Rock Sitting

Sitting rock
front row seat
on mossy path

rolled into place
hospitably
for pond viewing

crisp, brisk day
leaves rattling
few touches of color

cranberry leaf red
golden lily pads
in gray surround

inclusive vista
suspension of time
with no measure

elemental moment
languid and free
swimming with molecules.

Extinguished Path

Vanished imprint
trampled pine needles
along old woods way

leading to dreams
rich imaginings
for sure-footed young

cross-country walkers
adventurous skiers
nature explorers

seeking the magic
among ancient groves
of long-lived stillness

bearing witness
to changeable land
not succeeding itself

another forest lost
captured and boxed
as unholy houses.

On Grandbaby Duty

Sheer bliss to re-live tender time
snuggling in purest delight
without parental strings

cocooning in the present
outside quotidian life
in bendable world of play

pretending to be an elephant
a convenient climbing tree
whatever I am imagined to be

learning again clan language
smiling, touching, singing
fulsome with spontaneous hugs

round and round the mulberry bush
of regenerative experience
ontogeny recapitulates love.

Maple Leaf Moment

Tiny fingers
entwine the stem

crinkle
its golden crown

spring and fall
exchange greetings

then pass
the seasonal baton.

I'm Most Awake at Night

I’m most awake at night
in the darkest quiet

mind lively
skipping randomly around

scavenging ideas
outside daytime noise

pushing conscious edges
beyond banality

until sleep intervenes
mixing up real with dreams

my self and the universe
left unresolved once again.