Philosophical Imperative

No religionist I
wrapped around
fantasy dogma

no existentialist
trapped in each day
lost in nothingness

no spiritualist
craving messages
from hoped-for beyond

a beholder though
savoring beauty
in nature’s offerings.

Tree-Trunk Buffet

Sap sucking
fly catching
wood pecking
tree creeping
nut hatching
above the bark

ant drilling
termite chewing
beetle boring
aphid sipping
fungus digesting
beneath the bark

picnicking niches
the Feast of St. Tree.

Crossing the Line

Accepting
the idea
crosses the line

rational talk
of torture
disturbs

even if
even if
it works

always
brutality
ensnares

dashing again
evolution’s hope
for love.

Winter Gothic

Scarlet streak
before the eyes
behind

left
right
peripheral glimpses

scoping
scanning
spotting

on nearby branch
garish
against the snow.

Requiem for the Future

Overwhelmed by
inchoate sadness

unfocused loss
deep down grieving

ululating cries
across oceans

demise of billions
begun in earnest

planet breached
beyond redemption.