Cancer

a cold waiting room-
absolutely terrified
of what will come next

eyes closed-
the taste of salt
in my veins

Flower

a cobblestone path-
the back garden gate flanked by
rose bushes in bloom

spring breeze-
the cloying scent
of honeysuckle

Stars

charcoal black velvet-
an upholstered sky pierced by
pinholes of starlight

desert mesa-
the broad expanse
of the midnight sky

Roses

nestled in the snow
a single long stemmed red rose
rests on your headstone

cold rain-
in the gutter
a bouquet of roses

Boardwalk

barnacles gather
just below the waterline
where the piers once stood

rotting pilings-
waves, the echoes
of children’s laughter

Winter

this taste of sunshine
after the dark dry winter
barely slakes my thirst

crokus blossoms-
eagerly defy the
lingering winter

Tree

watching from afar-
a tree falls in the forest
the silence unheard

old oak tree-
climbing vines
reach for the su

Ash

under crushing debt
the future turns to ashes
swept by our children

wild fire-
fed by embers
on the wind

Dogs

any hope of sleep
spurned by the approaching dawn
and a snoring dog

sleeping dogs-
the violent death
of a cardboard box

Remnants

thousands of moments
the taste of a prior life
memories of you

late winter-
pockmarks
in the snow