Remembering Them

Far over
Roses
Ghosts
Embrace and
Fill
The sky.

Doghouse Zazengine

[Norma Photo]


I'm glad she took this
Picture in our driveway.
When somebody says,
"After all, how long
Can you go on about
Flowers and drive
An old VW?"
My silence is usually
Taken as agreement
But I'm really trying
To subtract the late
'60s from the current
Year in my head.

Emergency Wardrobe Apology

[Candid photo by Norma]


Condemned or blessed to
Work seasons without
Rest, I stop where night
Wind worried blooms and
Branches down a drop
Against the ha-ha, and
See what awful thing
Departing winter worked
On nascent spring --
Ripped table umbrella,
Blasted trellis.
But before accounting
What else is in
Distress, I take my
Night-thrashed self
Inside and decide
How it should dress.

Hall Stand

Who is this--
Central mirror,
Hooks for hats,
Coats, drawer
For gloves,
An umbrella well
And, under all,
A rack for boots
And shoes?
A thing I use.
Who, who is this?
Who am I?
Hooks on either
Side, I decide
And change
Clothes with it,
My alter-ego.
Now I am a gardener.
Was I a clothes tree
A moment ago?

This Week's Chores

Out early, raw
Morning, gray
But brighter
East, unreal light--
One can't cast
Shadow into silver--
Shows what wind
Did in dark,
How trees at our
Woody end reached
Into roaring
Sky, leapt from
Earth and tried
To fly.

Waking Choir

In iris
Light and color
Course the year.
Bulb, spear, stalk
Crowd seasons,
Push to flares
And bearded falls.
There is ritual
Enough for
Us all.

Pleaching For Shelter

Where time
Expands space,
We touched
Hands, joined ways,
And to that
Touch entrusted
All our days.