cradle of green

you caught my eye
in spite of the early morning haze
not enough coffee tasted-
away...my mind's wandering
the morning's freedom
not yet perusing a mental must-do;
a breeze lifted some of your bounty
just enough
amused, i turned my head.
your dreamy, verdant green
dripping with fresh dew
spilling over the edge
yet upturned in heliotropic wonder.
for one fairy-tale moment i imagine
that i am able to be contained
in repose on that one perfect leaf
rocked in the breeze
before i am fully awake.

poignant

when did you grow so tall
when did you reach beyond
when did your footprint
start to envelope mine
when did you begin to understand
the subtle nuances of life
i know i've looked carefully
all along the way
but some things grow in silence
just beyond the knowing
as the days pass in living
right before our eyes
soon you will be watching
as i've done with you
and you too will wonder
how it's come this far
from where it all began

charleston

holy city haze
enrobed in august summer
sit a spell - refresh

vapor

exhale of long
from the depths
warm, moist air
of the beginning
expanding haze
diffused light of midday.
deep, wet breath - inhale
heavy with time
& with life
languid movement
seductive slow
in summer's airy plight.

consolation

illuminated colors, captured still
hard to imagine your reality
of flesh & toil,
of knowledge deep
of pain that pierces a heart.
sunlight from behind
candlelight flickering
midday welcome into the quiet
beneath your benign smile.
inhale & sigh-
lay my worries on the cool ground
unburdened
for but a moment
thoughts turned to something more
for that time.
to return is somehow easier
because
on ordinary days
you mothered too

rosario

murmuring in tongues
late afternoon light
mingles with my solitude
in sanctuary.
i rise - not wanting to intrude
but weighted i may not go
& so the words wash over me
Ave Maria
in beams of sea light.
words i may soon join
as i gain clarity
surrounded by pillars:
flesh & stone
i am pulled into what i sought-
Word & Communion
to slake my thirst
& bind my heart
in a gentle stitch
with timeless thread
spun in love
in a not-so-foreign land

for lisa

The sunlight has bathed
The once-dark room;
The candlelight that banished
The curse
Is now enveloped
In the daylight of hope.
My life-breath passes over the flame
But does not blow it out.
The flame vanishes
In a whisp of air;
A tendril of smoke
Rises to celestial realms.
I thread my gratitude
Into its delicate haze
And it becomes my prayer.

3am

a nudge from the fog of good sleep
not sorry to see the moon
pouring comfort into the deep night
cool stone under my feet, grounding consolation
necessary stop & slaking of thirst
but not back to repose...
first slip out the door into warm night air
slight stirring breeze & serenade
raise my arms in delight, hair tickling my face
then
slip back under cover, sigh to sleep

artist

if i promise to write
the words you paint,
will you also
give color to my verse?
when i walk on the journey,
your capture of light
pulls me from my blindness.
please free my pen
from monotone ink,
onto the canvas
breathe life.