Category Archives: Uncategorized

lady unlocking a Lexus—
maroon cashmere
tall leather boots
black umbrella
and tucked under her arm
one skeleton and a
glow-in-the-dark scythe

gold leaves in the rain
falling bright
wipers clear them
from the windshield,
toss them aside
dirt road
where I can stop
right in the middle
(middle of this road
middle early in the day
middle later in my life)
I can stop
and scribble down words
on this back road
before all our words
are carried away or rinsed away
by the rest of the day
(just as the rain
just as the gold leaves)
Look, here—
when I stop moving
leaves settle on the hood,
on the windshield
we all pause for a breath,
rest and wait to see
what words come
next

yesterday morning’s full moon
pale and insistent
wanted to star in today’s poem.

I nodded to acknowledge
that I heard the moon,
jotted a scribbly note to myself
went on into the long day of
rain and teenagers,
books and research and
sneaky craft projects that
only exist to make them
talk to each other away from
all screens

I forgot the moon.
So the moon rose over
my street last night, just as
I turned the corner
to remind me
it wanted to be
a star
Some moons are like that

another reason for all these words
is so I don’t forget
how yesterday a blue jay swooped
beneath my moving car, under and
out again or the junior high boy
with long red hair and a notebook
full of pencil sketches
he wanted someone to see
or how that jet contrail caught
sunlight and carried a
gold thread of connection
across the blue sky
threading together
all these pieces of a day

A banner appears on the screen
congratulating me. As of yesterday
ten thousand times
somebody read these poems.

Ten thousand. Who could imagine
A number that large?

In other news, also yesterday
low clouds hooked
lace through the trees
Then
tall and antlered, he stepped
slowly towards and across the road
not bothering to meet our peasant eyes
so accustomed to the admiring, fearful
way we gaze at forest royalty

And then there is now—when I
write the words, stir their places on
the page while coffee brews
full moon shines through
and the restless puppy circles,
settles and I try not to make any
Interesting Noises so I can finish
this poem, for reader number
ten thousand
and one

far out in the field
dark and four legged
Dog? Bear?
Distance
between us
blurs whoever you are

fall dandelions
by the cemetery gate
spiced and windswept dreams

puppy’s favorite treat
autumn dandelions
sweet bites of yellow

dandelion fluff
promises to sleep till spring
fresh crop of sunshine

raptor in the fog—
less terrifying
when we call you
early-morning hawk
red-tailed
at the top of the tree

that quickly
gone again.
stress leaves on the out breath
of a storm.
one strong gust
and you can see again—
almost dawn through pine branches
U-Haul truck passing by our quiet houses

two small deer grazing
blue Adirondack chairs wait
sit still, in sunshine