The early bird might

get the worm, but worms are not

what bring me delight.

~

Some worms need eating,

if for no other reason

than to hasten their decay.

Rabbit kit, soaked in dew

seeks a dubious shelter

in my warm, cast-off shoe.

~

He is a shoe in

for innovative rabbit

shelter finder of the year.

It doesn’t take much,

just the sight of ripples on

the pond, and a smile comes.

~

or the distant peeps

of tree frogs by the water

when it’s much to dark to see.

Oh, Noblesse Oblige…

The aspect of having wealth

that Conservatives eschew.

~

Obligations come

in many forms. You can save

both a penny and your soul.

It’s really hard to

believe that he doesn’t have

something up his sleeve.

~

Everybody knows

illusionist misdirect

but suspend their disbelief.

What ever happened

to civic altruism,

selfless acts by honest men?

~

It was trumped by those

who much preferred fame, fortune,

and power to such “woke” things.

Among the many

there are a few who take time

to really listen.

~

And among those few,

there are even fewer still

who take time to really hear.

Bask in this melange;

these muddled realities

between wakefulness and dream.

~

I got so caught up

in that state of inbetween

that I failed to write.

The National Guard

should go to the White House to

catch the thief in residence.

~

But Law Enforcement

is not and should never be

a duty of the army!

Retired neighbors

can be wonderful blessings…

if they are compassionate.

~

And don’t get so bored

they manufacture problems

to wile away the time.

When winning becomes

all that really matters, you

have already lost the game.

~

An easy yardstick

appeal to the simple mind.

Wisdom grows from the playing.

Personality

is one aspect of this life

A.I. can not emulate.

~

Yet it can mirror

the personality of

the person it’s engaged with.

Looking up, I saw

 two doves looking down at me

as sunlight kissed their grey wings.

~

Looking down, they thought,

“What does that wizened old bird

think she’s gawking at?”

Alaskan glaciers

could not even hope to chill

those two gasbags meeting there.

~

You know it’s really

bad when even the polar

bears give them the cold shoulder.

When the party ends

I wonder who will end up

with all the favors?

~

National Parties,

to citizens’ dismay, are

a perpetual soirée.

This business of life

has this way of eclipsing

even the joy of living.

~

It’s a difficult

business to find a good mix

of work and pleasure.

He certainly learned

how to twist and turn. Wonder

if he’ll dance to Putin’s tune?

~

When one has no self

one is likely to become

someone’s perfect dance partner.

Inspiration’s well

sometimes runs dry and affects

both paper and pen.

~

Dripping sentiment

likewise tends to overflow

soaking pages; running ink.

Reaping the whirlwind

seems to be unjustified

when other folks sowed the wind.

~

That’s especially true

when future generations

reap what the wind sowers sowed.

His belittling

remarks reveal the smallness

of his character.

~

If you can’t find fault

with a valid argument,

malignant snark’s all you’ve got.

Free money by mail

once filled me with excitement;

nowadays, just suspicion.

~

Becoming older

and wiser is a process

with gains and losses.

Time and time again

that small bird returns, hoping

someone’s filled the bird feeder.

~

Hope springs eternal

in the brains of feathered friends

seeking their next meals

Bright mountain sunlight

highlights the emerald peaks

of the Virginia highlands.

~

On the rolling hills

of this place our family calls

home , the sun shines too.

Without power for

 almost 24 hours

and we’re beginning to melt.

~

Being Powerless

is, for some, a steady state,

not a passing discomfort.

Raid the Capitol?

Nada… Assault a flunky?

Federalize D.C. Police!

~

He’ll do anything

to get his way. Isn’t that

what autocrats do?

Our souls’ landscapes thrive

when we spend our time with them,

give them what they really need.

~

To nurture the soul,

one must first acknowledge it

then feed it with compassion.

Life comes at us fast,

making it necessary

for us to apply the brakes.

~

Life holds us, but when

we’re exhausted we wish we

could put life on hold.

Though the grass missed you

while you were gone, it kept on

growing just for you.

~

Traveling provides

ample opportunity

for growth, at home and abroad.

A month of neglect

extracts the horrible fee

waist high grass demands of me.

~

To make things better

the universe has sent you

some cooler weather.

If there’s a school for

neighborliness, some of mine

have chosen not to attend.

~

Cowards go to court

when they lack the fortitude

to express their true concerns.