Sorrow

stilling the waters
the taste of salt on my lips
from kissing your tears

the loon’s cry
rising sun over
a winter lake

Nocturne

relaxing at last
working out in the garden
under the moonlight

high silver clouds
a beaver breaks
the water’s surface

Remnants

a resting mayfly
the dimples in the water
signaling a carp

spreading ripples
a gossamer wing
on the surface

Transience

blazing streaks of fire
tearing through the winter sky
dying as cinders

the predawn hours
an intrepid visitor
on my doorstep

Chatter

on the autumn breeze
woodsmoke and conversations
wafting through the air

wetland banter
summer evening
an open window

Velvet

a bottle of night
lost in the depths of the shelf
mislabeled as ink

owl’s wings, silent
across diamond
pierced ebony

Reflection

feeling the glass give
reaching in through the mirror
to pull myself out

glassy water
ripples spread
across the surface

Afterglow

fire lights in your eyes
glaring over your shoulder
as you walk away

night sidles in
faerie lights
fireflies

Comfort

pulling on warm clothes
taken straight from the dryer
my guilty pleasure

on the subway
the smile of a dog
being rubbed right

Passage

brief is our passage
across the river of time
into the unknown

oak saplings
from acorns
never unearthed