What's that on my chair?
A new form of fluff pillow?
Percy--the Schnauzer!

 

 Sun and clouds playing;
Each determining the other.
Light over darkness.

 

The wind is roaring;
Leaves are thrown into the sky;
The phone lines tremble. 

Chickens in the woods
Follow each other's asses,
(As chickens will do)

Puddle has transformed;
It has become a small pond--
Incipient lake.

 Pointing to the north,
Dead branch lies at the wood's edge;
A roadside driftwood.

Dead stump convention
Melts further into the earth;
Soon it will be gone.

My backyard vista
Stretches from the East to West--
My own universe.

Dry leaves on the road
Skitter swiftly on the road.
(Is this Fall or Spring?)

The wind's behind me;
I'm blown gently up the road--
Like a heavy leaf.

Sun Undresses Me

Gray days are the same--
Summer, winter, fall or spring:
Low light and spirits.

 

 I control the birds--
I put out food and they come.
(It's the same for me.)

 

The sun just came out
Shedding shadows on the road,
Sparkles on the stream.

 

 Mabel's getting old;
She doesn't bark at me now;
Just sits in the sun.

A million sparkles
Dance upon the rushing stream;
Trillion bubbles swirl.

Tired tree monster
Leans against its tree neighbor:
Fellowship of wood.

Distant machines creak;
Engines rumble in the woods--
Spring awakening!

I unzip my coat;
I will no longer need it;
Sun undresses me

Uncertain Meaning

Chickadees are first;
Then turn in a blur of wings--
Flutter into light.

The last day of March--
Lion turned to a whimper,
Gentle sun the lamb.

Low chirping voices;
Swings are moving back and forth--
Evidence of kids.

 

 Log across the stream;
Giant bridge spans the trickle--
Nature's comedy.

 Bisecting the sky,
White line on a field of blue.
(The plane is long gone.)

 

West side of the road
Still filled with a swath of white;
East side is melting.

 

This infernal dog
Bellows a welcome each day--
(Friendship or anger?)

 

"Exit" on a roof?
A strange sign in a strange place;
Uncertain meaning.

 

This Seventh Day of Spring

Snow flakes fall today
This seventh day of Spring.
What will summer bring?

 

Red head peeks over--
Cardinal checks out my kitchen;
Sees me and speeds off.

 

 Flocking through the air
Lazily winding their way--
These big Spring snow flakes.

 

 Ice puddles again;
Winter dons it frozen shape.
Dim geometry.

 

 Cones and soccer ball
Lying in the empty yard;
Evidence of kids.

 

Delicate sapling
Grows in the filthy snow bank;
Dog shit,  its neighbor.

 

Dressed for the winter
Ghost munches his morning hay
With horsey focus.

 

Cans nailed to trees
Bear their own secret treasure.
(Secret? They're empty!)