Popping Puddles

Kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-krunchch!

He stutter steps the full length of bubbled ice.

In Spite of All That Rinsing

The bright yellow hank of yarn

sheds turmeric specks as strands

break free of slight dye pot felting.

All He Surveys

Marmalade cat curls his tail over his toes

on the frosty green garden  bench,

blinks at the chickadees in the bare lilacs.

California Quail

California quail pop 

through the garden fence,

cross the yard feet spinning

like the side wheels

of river paddle boats.

January Greenhouse

Moth wings

dragonfly wings

ostrich feathers,

frost fairy marbling. 

End of the Weekend

The house is strewn with living --

skis standing in the corner,

knitting on the dining table

Catan boxes at the other end,

books on the sofa and boots

drying by the wood stove.

One More Stitch

No good place to stop

knitting in the round

one more stitch 

one more stitch

one more stitch 

one more....

Zig-Zag

Zig-zag lilac twig

Zag-zag piled up snow.

Last of Night

Last of night 

blue violet 

between yellow curtains.

Morning Interjection

Dim edge of dawn

beyond these walls

chickadee's bright note.

Shampooing Casualties

Dozens of long hairs

straight, fine, golden brown

plastered in squiggles and 

paisleys to the shower tiles,

two coarser specimens

pure white and tending curly --

How long before the ratio reverses?

Four Carrot Sticks at 1 PM

Tapering orange three inch lengths 

school lunch production strays

neglected on the counter all morning

between my fingers diffident, wobbly

between my teeth still juicy and sweet.

Hot Pursuit

Black capped chickadees

chasing one another 

burst out of hawthorne scrub

whiz past my ears

wings angled like air racers 

rounding a pylon in Reno.

Woodland Abstract

Mid-trail puddle frozen in wide 

concentric scallops of opaque white

and narrow bands of clear dark ice

crosshatched throughout with triptych 

burnt umber ponderosa needles.

Frost Heaves

Skr-unk, skr-unk

quarter inch crystal pillars

ice and earth, frost and dirt

collapse first under heel

then under ball and toe.

Dilatant Solution

Here by the sink is the yellow

porringer shaped mug

white interior camouflaging 

remnants of the cornstarch 

mixed for soup thickener.

Recalling children’s experiments

I jab a finger in -- 

liquid goes solid, 

creamy paste powder

between finger and thumb.

Add water drops and stir --

liquid again!  I set the mug

over beyond the other dishes

to play with again before washing.

Filling the Kettle

The wwhhhhuuuuhhhhhh 

like ocean breathing

of water processing through 

the in-line filter and

the trickley-glup-tlip-glupdly

of the clear stream running into 

the thin steel tea kettle.

Heard Behind While Walking

Tik, tik-tik....tik, tik

Downy woodpecker dines his way

up terra cotta pinus ponderosa

in dark puzzle bark ravines,

his red nape patch bright 

in mid-winter's horizontal sun.

Sunrise Through a South Window Curtain

Brocaded burgundy intricacies 

surrender to brilliant backlight

reduced to tonal uniformity 

a new pattern forms of flaws

runs, slippages in the weave

thread barred golden radiance pours

through narrow vertical elliptics.

Reluctant Risers

The sun has the south rim of the valley

pulled up over its head like a child 

moaning and hiding under blankets

the first school morning of January. 

Folding Laundry

Daddy longlegs 

lurking in green 

striped percale -

static spradled 

fine brown hairs 

and lint.

The New Year Begins

Like any other day

clink of clean flatware 

sliding into the drawer

sizzle of eggs in olive oil 

on glistening cast iron

grateful husband’s 

peck on the lips.