Provisions

the cool below ground-
laying in the winter stores
before the first snow

late autumn morn-
a taste of last june’s
strawberry jam

Firewood

steel axe and wedges-
an awful lot of effort
for a pile of wood

first snow-
chipmunks bedded
in the wood pile

Autumn

thanksgiving morning-
a rafter of wild turkeys
wander through my yard

november frost-
a fresh dusting
of fallen leaves

Grace

sheets pooled on the floor-
the graceful swell of your hips
framed by the moonlight

lingering dawn-
one final kiss
graces your lips

Painting

an old masters hand-
long unused sable brushes
come back to life

hazy morning-
blobs of white
dot the hillside

Benches

a weathered park bench
waiting on the bus a child
takes the time to sit

early afternoon-
pigeons gather by
an empty bench

Homeless

sputtering neon-
piles of rags weakly lit by
the staccato glow

november night-
threadbare blankets
in the doorway

Waiting

softly falling rain-
I finally let you go
for your sake and mine

glass in his hair-
a husband waits
in anguished silence

Diner

well past closing time-
we rehash old war stories
over onion rings

a dirty booth-
my chipped coffee cup
bottomless

Sand

hourglass summer-
memories of time we spent
slip through my fingers

driftwood-
a gull’s shadow
passes by