Is there anything

that spells contentment as much

as cats basking in the sun?

~

Maybe pigs in slop

are equally contented,

but oddly less appealing.

Beneath the night sky

we walk with flashlights, waiting

for the rising moon.

~

She, upon rising’s,

clad in orange; homage to

forest fires, far away.

That smoke and mirrors

they use to obscure the facts,

only proves there’s a fire.

~

Fires, used rightly,

can provide warmth and light, but

they’d call it socialism.

Poems await their

poets and their poets wait

for inspiration.

~

Inspiring words

often arrive a bit late,

leaving us poets hungry.

Get your hands dirty,

they said, it builds character,

they said, with un-calloused palms.

~

With calloused hearts, they

proclaim while their characters

could use some cleaning.

Three yellow flowers

shimmering in the sun – though small

they lit up my day.

~

And three butterflies

flitter between them all day

under the shimmering sun.

Introducing men

to the meaning of manhood‘s

not about testosterone.

~

Indeed it isn’t,

and what a blessing it will

be when that news spreads.

When poets argue,

do they do so in rhyme and

does verse make it worse?

~

We seek out the wurst

poetry has to offer.

Don’t contend this is a crime.

I can’t bring myself

to dwell in anger or grief

for events decades ago.

~

What can we learn from

our fear based reactions to

those past heart wrenching events?

The morning light on

rain soaked trees – a wet welcome

to a bright, sparkling day.

~

Hopeful harbinger

to the coming icy rime

of November’s frost-clad limbs.

Great expectations

inevitably result

in crushing disappointment.

~

Sometimes, but sometimes,

like with the first moon landing,

those expectations paid off.

At dinner tonight

Knox explained to me his plight.

He’s a young dog and I’m old.

~

Grant him your blessing

to galavant with others

so he’ll not abandon you.

When will people learn?

There are things you just don’t stop

without great transition plans.

~

Transitions occur.

Sometimes we have a chance to

plan for them and sometimes not.

Oh, wee fox, it’s night

and not the time to be in

the road looking for dinner.

~

Dining on the road

Is never recommended…

for neither beasts nor humans.

Bowling with brothers

over a pitcher of brew

is what family’s all about.

~

Being together

no matter what’s brewing does

strengthen family bonds.

I know life’s not all

butterflies and hummingbirds,

but it was for me today.

~

Toil and sweating

were more today’s cup of tea

over here, ‘round my abode.

When you swim in seas

of ulterior motives

how do you recognize sharks.?

~

Seldom do they look

like sharks. They often come dressed

in bikinis and loincloths.

This rain was a breath

of cool air at a time when

it was most needed.

~

Any change is good

when facing humidity

nearing ninety-nine percent.

Anticipation

is often much more painful

than reality.

~

“Before Spaces” are

hard to occupy when they’re

filled with dark imaginings.

September begins,

but there’s no end to doldrums,

compliments of the virus.

~

Whirlwinds come to pass,

innocence can never last,

wake me when September ends.

Again, the decisions

we would never chose to make

open doors to the future.

~

Often we opt for

the unsatisfying known

until life closes that door.

Though they dine amidst

plenty they still manage to

squabble over crumbs.

~

These entrenched beliefs

about resource scarcity,

do us all a disservice.

When what we observe

wars with leaders’ assertions

can we trust our gut?

~

When our gut and eyes

and heart are in agreement,

they’re the leaders we can trust.

We can easily

squander precious time fearing

things that never come to pass.

~

Fear is the dragon

hiding in our hearts and minds

waiting to consume our souls.

One person’s ways feel

much like someone else’s means

if life’s a zero-sum game.

~

If one person’s ways

and the other person’s means

are honored, it’s a win-win.

If we’re on one side

of a closed door and our dog

is on the other – sad whines.

~

When there’s food at hand

forlorn looks and some barking

will soon replace the whining.

Why is it I see

these surrealistic trees

in every spiraled wire?

~

Some would say it’s just

because you’re wired to be

an inspiraling artist.

As the sun slips from

behind the whitening clouds,

my spirits rise in greeting.

~

Cloudy skies convey

endless emotional range

ever changing day to day.

You can’t avoid them,

all those uncomfortable parts,

of this adventure called life.

~

No adventure is

without uncomfortable parts,

but in the end it’s worth it.

What dreams await your

sleepy head, I do not know,

but may they be sweet.

~

I have no response

To your salient wisdom,

Saccharine to its very core.