Adulting is hard

and takes a lot of practice

before we can do it right.

~

At seventy eight

I’m still practicing and I

only sometimes get it right.

Life’s complications

can be an inspiration

but they also interfere.

~

Unexpected work

in a distant location

leaves little time for writing.

When you have to choose

between the head or the gut,

which way do you tend to lean?

~

At my best, I give

them equal weight, but when I’m

in a pinch I go with gut.

We’d feel better if

we held onto joy as long

as we hold onto grudges.

~

Some burdens are hard

to put down and leave behind,

therefore, we still carry them.

What’s she waiting for,

an engraved invitation?

It’s her contest after all…

~

Sometimes we wait for

acceptance, acknowledgement,

or a gentle nudge.

Scorching with a touch

of rain seems to be one of

Summer’s favorite games.

~

A refreshing tease

that instantly becomes steam

wilting every starched collar.

Though we disagree

about this country’s problems,

we both remain patriots.

~

Civility would

be restored if more of us

could do the same without blame.

It’s not easy to

make space for poetry when

life is so crowded.

~

A poet’s garret

may be the perfect retreat

from the great thundering herd.

That tiny tree frog’s

chirp punches above its weight;

kind of like Napoleon.

~

Small souls can sometimes

make big noise, for example,

our ex-president.

These pains of aging

encourage us to do now

all the things that, soon, we can’t.

~

A good example

of the constructive use of

pain to prevent deep regret..

It’s not always what

is said, but how it is said

that leads to smiles or frowns.

~

Yet, at other times,

the words alone elicit

ample reaction themselves.

When passing the time

becomes so all consuming

that we lose sight of our goal…

~

To keep from losing

our minds, we have to lose sight –

it’s a short term remedy.

Who’d have known shiny

blue-tailed skinks could provide such

great family entertainment?

~

Ethical concerns

not withstanding, one must

enjoy one’s toys completely.

A celebration

should not leave one feeling drained

and lacking all energy.

~

If they do, it must

be time to examine why

it had that effect on you.

Setting sun filters

through still green leaves, bidding them

a golden farewell.

~

These closing hours

Of a bright, glorious day

Are suffused with amber light.

If three score and ten

be our reasonable years,

are what remain reasonless?

~

Only someone who

has not reached three score and ten

would ask that question.

Catching sight of Knox

and me, that rabbit hightailed

it straight for the woods.

~

Both Bull-Terriers

and Septuagenarians

inspire flight in many.

As our end draws nigh,

shall we face it with regret

or embrace it joyously?

~

Each one will answer

this question in their own time

and in their own way.

Distant train whistles

and nearby car honks signal

humans on the move.

~

A few scant miles

away, the whistle’s nearby

and the care honks distantly.

Occasionally,

from unfortunate events,

wonderful rewards arise.

~

And we give thanks for

those rare, or maybe not quite

so rare occasions.

What is there to say

that hasn’t been better said

by someone else? Still, we try.

~

Others can not speak,

no matter how good they are,

in a voice unique to me!

Adventures abound

before being brutally,

capriciously, car contained.

~

It’s better to have

adventured, contained or not,

than to do nothing at all.

‘Twas a relief to

walk today in water which

was not of my own making.

~

Walking on water,

even of your own making,

takes a very special soul.

When strong winds and rain

threaten us with their approach,

can we hasten their exit?

~

I’m afraid we can’t.

We can either hasten our

exit or shelter in place.

In these contentious

times, subtlety and nuance

are left far behind.

~

Many find nuance

unbearable, demanding

such thought to see if they won.

Oh but how time flies,

not only when having fun

but also when hard at work.

~

Crawling or flying,

time moves along until it

stops for each of us.

Just enough light, just

enough warmth, just enough breeze

for another perfect day.

~

Let not the perfect

detract from enjoying good

because there’s ample evil.

Indignant protests

often fail to hit their mark;

stridency sounds insincere.

~

Yet police are called

for peaceful protests, perhaps

because the sincere are feared.

Civil discussions

between opposing factions?

Is it too much to hope for?

~

So long as ‘winning’

is the only good outcome,

hope for civility dims.

Encrusted in dust

when the rains began to fall,

thereafter encased in mud.

~

Strangely, this weather

reminds me of Congress, but

who on earth knows why.