tea steaming on the counter
while wind rattles passed
the window
drops of rain smash
through blades of grass
to drown myriad insects
gathered in the garden
i watched the dark clouds
move over the afternoon
blocking the sun
i knew enough then
to come indoors
to put the kettle on
~

sitting in anticipation
of a quiet moment
absent gaze
through the window
the unexpected kiss
of a warm breeze on a cold day
the startling cry of a hungry crow
roots me to my chair
to reveal the moment
has already come and gone
~

listen to the wind
whispering in the softest voice
the stream sings
a laughing melody
under tall, fiery trees
while my heart soars
with the southbound geese
and lies at once with
the slumbering trillium
wrapped in the solid stone shield
of this ancient soil
soon the snow will fly
and all this will remain
in untouched harmony
i watched the morning sun
shine through a fern
a perfect emerald silhouette
dew gathered in the folds
of a scarlet maple leaf
shimmering in the light
i was not until i looked closely
that i saw the long slender
legs of the spider
resting on its glistening web
in complete stillness
~

autumn roses spill crimson
over the stones in the drive
reflections dance in the puddles
with every cooling drop
steady drumming
through the trees
a soothing lullaby
sung against this rich tapestry
as i stand collecting raindrops
in my upturned palm
~

gentle rain falling
against broad emerald leaf
tracing its lines and ridges
down to the slender stem
~

in a moment
lotus blooms
still, quiet waters settle
after the crane finds
wind to lift it
skyward
~

the day draws itself against the wall
in long shadows, a reluctant warrior
and blade against the coming night
why this? My mind wrestles against it
each has its own beauty, peace, completeness
not alone, of course, but because of the other…
perhaps the shadows are the reminder
shifting along the terrace
the ribbon to join the day and night
and when the day rests in the arms of the night
the shadows rest with her
until the morning draws them both up again
the day taking her lover’s memory with her,
to walk each hour each minute each second
with her while awake
just as the night has the moon
to reflect his lover’s face.
~

The tree’s shadow draws me closer and
I am soon resting in the cool grass
Head pressed back against the rough bark
It reminds me that everything cannot be smooth
Or neat or tidy or perfect
Only in its own way
Deep breath captures me
As leaves spill around me like rain
The tree is bleeding red and gold
And I lift my hand up to hold one leaf
Floating towards me
Just beyond my grasp
Then the wind picks up, and the leaf turns away
To follow a new current
And I simply sit
As the moment holds me
~

Impatience slips in beside me, pressed close
As is if there could be no room between breaths to
Shift and get more space between us
Squabbles and minced words buzz and fly around my head
Like drunken bees in the late autumn sun
Why can they not lay down and rest
Listen to the breeze shaking itself through the leaves
Why can’t they be silent was the whisper of the butterfly’s wing
Instead they proudly rant on,
This is the way , only through this door can you see the truth
The answers in green toenail polish
I say.
~

I want so much to reach out to you
and hold your hand,
To feel the warm of your skin against my palm
The strength that flows through
I am too shy to reach out
And instead stand in agony of stubbornness
When my arms cry out to hold you
Not as a possession
But simply out of love
One that I cannot explain
But know is there
Instead silence grips my throat
~

Candle light in the mirror,
A dancing reflection of quiet contemplation
While I sit, mulling over the contents of another day
A sparkling laugh like shining sun through the window
A selfless gift from a cherished friend,
Shapes a smile on an otherwise sullen face
The mirrors in the hallways, the rooms,
no longer show the unseen corners, the lurking shadows
The nightmares that cannot find words in daylight,
but the faintest glimmer of something more
My face a flash in the space of this breath and the next one,
flesh drawn out and over a lifetime of
Heartache and shame, sorrow and joy
No trace of the unfolding butterfly
ripe with internal yearning,
Waiting until the time comes to unfurl
What hope can be found in this silvered glass?
What kernel of light, of love, of freedom?
Then, as the sunlight faded,
drawing out the stars from their slumber
How can I not slip to the floor beside them
and listen in awed silence
while the words I love you
are sung from their lips
And their kisses….their embrace
more like the butterfly than I
A smile sneaks passed the melancholy sentinels
a warm and tender caress that smoothes the creases
of worry , and shadowed pain
something in me, unfolds once more
I see myself reflected perfectly
in their laughing eyes, that betrays wisdom
beyond the years held in their bones
I find my place to wander from,
in the whole of my daughters’ eyes
~

Unseen dancer whispering
Through swaying pines
Coursing blood force flows
Through this endless forest
River winds below
Bending around boulders
Tumbling and spilling over soil and stone
While the silent sentinel,
Talons firmly planted, sits
Watchful eye scans the horizon
Sudden rush
Upward spiral
To join the dance
~