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without warmth
gossip over the back fence
was often merely meant to keep fellow
villagers informed so they, too,
might pray for neighbor’s health and joy
gossip on blunt email lacks
the softening effect of person to person
misses touch’s feeling we are all human
and comes across as callous bullying
crags to riches
cragged personalities
may soften raw edges
if met with suspended judgment
and allowed opportunity and time
to reveal tender core
chill fingers
haiku
gray chill gnaws my joints
fingers ache raw multiply
but still fold to pray
the clowder
mollies and toms
tails vibrating in excitement
ear tuft ‘furnishings’ erect
purring, meowing, speaking
in more than one hundred sounds
cats gather
perception - not reality
haiku
fog splatters sunrise
droplets of tinted water
man perceives as sky
edging into winter
haiku
brittle-edged red-orange
erose maple leaf margins
sharp against late fall
stick to it
What is brown and sticky?
A stick
Not for me. My art teacher in 7th grade
taught me to look closely at the varied
colors in the bark until now i see
no solid brown but streaks of yellow
and bits of hazel, cinnamon, magenta
and purple-gray
seeing such fascinating variations
in the ordinary gives me a running
commentary on life filled with tiny
excitements and joy
i wake up happy
why
even as a child, i questioned
“why?” to my parents’ exasperation
believing, accepting without proof
or at least answers to simple doubts
left me shaking my head, “no” and
“how can that be?” and
“i don’t think so”
so claims on the internet without
evidence or confirmation
leave me wondering how
anyone can accept their truth
let alone act on their assertions
emotion-deafened
haiku
when emotion cries
reason whimpers to the wind
unheard, sharing naught
blue-blooded kraken
kraken changed my understanding
of bluebloods
which i’d always associated
with deprivation of oxygen
and a monied group elite too long
to remain vital, energetic and healthy
Scandinavian folklore present kraken
as strong, active, muscular menaces
from the deep ocean – probably based
on giant squid which attacked seafaring
craft and terrorized ancient sailors
giant squid, like fellow cephalopod,
octopi, have three hearts, large brains
and blue blood
and, although seldom seen, thrive
as animated, vital creatures
unassociated with decadence
need gratified
i needed to hear and see
the ocean
the drive to the coast, through
green-yellow-orange-red
and evergreen
readied my spirit
to take in rugged, gray beauty
of turbulent sea
quieting my soul with perspective
of being only a miniscule part
of the great I AM