new year's morning
drunken footsteps crawling
in the fresh snow

getting ready

for a big change

October's end

rescue's end

and now

the stories begin

hospice house
the rose on his nightstand
in full bloom

a moment of silence

as I dust the bookshelves

remembering 9/11

losing count

of all the food recalls

remembering

grandma's

victory garden

mom doesn't want

to eat today

in and out of reality

I read alice in wonderland

to the grandchildren

nursing home

the old professor

down the hallway

lecturing

the nurse

perseids

who else is watching

from their planet

progress

cloudy day

mom notices

how blue the sky is

as the sun sets

again, mom asks

if it's still tuesday

mom's life

melding into mine

sudden rain

nursing home

gathering dust

gathering haiku

another day

breathing in

breathing out

remembering how mom

used to laugh

tangled up

in the glory

of morning

finding more time

to garden

the clouds

cooperating today

with my mood

from the ocean

to the mountains

the time in between storms

Cold Winter Morning

Removed for submission

happy new year

the grass in the meadow

already turning green

storm warning

the last patch of blue

turning gray

Lazy Afternoon

Removed for submission

voices in my head

one of them

says BOO!

time..
not enough for me
too much for the prisoner
what's the difference?

going through photos
in the attic
an ancestor looks back
at me..

4th of July
red white and blue
everywhere

independence day
I buy mother a walker
..with brakes

summer breeze
through the pines
...my mind goes silent

morning fog
I pour a third
cup of coffee

burned out bulb
on the Christmas tree
California sunset

a year later
still the blackened trees
November sunset

harvest moon ::
the black cat
in the window












harvest moon ::
the reflection
on the spider web

so much to learn
so little time..
reincarnation

Bailout or Investment?

crossroads ::

    the bullet holes

in 700 billion

autumn leaves ::
the wing span
of the Blue Jay

the smooth flight
of the blue jay
I make a reservation

shadows darken
just before sunset
autumn dusk

First Day of School

first day of school

her doll
waits by the door



first day of school
she wears the dress
I made for her mother



new games
in the playground ::
cell phones

sunset on the lake ::
do not feed
the ducks

summer's end

pelicans
skimming the waves
summer's end

the warmth

of the sand on my feet
tsunami

the night so long
I type 'bored'
into the search box

Morning Bath

morning bath ::
I watch the blue jay
instead

The 4th of JULY

4th of July
the red, white
and blue of it

fireworks ::
even the bats
are screeching

fireworks over the lake
the red reflection
on the dry pines

Baseball Season

extra innings—
three sparrows perched
on the empty seat

bottom of the twelfth
the umpire
wipes his brow

empty stadium
the plastic bag tumbling
towards home plate

Daffodils

field of daffodils
the smiling faces
of the kindergarten class

Kiki the Cat

paw prints
in the garden ::
two months after her death

January 2008

waiting two hours
in the return line
...the donation barrel

January blizzard
she paints flowers
on the wall

December 2007

Christmas Eve night
the silence
of the snow

morning chill
the mountain chickadee bathing
in the half-frozen stream

September 2006

I spent the whole week at a beach cafe, on a hill looking east towards the mountains at sunset, and in my own backyard garden. Here is what I came up with. The season is deciding when it would be best to let the sun cool down and puff the clouds up with moisture that is so badly needed.

* * * * *

the autumn leaves
begin to fall
piano needs tuning


seaside cafe
desperate not to be noticed
the pigeon relieves himself
by my foot


fall in the air ::
the sun tilts the shadows
further north


curious eyes
as I write in my book
his coffee spills


hour after hour
the dog watches the door
I anxiously go to the gym


magnolia blossom
in full bloom
her first date

* * *

gas shortage
the fourth night
of grandma's navy beans

double rainbow
the unopened letter
on her desk

August 2006

sunflowers
a crowd of spectators
wearing yellow hats

driving to Los Angeles
bumper to bumper
stickers