Light

the long autumn sun
shining through the turning leaves
of October trees

frosted windows-
winter morning light
spreads across my floor

Storm

a lone egret stands
beneath a spreading chestnut
sheltered from the rain

thunder snow-
after images of
white lighting

Ice King

reaching for you as
just beyond my memory
you slip from my grasp

withered leaves-
parched soil runs
between my fingers

Odyssey

it’s been a long ride-
this road’s often difficult
but worth the journey

apple blossoms-
taken by the
wandering wind

Transformation

an aging pen knife
coaxes an old fisherman
from a block of wood

midday rain-
an empty chrysalis
among the milkweed

Extinguished

freshly turned earth falls
from the back of my shovel
burying the light

overcast skies-
a tenuous flame
turns to smoke

Mirage

the heat off your skin
bending the air and making
my resolve waver

desert sands-
shimmering water
in the distance

Flower

my head on your thigh
searching for divinity
in a sunflower

crimson booms
stain the pallid
melting snow

Relentless

endlessly sifting
the detritus of the day
while sleep eludes me

an unkempt sky –
wind driven surf
pounds the shore

Gift

you are my center-
the sky above my head and
ground beneath my feet

autumn leaves-
take from me the
very air I breathe