Fall Foliage #20

The colors bloom
leaf by leaf
limb by limb
tree by tree
until they explode

dazzling splashscape
toned to brightest vivid
stunningly luminous
in every direction
vistas of epic brilliance.

Scenic Highway

Scarlet, yellow, orange leaves
mixed with chartreuse and evergreens

along roadsides and riverbanks
across cropped fields and wooded hills

never-ending color displays
in garish, patchwork patterns

repetitious gorgeousness
in unrelenting profusion

no relief for eyes and soul
from mesmerizing assault

until sudden shower dampens
this glut of too much damn beauty!

Un-American Flag

The stars and stripes
now confederatized

banner held high
by angry, white men

mean, hateful chorus
on rising redneck tide

justice just for us
nothing for others

drowning out traditions
of decency and reason.

Staged Succession

A sea of rich, mixed greens
lightening
ever so slightly

intense heat and light
weakening
ever so slightly

perfumed essences
lessening
ever so slightly

ardent hues
primping in wait
for onstage cue.

Fall Foliage #19

Aurora autumnalis
shimmering on mirrored lake

watercolor smudges
stretched in reflecting array

static and dynamic
in red, orange, yellow rows

another tour de force
from Mother Nature's palette

transitory offering
for privileged observers

a seasonal immersion
into alchemized beauty.

Ode to House

It's the windows and doors
looking in and looking out

fifty-four views
within upstairs and down

eye-catching images
of animate and not

outside seasonal
and interior static

eclectic collection
in bright colors and cozy

comfort-filled box
of satisfying sights.

Red, White, and Blue Blues

No more grace notes
to soften greedy motives

the steadfast gone
their house in ruins

shining, on-the-hill city
flattened landscape of id

every golden promise
in overstuffed dustbins

off its lofty pedestal
now...our country 'tis.

Watercolor Meadow

Unmowed this season
upon late June return

dotted orange and yellow
in pointillistic style

among myriad of greens
grasses, leaves, and needles

exquisite hawkweed display
arrested at a distant rock

artistry by butterflies
dripping pigments in their wake.

Genealogy Gold

An American colossus
of outsized accomplishment

esteemed father of this nation
with no biological heirs

many indirect descendants
from his Great-Aunt Anne's genes

an eighth great-grandmother
in my Meares family tree

ten generations later
well-diluted ancestor claim

still...shiny bit of kinship pride
for this lionized, distant cousin.

Birding in the Garden

Surprise attendance
with front-row seating
for glittery glamour show

scarlet and ruby reds
stunning blue, shiny green
rich orange and golden yellow

all with top-star billing
in flamboyant appearance
for stage-front, up-close inspection.

Eye Test

Compromised sight
less clarity
without bold colors

haloed lights
moon and stars
in blurry vision

surgical fix
replacement lens
minus cataract layer

newly scrubbed eyes
in eager quest
of Andromeda's spiral prize.

Retirement Dividend

Early morning dozing
after nightly slumber done

such delicious sleep
with sweet dreaming upon

romping again
among childhood friends

crystal-clear visits
with long deceased kin

surreal adventures
in time-travel mix

all dream-plots accomplished
in a mere twenty minutes.

Language Limits

"Use your words,"
a parent instructs
the young child

decoding magic
to understand
her needs and feelings

yet inadequate
to translate
nature's stunning motifs

that said...live oaks
beckoning up and down
with out-stretched, moss-draped arms

elaborate structures
rooted wide and deep
with ever-reaching limbs

ghostly gray presences
drenched in haunted history
indifferent to humankind's sins.

Ode to Cholla

Companion to the grasslands
a once teeming surface
ocean-wide expanse
beyond conjurable limits

familiar silhouettes there
branching, stick-like cacti
occasional, abundant
with discrete separation

friendly sentries for many
on crisscrossing transits
and accidental witnesses
to the prairie's barbarous past.

Connecticut Woods in Winter

Brown and gray canvas
of stark verticals
and crisp horizontals

scenic, roadside sights
between black trunks
and tannish, beech-leaved trees

artful stone walls
mounded long ago
crisscrossed exactly

a woodland still life
wrested from forests
by work-callused hands.

Puppies

Tail-wagging aspect
pick-me-up pleas
eager for attention

tummy tickling
soft-paw clutching
for roly-poly fun

one a he
the other she
as four-legged twosome

scampering, tumbling
hurtling, hugging
with loving physicality.

Rubicon Crossed

The end of the Republic
its shining city extinguished

democratic-rich promises
smothered and unfinished

snuffed out by benighted mob
as founding fathers feared

dark forces unshackled
by cantankerous voters

hostile takeover by bullies
reversion to white male mean

Ms. Liberty's torch now doused
a beckoning beacon no more.