Love is Gathered

Love is gathered
over years
deliberately
from unlikely places

bushes on the side of the road
cobwebs in the corner
underneath the car seat
from the pocket of an old coat

Love is the cry of a child
a bark of the dog
giggles in bed
sharp words

hammering nails
folding laundry
baking cookies
paying bills

Love is gathered
kneaded
braided
woven

slapped
crushed
stripped
tossed aside

rediscovered
soothed
glued together
held in wonder

Love is gathered
a mosaic of shards
stretched through decades
shimmering in the moonlight

Disassociation

Simple question:
Give me the view
from 30,000 feet
your childhood home

Simple answer:
Scary and unpredictable

Slideshow begins
in my head
conversation ends
connection severed

Overwhelmed
cells exploding
I can't listen
a child again

I leave
out the window
to treetops
green crowns of safety

gone
again
it's all I have
my only protection

Will I always be
back to the wall
facing windows
looking for treetops?

An Image

An image
something growing
deep inside
buried in intestinal sludge

where tears and fears unite
amorphous shapes
songs crying
to be released

An image
apples hanging
precariously
listening to whispers

Reverie

Just after Day's end
Fireflies emerge to startle
Am I blinking
Or is it them?

Seized by the moment
Reverie

How to capture
To preserve for tomorrow's pleasure

No.

Reverie
is in the startle
in the discovery

Life Lessons of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweetness requires both light and dark.
A little vinegar mellows the mix.
Chocolate and nuts are a balancing act.
In heat, cookies spread and touch each other.
It's best if your nuts are toasted, but it's easy to get burned.

My Dancer

My dancer moved with grace
Twenty five years ago
First of many recitals
Grass skirt hula
Short bangs
Rouged cheeks

My dancer moves with grace
or not
Belly swelling
Tutu rising
Still on pointe
A dancer within

How could I have envisioned such joy?

Watermelon Smile

Watermelon smile

Lemonade laughter

Blueberry eyes

Sweet potato nose

A little melon mojo from

The girl with the strawberry curls