signs

leap of faith
into spring's longing
daffodils

bright plumage
flashes around the feeder
spring's herald

waning moon
shine on mockingbird call
last of winter

ink

ink spilling with

words of uncertainy

switch to pencil

black ink in swift strokes

sign on the dotted line

life-changing eventquill perched

in perfect ink well

blank parchment

cannot refuse

marriage of pen & paper

words slip through

one deep breath

february

bare branches
heavenward reaching
redwing song

short month
ushering love, candlelight
eye on equinox

hibernating eyes
ravage stark landscape
sign of spring

arctic air
pushed out to sea
conflicted weather

undercurrent

smile on the outside
hiding turbulent waters
of pain's erosion

a choice

a million little things
tugging at my shirttail
but when i turn
they have vanished
in a wisp of not important
though i still feel the drag
of their incessant pleading

caught between "should" & "wish"
i brew a cup of tea
& snuggle with my son
wearing earplugs of love
deaf to the daily drudge
the circle of what matters
is in this moment

love

between wake & sleep

soft kiss on forehead, blanket tuck

threshhold of sweet dream

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~walk a country path

amid the dying season

wrinkled hands entwined

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~no greater love

daily dying to selfish ways

for another

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~endless circle

metaphor of love's mettle

with this ring i wed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one deep breath

almsgiving

over coffee in hip elegence
we linger...
photos of the forgotten
who warm hands
over wood fires
yet with eyes that sparkle
more than electric lights.

joy
under a charlie brown christmas tree
liberal use of color
& smiles,
unaware of our abundance
a warm coat, a luxury

i ask what we might do.
a warm coat, please
was her soft reply.

& prayers.
take the photos...
be reminded
heat isn't always
so easy to come by

& to dust you shall return...

in late winter light
a deserted path
i trod;
crunching on last
summer's bounty,
i listened
with my heart's ear
to her words
over time
& was drawn
to the peaceful
tired hillside,
no sound
but call of lone crow.

slab of granite
upturned to face God
names etched...
i read my sad history
& mourned
their forgottenness.

it touched my heart:
they were babes
laid here by grieving parents,
not one left to hold,
all were gone.
how did they manage to move forward
from this?

how does one leave
all her children
on this cold hillside
alone & still?
the weight of her grief
hurt my heart
on the walk back
to my life;

i said a prayer
for her strength
that i hoped would travel
back over time passed
& ease her burden
just a little
so that she
could walk this path too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
with love to my great-grandma who bore this burden in 1897, burying all four of her children in the space of one week...

mercoledi` delle ceneri

dust to dust
mortal reminder visible
of interior loathe

words unstop ears
piercing of heart's selfishness
movement of grace

desert journey plodding
through winter's barrenness toward
healing rays of spring

forward

seeking
every little sign
lengthening days
changing light
new birdsong
on the wind
trickle of green
amidst brown,
scarcity revels
in simplicity;
winter
turning spring