sitting among them
gravity does pull
thoughts falling
apples of knowledge
discovered naked
vulnerably rich
humanity’s frailty
suffering all the joy
swallowing sorrow
luxurious divergence
how bitter the seed
how much sweeter
the ripened fruit.

When at the crossroads,
turning past,
I’ll leave behind
what I loved best,
missing such wonders as:
little soft hands;
potted herbs on
the window sill;
smiles;
the smell of wet
clothing hanging out
to dry in the gracious sun;
the color blue;
chocolate and hot
scented baths;
that half wake/sleep
state when the world
is dreamy and soft;
sunsets over the pacific;
poached salmon with dill;
walking barefoot;
a cool breeze;
swimming naked
in the Delaware
on a summer night;
a glass of wine, hard bread
and a good book
sitting in the evening cool;
the blaze of Autumn
in the Endless Mountains
and the taste of downy snow
melting on my tongue;
folk music;
children’s arms wrapped
around my neck
and the powdery
smell of their skin;
crying at a good movie,
feeling all the pain;
Christmas preparations,
candles and pine.
Moments captured like
the flicker of fire-flies,
tiny points of light
that together
paint a life.

– Previously Published 1993

Hard dusty brown earth
spattered with the glacier’s
pushcart of rock makes
it difficult to sow my seedlings;

Sunflowers climbing out
peat pots beg for the breeze
as Cosmos delicately bend
toward the window’s smile.

Pearls of life planted
by a child’s delicate hands
with expectation and dreams
of a color and light.

– previously published 1993

car racing
through
the puddles
splashing
like playful
children

carols rising
past
the windows
imaging
snowy days
of winter.