Glitterati

Bejeweled branches
sparkling ruby red and gold

ornamental colors
as dazzling adornments

reflective facets
capturing richest brilliance

autumnal raiment
dressing up once-green vistas

much hurried preparations
for Fall's Au Revoir Ball.

One Jewel

Tricolored first
spreading scarlet
to a gilded edge
blocked by abundant green

bicolored next
to inevitable red
of priceless splendor
with silent, ticking clock.

Fall Foliage #21

Smothered by color
beauty seeps in
my spirit revives

annual renewal
spiritual cleansing
for this non-religionist

a return to my mecca
its incandescent glory
restorative once again.

Summer Hibernation

A retreat into quiet
incommunicado
blissfully off the grid

in exchange for birdsong
humming, thrumming insects
at even and uneven pitch

breathing in
north woods aromatics
unleashed by summer's heat

transfixed by
blazing fireweed patches
among abundant, lush greenscapes

scanning the dark, silent sky
anchored by the Milky Way
for eons-old, astral scenes...

centered once again
mind, body, and spirit
within life's shared significance.

A Diamond's Worth

Forged deep in the molten mantle
spewed out through kimberlite pipes

mined billions of years later
by avaricious gem-seekers

these sparkling beauties prized
for ornamental artifacts

without...awed appreciation
for their ancient genesis

as geologic greetings
from an early adolescent Earth.

Soggiest Camp Visit in 50 Years

May in full flood
overspreading hillside

summer/fall drought
erased by ample snow melt

braided-stream flows
through forest and field

cresting together
in pond-sized, road moat

captured easily
for delicious supply

proffered propitiously
by whimsical gods.

Near Seventy-Five

Near seventy-five
saddest for cynicism

a dashing
of heroic hopes

a trashing
of cherished ideals

disillusion
despondency...

yet solace
in bookish minutes

still joy-filled moments
in nature's embrace

most welcomed comfort
from family-spawned hugs.

Raison D'Etre

To exult
to participate
in nature's play

whistle birdsong
caress Spanish moss
pick poppies just with eyes
listen to insects sing
engage with a flower bloom

savor the scented seasons
observe creature habits
collect constellations
touch eternity in rocks
soar on fancied wings

behold creation
with bewitched senses
in quest of human destiny.

Exquisite Moment

Enrich with
persistent seeing
exploring wide-eyed

granted by
sentient lens
for briefest moment

seize zealously
and savor well
this cosmic glimpse.

A Brief on Happiness

Happiness
not sustainable

too ecstatic
for daily balance

off and on buoyant
beyond the rainbow

ephemeral dreams
within wandering mind space

simple contentment
my essential state.