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.