Moving-day Eve
[4/16/26]
The boxes have had kittens
And those kittens had grandcats.
They rest their cardboard mittens
On every surface which is flat.
One hardly knows today just where to stand
And where to sit
For all about my parents’ land
The packing-clowder fits.
Soon they'll all be filled and ready
To flock to a new home.
Then the brown and white squares
Cry ready, set, and
Go somewhere else to roam.
Cherry song
[4/17/26]
Tricolor wonders slip away,
Lazy tails a-twining
Many kindred here to stay
May be a silver lining
Hey, ho,
Little fears, let them slip your fingers.
Calm your cares with cherries-o
And it's the taste that lingers
Old homesteads stand empty, near
Childhood land is selling soon
Memories still to make, no fear,
Beneath cicada suns in June
Hey, ho
Little fears, let them slip your fingers.
Calm your cares with cherries-o
And it's the taste that lingers
Teatime
[4/18/26]
Is the sky pouring down to make soup, or tea?
There are leaves on the ground aplenty,
And floral teas can be pretty neat,
I think.
I drink
My tea with you when we meet;
Your apple-spice, my China black lychee.
Perhaps the warmth helps make our conversation free.
Your tea nook is a weather-map
Of friendships over time.
The chocolate and the berry swap
Tales of places far, and joys sublime.
Rainy days still make us bloom,
Lightning flash and thunder boom
May try to bring the heat
But there is still a lovely story here to eat.
For a far-away birthday friend.
[4/19/26]
Whisper, will you be back soon?
It's your day today.
I wish I could fish you down the moon,
And wrap it up so come what may
You'd have a gentle light to guide you
When you cannot see a light inside you.
I hope you have Publix Chocolate Cake
And playful paws draped across your shoulders;
And that your ship of life has a first-rate mate
Ready and steady as you grow older.
I'd wish you a future of sushi and sunshine,
And books that wring the best sort of tears.
I'd wish to see your town, I hope you'll see mine
Sometime in our waiting years.
Keep whispering when you cannot shout.
Always let the bells in your heart ring out.
Lucia
[4/20/26]
Valiantly face your shadow
Like a namesake gone before.
Royal child of hidden kingdoms,
Seek to hear the Lion's roar.
You're a child of blooming Spring,
Born for thaw and blooms and singing.
Writing
[4/21/26]
I ebb,
I flow.
My feelings grow,
Until the words can dance and grow.
I choose
To loose
My silence, noose
Still leaves a hesitating bruise.
Tree By Leaf
[4/23/26]
I read once of a God
Whose voice was rich and warm as chowder,
And whose Yes-es turned at unexpected angles,
But whose No-s were generous and kind.
Sorrow and wonder met
In a private patch of woods,
And the heart of a barefoot girl
Still dreaming of tomorrow.
---
A recipe for letting go
[4/23/26]
Love lets the falcon go to fly
Or gives its kite a longer string.
Very soon though it may end,
Every heart deserves to breathe and bend
Echo heart
[4/24/26]
If fingers strum you
By some musical design,
Is the song your own?
Faire time
[4/25/26]
Borrow the name from some
Far fairy paradise,
And lend it to a
Hot Spring morning's fun.
Gather in a town
Of tents and shacks.
Crafters make small wonders,
Vendors hawk their wares.
And speaking of hawking,
Haven't you seen them fly?
Leave the gauntlet,
Scream into the sky?
Or maybe jousting coursers
Are more your speed,
Trotting in a careful scripted game.
Morgan was a Villain.
Now, she's kind.
A medic's hands
Beneath her gauzy veils.
“The fay watch out for eachother,”
Her maidens say.
Am I mistaken, or
Did they name me fay?
Token
[4/26/26]
All expected doors are rusted shut.
The hoped for storm's malingering away,
And all the inner garden's drooping, but
I still have promises to keep today.
Night Camera
[4/27/26]
I saw your photo caption–
how you were aiming for a rocket launch,
And all you caught was the moon.
Your camera did her proud,
That ancient satellite,
Mirror of wonder-light.
I can see seas and craters,
Dark and dappled light
Spread across her smile.
The rocket was a moment missed.
A flash – a soar – a smoke line far away,
But not as far or bright as her.
We pass. She lasts.
The poem writes itself.
Prediction
[4/28/26]
Windstorm tarries far
From expected climes tonight.
Houses hold their breath.
Takeout
[4/29/26]
We have quiet here,
Despite the stormy day,
Dishing up to share
These recipes from far away.
How many miles
Across the global road
Passed on the smiles
That spread now with our food?
Wonder
[4/30/26]
You call me perfect in my imperfection,
Though I offer no deception.
Treat me like a shining star.
In my brokenness I must
Still be enough to hold your trust,
As your eyes gild every scar.
By some bright, welcome mystery,
You name me a worthy tapestry.
You would take this, every part,
Into the home of your brilliant heart.
