so-called adults

hero worship and childishness

scare me blind

as they seem to be

personally, i prefer dealing

adult to adult, realistic, respectful

or adult to a child

less than four feet tall

and having experienced life

for less than two decades

not whiny and dependent

or the ones who look down

on everyone but never

grew up

dashing from red-orange

doe dashing down my hill

moments later, a large, red

dog-like creature, orange-red

with broad face and shoulders

and long moments later

a second orange-red creature

as dog-like as the first

of unrecognized breed

and unfamiliar color

a pair of dogs in the neighborhood

that i do not know?

wild creatures that i’ve never heard of?

my only hope is that the doe

is swift and finds shelter

moments with JPM

memories and gratitude

fill me in her presence

as she remembers my storyline

from nearly a decade before

and waves away my thanks

for teaching how to lead

a writing group

blue promise

blue promise

of the twisting earth

as it gives rise to the sun

and the light of day

imitation flattery

snow piles remain from roof-fall

or where the shadows of pine

denied sun’s warming

but on our slope of foothills

of the coastal range

many piles stand as rugged models

of the low mountains themselves

scar price

‘whatever doesn’t kill you

makes you stronger’

scars being tougher

and less flexible than skin

weather identity theft

flat, gray sky

dripping snow-rain

melting tufts in white yard

exposing greenish grass

that hasn’t seen sunlight in weeks

unsure whether winter or spring

engaging sould and body

music engages soul and body

connecting by rhythm

and movement

with non-self

bringing something and many

someones i would never

know otherwise

within what i feel

and who i am

momentary stillness

wind whips frenzied pines

allegro to presto gusts

clang windchimes beyond melody

twist the light-catcher to flashes

then momentary stillness

as the wind catches his breath

promised re-delivery

blue-purple-gray sky delivering

of a multitude of tiny snowflakes

straight down

so many, they form a veil

obliterating my lower field

and only close neighbor

dusting the finally-unladen boughs

of evergreens with first hints again

of the weight of white

bird after bird seeking refuge

at the feeder bowl

i’ll need to fill it yet again soon

languid dawn

the blue-white of morning

snow draping evergreen

brittle-stocked queen anne’s lace

woodpile beside the barn

stubbled slope of hill

neighbor’s distant roof

quiet, i watch the eerie blue

diffuse to nearer white

as the sunrise stretches

toward a languid dawn

welcome, dear one

she trudged up the slope

leaving her car on the clear

almost-flat before the abandoned

house

carrying still warm coconut soup

and crab cakes for my supper

but mostly to see that i was

well

signs that i’d tried to check

for mail but no one had tried

to fight the ice under the snow

to deliver

tracks left visible

 tiny tracks of animals

skittering atop the crusted

crystalline snow

unaccustomed to blizzard

busy yesterday, shopping for food

readying the homestead for storm

for, on our hill, we would soon

be snowbound

daughter took grandson

to his class in the city

caught in traffic jammed

behind an accident hours in clearing

moving feet rather than miles an hour

then, set free, waiting until road

cleared of sliding, erratic vehicles

to gain enough traction to drive home

five hours after starting out for home

our oregon is unaccustomed to blizzard

snow! scurry home

snow! scurry home

to warm fire, hot chocolate

and loving arms

did the sun rise

today slipped into morning

without our golds and mauves

auburns and brilliant yellow-whites

strange to feel the daylight on my cheek

without having greeted the dawn

with due awe

less than the half dozen

six treasured art pieces

selected for my adult children

paid for, shipped, long awaited

the box so tightly secured

i needed my grandson to open

it for me

only to find five, not six

heartsick

we know better

why do we follow

commands to destroy people

when denigrated

this land was our land

 sixteen elk, including a camel-brown youth

and a number of bucks with stately antlers

climbed over and through wire fence

from our lower field onto our front lawn

milling and pawing, browsing on tufts of grass

lifting their heads to stare at my intrusion

as i stepped onto the porch to admire them

tofu seed

tofu in the bird feeder

a new experience

not quite cherished as yet

but evidently intriguing

especially as nearly all else

is covered by inches of snow