don't mind at all

Went for a walk without my coat

December 4th because I wanted 

to see if the pond where the turtles

live was as magical as the river 

or the lakes hidden by thick fog

so that anything could appear,

but the turtles and the mist were

gone (if they were ever there),

and I don't mind at all because it

was a very nice walk anyway.

spring and other things that spring eternal

The plants I thought I killed
at least three times once by
drowning once by freezing and

once by thawing too early may
have survived my ineptitude as
there are three sprouts shooting

up from the darkness of the soil
in the pot in my garage all winter
like hope springing eternal until

you find out it's three weeds but
you don't care because everything
is finally coming alive once again.

gutter glaciers retreating

Watched torrents
of meltwater reduce
the gutter glaciers
of winter and sat
in the sun without
my coat while a fly
staggered around
on my sleeve, which
was also unsteady
because I think we
were both a little
blissfully baffled and
drunk on spring
in February.

Cicadas

cicadas
too loud for comfort
beautiful

nest full of petals

nest full of petals
overwhelming loneliness
memories of birth

nature laughs at me again

darn nature just keeps
pooping on everything
so it's hard to commune

four turtles

heads stretched up
four turtles bask
on a log

before winter comes

October whirls by

adolescent beavers play

before winter comes

the poem about the dead deer (attempt 18?)

ruin of Monday morning first
day of autumn weather doe curled
impossibly graceful dead with
startling boneless acceptance
that only the shattered display

that kind of week

Dead mouse welcomes me

from inside my warm garage.

Is it Friday yet?

the deck dragon sheds its leaves

wind gusts and bellows
bearded beast shivers and roars
soon leaves will be gone

every fall they come

how do I destroy
drain flies of autumn swarming
in my house this fall

again with the drain flies of autumn

coldness spreads today

the drain flies of autumn swarm

I am not a fan

ninja tree frog

one tiny tree frog

stealthily basks on the ledge

storing autumn sun

already this tired

deer die on roadsides
last day of summer weather
already this tired

the last dragonfly (gathering strength)

garnet dragonfly
rests on summer sun-warmed toe
before autumn comes

now it is autumn

purple twilights fall

more frequently now, like leaves,

now it is autumn

revenge of the dragonflies

I longed
for more
dragonflies,
but when I
sprawled on
the deck, they
tickled me
to distraction.
We studied
each other.
I wondered why
I love them so
much more than
other insects
with equally ugly
or even more
beautiful faces.
Jewel colors?
Sporty wings?
Pest-hunting
prowess? Inability
to do me any
real harm?

another sleepless night

a moon so bright 

the shadows 

of the tree 

thrown on my 

white curtains 

at night were 

visible to me even 

in my blindness

watching dragonflies

the cold comes

suddenly and I

have not spent

nearly enough

time watching

dragonflies from

deck hammocks to

last me through 

the long winter