Transformation

seeking inner peace
yearning to quench the darkness
that burns in my soul

wildfires-
a cold late
autumn rain

White

freshly cut lilies
pure and white and beautiful
laid upon his chest

city streets-
a blanket
of fresh snow

Grass

warm spring afternoon
rolling down a grassy hill
into a mass grave

wispy clouds-
grass stains and
smiling faces

Shock

putting down the phone
the harsh meaning of your words
doesn’t register

distant rain-
unexpected
lightning

Hiding

my cupped hands hiding
the glow of a cigarette
behind the garage

cold rain-
ignoring my phone
before last call

Destinations

southward flying geese
their long journey just begun
as mine is ending

warm boots-
my old dog’s
snowy muzzle

Impotence

by her bedroom door
listening to my daughter
cry herself to sleep

leafless boughs-
no resistance to
the howling winds

Tragedy

echoing silence-
bodies strewn haphazardly
on the downtown streets

an absence of birds-
villagers gather fish
in the receding sea

Flags

heads bowed in respect
under an overcast sky
the flag at half mast

rising winds-
halyards ring
the flagpole

Trees

november evening-
skeletal trees charcoal black
in the fading light

graveyard’s edge-
bone fingers
in the mist