Waterways

skip and scurryacross the pathwayslike field mice,searching for the next hideaway,a close and comforting space,a dock’s safe slip of grace These summer days go so quickly! Sometimes I feel like the field mouse I saw racing across the road on our drive to summer school this morning. His little back legs were spinning like tinyContinue reading “Waterways”

After-Shock

She’s nobody’s foolto think she deserved some reprievefrom these headwinds and chaos,the tumultuous dayswhen she was caught up in the storm.Now, she spins circles,finds the air is still loadedwith the damp heaviness that forbodes a second storm. I wrote this poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt #165, which was provided this week by BobContinue reading “After-Shock”

Inbox Error Message

click and deletethe answer’s hidden in the inkclick and deletea memory today I seekforgotten roses faded pinkthe slushy ice around the rinkthe treasures tucked under the sinkclick and delete I attempted my first Rondelet for the Wea’ve Written Weekly challenge. This week, the prompt was provided by Lady Lee, who asks us to do theContinue reading “Inbox Error Message”

Glacial Wonders

They call them “glacial potholes”.I wonder, why not something more majestic?not something I giggle over –as if we need more potholes in Wisconsin–but true to their ancient legacy,from when glaciers concealed this place, and then, further back to when thick lava oozed to form these warbly basalt cragsthat hid beneath the sand and ice thatContinue reading “Glacial Wonders”

Love vs. Hate

It starts as a trickling streamflooding into a swampy mirehatred thick with lava firegrowing turmoil in the unseenflooding into a swampy mireit starts as a trickling streamIt starts a whisper of songa hopeful, budding melodylove’s verses growing freeat the chorus, we join alonga hopeful, budding melodyit starts as a whisper of song I wrote thisContinue reading “Love vs. Hate”

Silence Bookended

glimmering skylinegrassy lakeside reflectionssilence bookended This was my favorite photo that I captured of our two youngest sons relaxing on a blanket while watching the city fireworks last weekend. They sat in awe, taking everything in, from the little girl sitting behind us with her family who offered them glowsticks before the display began toContinue reading “Silence Bookended”

Zigzag

We’re tracing our handprintsin sand, pulling feet from concrete footprints.We’re slipping through the silt, plunging headstrongthrough the river.We’re foraging through moss and leaves, forming futures in the foliage.We’re embers of yesterday’s memories, tracing our handprints in sand. I’ve written this poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt at the Skeptic’s Kaddish; this week’s prompt wasContinue reading “Zigzag”

Taproots

Burrowed underthe surface,secreted shadowsthat swirl sandand flooded landwith God’s hand.I’ll masquerade as a poeta little longer,learning to findmyself beneath my words, expose my owntaproots. Shortly into remission from stage three cancer, I was joking with my primary care physician: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?” “Well,” she said, surprisingly hesitant. “It makes youContinue reading “Taproots”

Spiral Void

float on,down the river,until its eddiesreel against nature,swirling you intothe spiraling motion,the space devoid of downstream flow,the turbulence out of control,spinning on repeat ‘Tis the season to overextend yourself until you accidentally burn out, to then take a day entirely to yourself, and to finally bounce back feeling rejuvenated but also slightly off-kilter like you’reContinue reading “Spiral Void”

bluebird’s legacy

you rode the waves like a natural, chalking it up to waves of snow: a fellow boarder (though I could never strive to be as cool). now you soar higher than your namesake. we’ll see you in the glisten of sunrise over far-flung beaches, the frozen leaps of friends bound by fate. you live onContinue reading “bluebird’s legacy”