Silence

a deer in the woods-
the chorus of spring peepers
suddenly silent

midnight-
startled awake by
preternatural stillness

Army

that thousand yard stare-
a private and the sergeant
standing toe to toe

noonday sun-
new recruit’s hair
litters the floor

Macabre

writing in the dark-
I dip my pen into the
inkwell of the night

a forest path-
fallen trees
turn to dust

Cats

wind at the windows-
as I move to tend the fire
the cat takes my seat

late winter morn-
my calico sleeps
in a patch of sun

Tide

the slow push of surf-
a lighthouse in the distance
obscured by the fog

distant foghorns
cairns lost
to the tide

Thaw

great sheets of lake ice
cracked and heaving in the sun
as they come onshore

a cold night-
the ice in your drink
begins to melt

Return

ripples on ripples-
the pond’s once glassy surface
welcomes back the rain

a forest lea-
the doe and her fawn
return to the wood

Spring

tiger lilies bloom-
last year’s fallen leaves begin
dancing with the wind

crocus blooms –
a young robin
in my birdbath

Music

rhapsody in blue-
the crush of humanity
just outside my ears

the subway shuttle-
a ragged busker
bows his violin

Suicide

clutching thoughts and prayers
while we let those who suffer
slip through our fingers

predawn chill-
sleeping children
suddenly fatherless