Prodigals return

when life gets hard to manage

without family support.

~

It can be hard to

return and receive what we

once denied needing.

Seems January

has decided to leave like

a quite docile lamb.

~

Spring-like winter months

may seem meek as little lambs

when, in truth, they harbinge doom

Circling the drain,

through less pleasant vertigo,

is like riding carousels.

~

Circle your wagons

instead, lie down, unwind, breathe,

and let yourself be.

When I close my eyes,

images of what once was

tumble into view.

~

Oh, would that visions

of a future, bright and fair,

were so easy to find there!

Stunned by the sunshine,

the poets found themselves filled

with wordless pleasure.

~

Unlike in the past,

No one rushed to post a like

on our blank untitled page!

Eyes and teeth and back-

what’s the next to go kaput?

Aging’s not a young man’s game.

~

Sometimes we wonder

what kind of game we’re playing

when there is so much to lose.

The sun snuck out from

behind the clouds and briefly

blessed us with a bright smile.

~

Blinding solar grins,

despite the joy they provide,

are sneaky fleeting flashes.

When viewed from within,

that old tune “Cotton-eyed Joe”

hardly seems so jocular.

~

So many versions,

all pretty dark, of what is

called “Cotton eyed Joe”.

The way my shadow

fell distorted my vision.

A slight shift might set things straight.

~

Slight shifting of light

and stirrings at vision’s fringe

are the realms where monsters hide.

Now, that time permits,

I find no greater comfort

than lounging long, here abed.

~

Treasure it while

you can because in no time

you will be off and running.

After five days of

quarantine, a short trip to

the dump made my day.

~

Such simple pleasures,

seldom appreciated,

are amplified by illness

Welcome fellowship

warms even the coldest day

if you’re willing to reach out.

~

We’re more aware on

these real cold days of how much

warmth simple presence can bring.

.

Without a compass,

it is easy to get lost.

With one we can find our way.

~

Moral compasses

work exactly the same way;

if you’ve got one, you get it.

Sometimes good enough

is the best we can hope for

given the circumstances…

~

Knowing when we’ve done

enough, have enough, worried

enough makes things easier.

Against a background

of slowly melting snow, birds

line the porch rail for their meal.

~

At my place today

a cardinal decided

screened porches make good pulpits.

Still in its beauty

this white chiffon on the lawn

sure looks good enough to eat.

~

As a child I

made and ate snow cones, but those

days are now long gone.

If we feel compelled

to count, let’s count our blessings

as well as our woes.

~

Detailed accounting

of our numerous blessings

lift spirits ever higher.

After much delay

and some procrastination

let’s promptly put pen to pad…

~

This recipient,

showing solidarity,

delayed writing too.

Through small openings,

sweetness can come and bring warm

smiles to our tight-lipped mouths.

~

…and I always thought

it was sour and bitter

that made tight lipped rictuses.

A wonder how woods

can warm our hearts and our homes

whether we burn it or not.

~

Walking or watching

the woods, we are able to

replace our worries with warmth.

Pink clouds ease across

a pale blue sky as the sun

slowly says goodbye.

~

And in that gloaming

moment between day and night

glows a special spectral light.

As chaos expands

all around this crazy world,

where can we find safe harbor?

~

By finding ways to

end the chaos we’ll make life

safer for us all.

Again with the rain?

Has winter somehow forgot

even the concept of snow?

~

Ah, the fickleness

of life. Even the seasons

forget what they are.

What is whispering

in the wind? Is it a sigh

of awakening?

~

Hard to distinguish

a sigh of satisfaction

from sighs of resignation…

Arise! Face today,

despite the summoning cry

of the blankets’ warm embrace.

~

Forget yesterday’s

gloom. Today we are greeted

with shimmering light.

Even the sky cries

on this day remembering

the insurrection.

~

Tears amount to naught

in the hearts of heartless men

feasting on their avarice.

Her chill insertion

into my dreaming hours

fills me with wonder and dread

~

It’s hard to be chill

when wonder and dread come to

us when sleeping or awake.

Unexpected cold,

especially in the house,

is not to be accepted.

~

Growing heated

does no good so we cooly

called the experts for some help.

Here in Virginia

January’s first day was

gray. How I long for the sun!

~

From here, every day

of this freshly newborn year

has nowhere to go but up!