Wildyard

Purple iris falls 

floating on a waist deep

sea of grass blades.

Sampler

Northern flicker’s 

Churk-churk-chirk-churk-churk!

Black headed grosbeak’s 

Whoop-de-whoo-de-do-de-who 

brightly embroidered over warp and woof 

of crickets and breeze-in-pines.

Cameo

She stands sideways at the window

sunlight radiating through the fine

fringe end of her one long braid. 

Crossing Paths With Coyote

Her lope halts in the trail

each of us surprised and peering

I at her dark sided coat

she at my black umbrella.

Stalking a Hidden Singer

Reach for wordlessness

be harmless as a wild thing

open focus, include the rushing stream

the dancing green stalks

top-laden with grass seeds

feel sky above

feel through boot sole to earth beneath

seek the bird, yet seek all, seek nothing

scan the pine with binoculars but stand easy

listen purposefully but loosely

a few steps closer

there is the first glimpse -

a small silhouette 

winging off into the forest

unidentified

taking up again it’s wordless trills.

So much to learn

about oneness and letting go.

Furnishing

The violet green swallow wings away

from the nest box on the utility pole

alarmed, I observe a tatter-edged feather

longer than the residents beak to tail

hanging half out the round entrance.

Intruder?  Nestlings under attack?

The feather jerks, twists vertical

upside down, backward, forward --

it appears the newly weds have bought

a thrifted couch too big for their parlor!

Light Framing

A 4"x 8" beam of freshly risen sunlight

slants from slightly parted curtains

smoke from morning fire building

swirling into translucent woodgrain.

Late Frost

Blackened leaves of false bamboo

dangle limply on their stalks

like gentlemen’s silk pocket squares

hung by their corners to dry.

6:30 AM

Ridgetop radiance blossoms into a new day.

Wild Apple Tree in Spring

Hunched old Granny Apple 

has been knitting a new green shawl,

switching needles she embroiders

blossoms in amaranth and rose.

Downpour

Fat rain drops at terminal velocity

slam into my sixty mile per hour windshield

shattering to thumbprints of aqueous lace.