respond to a child

when a child runs up

with something to show you or give you

stop what you are doing

look, listen, respond

because then he knows

he is worthwhile

and what he does matters

you needn’t over-praise

acknowledgment serves his needs

rejection eviscerates his sense of self

painted mornings

haiku

Nature paints mornings

over horizon dotted

with pine silhouettes

love duty

disabled child unable to walk

long limbs clinging as mom,

having picked up and carried

this love-burden all his life,

gathers him in her arms though

he is more than half her height

grateful morning

nearly all my life

 have awakened happy

my years of questioning

the attributes of God

have turned into a lifetime

of recognizing i – and no one –

is large enough to state

an absolute definition

but those years of questioning

the existence of God

were always dissolved

by realizing i would have no one

to thank for morning

sunrise glorious

haiku

sunrise glorious

not belonging to those who

awake to alarm

gold-orange slithers

golden orange slithers

between pine needles

creating a bold lace

sunrise finds glorious

myriad ways

to awaken us

to possibilities

to try again

celebration, even in pain

celebration, even in pain

warms the soul, gives hope

opens the heart to the love

and comfort others would give

we have drunk full

we have drunk full, my love
swelled with the rynthm of incoming waves pounding earthly shore
connecting anemone, zebra,
and human

we have felt the tumult
of birthing waves roiled by breezes, currents, tides
our peace landed in stars

we have known
hovering, intense sky
algid, bleak, raw cold
embrittled bare twigs scratching
at ice-laced windows when frost
has cemented each breath of life
and each inhalation burned

you reached out
reminding me that love
like life
is gift watched over by angels

my love, we have drunk the wind