red sky in the morning

smoky red sky to the northeast

as though the mighty Columbia were hosting wildfires

but it is only – i hope – dawn

we’ve had fire near often enough in the past few years

to be wary of more and compassionate

towards all who suffer terror and loss and fire danger

how i learned to swim

how i learned to swim

 rafters on wood deck over sealed, empty metal drums

in the frolicking waves of Lake Erie off Kelleys Island

uncles threw me in; now row away from me

as i doggy-paddle, laughing

knowing they’d risk their lives

to keep me from harm

regal dawn

dawn fog lingering

in the valley

wraps itself in purple tints

to watch storm clouds

sundered by rolling gold

of the day’s arrival

emerge

(a pantoum)

emerge

a pantoum

emerge

darkness to light

out of shadow

fight for existence

darkness to light

will to live

fight for existence

harbinger of hope

fight for existence

out of the shadow

harbinger of hope

emerge

bouncing rain

as though each cloud had a separate mind

individual ideas of what the climate should bestow

the drops are flat and then elongated

become this minute hard and bounce

off pavement, windshield

the wipers only add to the confusion

of an april afternoon of this oddest spring

tribute to our bill stafford

tribute to our Bill Stafford

a man of the earth finding joy in hummingbirds

and fulfillment teaching grandchildren

a man who painted and drew wildlife into his world

a man of words, words twisted into puns

a man of laughter

a man of the earth

haiku 4/15/2022

 my world ice-slathered

tinted by night-indigo

awaits dawn and hope

true palette

what if we could convince the purples that the blues

that are not trying to steal the chroma, the vibrant pigment which is the joy

of themselves or the vivacity of what they have drawn life

but that powers that want, for their own wealth in being,

disharmonies to remain as they are

perpetuate ancient lies so the fear of ‘not enough’ fuels ‘I better get mine’

what if the truth of abundance were to tinge pale hues , allowing

purples, blues, greens, oranges–all to recognize themselves

as vital, nuanced shades of the whole palette of beauty

haiku april ninth

sunshine not always

warmth as on spring days testing

winter or summer

laughing at Nature

i chuckle at how the bobcat cub saunters

through my back yard as though it were his

though he never offers to split the property tax bill

but my amusement is short-lived as i remember

Mother Nature’s taxes are matters

of life and death

osprey spring

osprey male alone, perched atop their pole

waiting, spying, swooping

lifting to refine their nest from years ago, waiting

and now she’s come, his mate

the nest their focus, with joy times smuggled

speaking softly their language of love and devotion

before demanding chicks

take up their summer days in feeding and protecting

a pair, a team vital, to each other

and to the survival of the osprey race

seeds of cosmos

farmer friends sent seeds from their last year’s

cosmos flowers

in thank you for small gifts for their wedding

cosmos are so lovely, pink and white, delicate

lacy leaves as fragile as love

as enduring as devotion

despite

her wondrous laughter

telling of family gathering

honoring their loss

croaking of spring

unsung, it struggles early

to lift through soil, mulch of dead leaves

glistening frost to prick at winter

with slender green point

which pushes itself upright

unfolds as yellow, pink or purple-blue

crocus

do nothing

work behind the scenes

is the hardest to justify

to those who have never

been so charged

do not know the effort

thought and care involved

and take for granted

red rock canyon

red rock canyon, nevada

 wild burro nibbling on scant gray-green

among unkempt cacti

in front of layered mountains, tumble-textured rises

and calico hills vibrant with orange, beige

gypsum white, scab-blood, iron red

grizzled brown, dotted green

and haunted by startling, deep-shadow black

 mj

sibilant sounds

shepherding

shifting

shadowing

slithering

shushing

silence

Reader comments: “Ooew! Conjures up all kinds of images…delinitely feelings.”

“I really like thisssss”

blame un-game

wrestling with pique over restrictions

and weariness of exile

mumbling, fretting, whining among ourselves

deciding we are put upon and liking victimhood

we attack

but who - in a pandemic - deserves to be blamed?

love in abundance

ah, the love in abundance

in this family

generation upon generation giving in support

through tough times

traveling inconvenient miles in difficult conditions

to be there when needed

to see the hurting re-created in warmth

and laughter

(im)balance

(im)balance

balance—so easy when young,

strong and unscarred

by the tricks and tempests

by which life distorts us

and once twisted

how difficult to move

with ease and grace

of mind or body

old age should be venerated

not ridiculed for its off-balance quirks

if only to acknowledge the pain endured

to be able to function at all

                                    mjNordgren  2/2/2022  N