Eventide

the sun’s departure
as the day draws to a close
burns the ombré sky

fireflies
against the
dawn of night

Wetlands

snowy egrets stand
in the salt marsh, motionless
hunting careless fish

cattails
swaying in the
warm salt breeze

Illumination

milky shafts of light
shine on the dust motes hanging
in the evening air

slow curls of smoke
faintly glowing
embers

Perspective

spying Earth from space
a hard reminder of our
insignificance

a sand grain
amidst the
multitude

Direction

faintly glowing stars
the ancient light a missive
from the distant past

a moonless night
our path defined
by starlight

Refuge

silently stoic
the weathered lighthouse still stands
off in the distance

the setting sun
barely visible
through the fog

Summer

faded cutoff shorts
bare feet out the car window
hair teased by the wind

hot skin
cool sheets
and promises

Shelter

freshly mown spring grass
a frog hops to the safety
of an old stone wall

the bull frog
peeks out from
behind a stone

Transience

jewels of morning dew
in a spider’s web, sunrise
scattered by diamonds

dawn
captured on
a silken thread

Alarm

this morning’s bugle
reveille played by finches
outside my window

birdsong
pulling me
from slumber