Poetry Writings 2024
Poetry Writings 2024
Both of them are my alarm clock. I hear the pitter patter of their tiny feet at 6:30 in the morning. They try to jump on my bed to get my attention but they’re too small. They yip and start playing with each other. I get up and start the morning rituals.
one day
empty leash
no dog
bright and yellow
daffodil struggles
in a cold wind
Salmon spawn
Feed riparian forests
Rivers flow to the sea << work on this one
night owl
early bird
we can’t
seem to sync
in bed
fast or slow
we meet at the
red light
NaPo
When I was six years old I could barely see myself in the bathroom mirror. Only the top of my head and eyes stared back at me as my little hands held onto the bathroom vanity. I was short and the world around was so big and scary, but I felt protected. My parents protected me from all manners of danger, real or imagined.
I’d follow my father into his garage and play with his tools as he puttered around fixing something. I’d go with my mother on errands to the store and hold her hand when we crossed the street. I remember how her hand would snake down to clasp mine.
My parents were giants to me in my small world. I’d look up from my small vantage point and wonder what it would be like to be a giant one day.
My father passed away on a November day, asleep in his bed. My mother is a frail and crumbling woman. She’s bent and crooked and losing weight. I snake my hand down to meet hers as we walk into the Emergency Room one evening.
ocean tide rises
Arctic Terns return north
quiet breeding grounds
nothing left to say
birds prepare to return south
three months of silence
apples, corn, hayrides
my wife digs out potatoes
what to plant next year
lumbering fat bear
first frost covers his fur
long sleep awaits
first frost
insect symphony quiets
dark nights descend
All things joy is the vulva From touch to taste It is a joy to see and hold Freshly cleaned or dirty It’s a wonderful place to visit
Haiku, Haibun, and Gogyoka have given me so much joy and introspection over the years. I hope they give you those feelings too.
surprise -
cat scatters birds
catches none