Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Popping Puddles

Kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-krunchch!
He stutter steps the full length of bubbled ice.

Monday, January 30, 2012

In Spite of All That Rinsing

The bright yellow hank of yarn
sheds turmeric specks as strands
break free of slight dye pot felting.

Friday, January 27, 2012

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.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

California Quail

California quail pop 
through the garden fence,
cross the yard feet spinning
like the side wheels
of river paddle boats.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunday, January 22, 2012

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.

Friday, January 20, 2012

One More Stitch

No good place to stop
knitting in the round
one more stitch 
one more stitch
one more stitch 
one more....

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012

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?

Friday, January 13, 2012

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.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

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.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

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.

Monday, January 9, 2012

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.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

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.

Friday, January 6, 2012

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.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

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.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

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.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

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. 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Folding Laundry

Daddy longlegs 
lurking in green 
striped percale -
static spradled 
fine brown hairs 
and lint.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

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.