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

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

Contemplation

a time worn foot path
generations of sandals
eroding the stones

along the path-
moss grows over
the garden stones

Wood

the smell of sawdust-
practiced hands work the gouges

turning wood to art

ocean waves-
driftwood rests
among the shells

River

a long meander-
river banks bent by the slow
persistence of time

weeping willows-
cattails and rushes
bend in the wind

Meet

the first day we met
your perfect little fingers
wrapped around my thumb

laundromat-
your clothes tumble
next to mine