Beach

moonset on the dunes
the smell of last night’s bonfire
lingers in her hair

night tide-
stellar sands blaze
across the sky

Death

absent mourning doves-
I wander aimless around
this cold empty house

twelve years gone-
still missing your
hair in the sink

release

lingering aimless-
attempting to cross in vain
the border of death

almost free-
weightless and yet
still tied to the earth

Waiting

a long delayed train-
remnants of morning rain
steaming in the sun

the sun long set-
a silent queue
of glowing screens

Wind

ivory wavelets-
remnants of the evening’s wind
scalloped in the snow

winter’s fury-
a tempest borne
on driven snow

Fire

partly melted snow-
embers from the campfire rise
toward the gibbous moon

a distant glow-
wood smoke and laughter
carried on the wind

Shipwreck

draped in tulle and lace
far below the frozen sea-
immemorial

nestled in
the ocean deep-
lost to time

Luna

dark ominous skies-
the grey wolf moon veiled behind
a thin scrim of clouds

winter jetty-
snow falls on
the rising tide

Winter

opalescent clouds-
shadows on the moonlit snow
cast by trees long dead

dying embers-
in the dark I become
the falling snow

Pandemic

weary of donning
this mask, this gown, these gloves, I
once more go to work

hospital corridors-
the white noise
of dying