As frantic squirrels gather nuts
I hurriedly gather friends to my garden;
creating memories to last the winter,
locked deep in darkness,
as the nuts squirrels store
beneath the soil,
to be dug up as needed.
If only I can recall
where I put them.
If not, they will be reborn
when Spring returns
and friends gather once more
to bloom in full splendor
which far exceeds the memory
of what went before.
I walked among the trees today.
Warm winds melted icy walkways .
Thus I could go again to see
Entire families of trees.
I must look quickly now
To know each trees unique bow
As Xylem floods from root to tip
as each sun beam nips and glows
And begins the nest where buds will grow.
I look now while I can still see
The naked truth that is each tree.
For once the leaves begin to grow
It’s truth is hidden far below.
I return home in reverie.
It is time to acknowledge the mystery
that has been my life before I go
beyond this forest of humanity.
I look at my mirrored image
As naked as the trees.
I see the creases and lines
Define the life I’ll leave behind.
Despite some days of bleakest sorrow
I yearn for many more tomorrows.
I will not easily decline any day
that fate decrees will come my way.
Like trees I bend rather than break.
I welcome the flood of xylem and phloem.
I choose more buds ready to grow
and more leaves to unfurl
before I go,
I may look old but am still a young girl.
Where I shall go
I do not know.
It is another mystery
contemplated in pews on bended knee,
or on stools in pubs with glasses raised.
Or while I walk among the trees.
The skinny skunk slid
across the icy road
and skated
beneath a parked car.
The opossum curtailed
its icy walk and sailed
across the frozen pond,
as I looked on.
The bald eagle now nests
at the crest
of trees along the Scioto,
eyes searching for a break
in the ice, and river mice
slipping by below.
The earth yet lies frozen
no scent of soil thawed.
No breath of heated life
that I can tell by smell.
But, below the melting snow
new-green growth
of daisies glow
a greeting and a promise
that Spring is on her way.
It is a beautiful day.
Filed under POETRY
NIGHT SNOW
In the middle of the night,
blankets hugged about the body tight,
I gathered them about and rose
slipping on boots to go
into the tranquility of the garden
bright with moonlight.
Snow now fills the tracks
of man and beast.
Huge flakes drift down
breathing quietly as I,
gently riding unseen currents,
falling onto still branches,
through a silent sky.
And I stand quietly along their side,
arms held aloft and wide,
chin tipped high
in awe of night,
and snow flakes in flight;
warmed by the sight.
I live! I am alive!
The snow tells tales
of visitors both
friend and foes
to plants hidden below
it’s white blanket.
Squirrels and rabbits
Abound and bound
across icy surfaces,
where prints detail
their frequent ungainly
slide to places
they did not intend
To go. This I know
As I slide along
in boots unsure of purchase
on icy walks.
The squirrels and bunnies
keep concerning company.
Deer and raccoon,
rapacious dragoons
strip the seeds, and slips
of faded green
from bush and plant.
We all abide together
comrades in arms
Against the weather.
Filed under POETRY
And so it fell,
the snow,
banished from the sky
To blend with earth
And feed the seed
of Spring.
Filed under POETRY
Busy days boost the sun
however faint his gaze.
No time to moan
his wandering ways
over the banks of snow.
Sun warms the heart
and soothes the soul
even when he strays
too far south
to take the time
to light our way.
Busy days ease our wait
for sun’s return
To grace us with his kiss
and hold our heart in his.
Filed under POETRY
One day is all it takes
for Autumn to blow away
on ice-laden winds
that shock lawns
with frost as thick as thieves
robbing us of long walks amid the trees
which shelter us from too strong a breeze.
Our path is no longer clear
of the detritus of Fall,
of our fall from grace, putting us in our place
inside the hidden thoughts of our minds;
until the sun shines strong and deliberate,
with a design to clear the mind.
For now, we wait in hope
for longer days and shorter nights
until we can alight guided
by a Stronger Light
until Spring returns
to awaken our sight
and warm our souls.
Filed under Uncategorized
Filed under art work
annarino writes 