Winter Soul

We are on the downhill slope of winter

As little by little

the sun shines on us a few minutes longer

Although this season can pose the challenge

of inhibiting our daytime rituals

I find the morning sunrise

quenches my winter spirit

Winter Mornings

I pull the front door shut and step out into the brisk air. 

I quickly find a cadence as we make our way down the street. 

The work day has begun for most, leaving the houses shut and quiet. 

Trash cans line the streets like sentries at their post. 

Clouds blanket the sky, 

softening the landscape to a neutral gray.

 Birds greet us, 

rejoicing the day that has begun. 

The rhythmic stride of my step and jangle of collars sing us a tempo. 

Dogs announce our passing in tones of alto and baritone. 

We pass the lonely houses that wear traces of life overflowing. 

Tricycles and beach balls lay abandoned. 

Rakes and half filled wheelbarrows wait their turn. 

Wind chimes sing our their tireless tune. 

And we pass by unnoticed in the winter morning solitude.

Reflecting Forward

The new year brings a time of reflection and consideration. At times I find myself scoffing at the idea of inane new years resolutions, thoughtless as they are impractical. However as I talk to my peers and strangers alike, I find comfort and solidarity in the idea that each person is pushing a reset button. Persons everywhere are taking a moment to pause, reflect and look forward to a new beginning. It is something perhaps each of us do privately as we hit milestones: birthdays, anniversaries, births and deaths, but this one day in the calendar year, we can collectively hope that the next year will be more fulfilling and joyful than the last. And I believe that in the end, we can all be better for it. So let's all take a moment to be thankful for the blessings and disappointments of the past year. And let us look forward to a year where we shine brighter inside and out, lighting the world around us.

Summer

The sunflowers reach

stretch upwards toward the sky

towering overhead as their blooms break open

illuminating their golden rays

The sweltering heat

stops me in my path.

I try to wade through

the thick, heavy air

My lungs swell,

searching for fresh oxygen

instead met with a stinging blow dryer

The sun rises and sets,

But Hades has settled here.

Our appliances give us false hope.

I hideout, take cool showers, recline on my couch.

But once I open my door, my nose is stung with fire

my pores sweat

and I think,

this must be the Hell Fire in which they all speak.

I glance out my window at the giant yellow flowers.

Once erect and strong Goliaths

Now appear as weak old men

Hunching in defeat below the sun.

I turn away, opening the faucet

to let the cool water wash over my hands

and I think, with a glimmer of doubt

one day this too shall pass

Naked Sam

A new look
  disrobed
shameless
nothing to hide.

A new past revealed
a Labrador bounding
a bird dog's stance
a puppy's gangly legs


He finds a new spice for life
not sweet and mild paprika
                                              but bold cayenne.
                                              A paw to the face
                                      
                                     Growling, pawing, barking
                                     scratching,           cuddling
                                                   disobeying

                                          The temperatures climb
                                           mosquitoes thrive
                                           perspiration inescapable
ceaseless

                                         Like a bear out of hibernation,
he leaves the coolness of the concrete porch
Striding across the yard,
patrolling for squirrels.

 Oh I did not know I would come home from the groomers,
                                                       with a different dog