As darkness deepens,

high above us, it begins.

Jupiter and Luna dance.

~

Astrologers say

their dance brings optimism

and benevolent action.

As the birds gather

for their morning feast, Knox keeps

the pesky squirrels away.

~

Every little bird

wants a faithful guardian

to protect the food supply.

There’s some adventure

even seekers of such things

would be better off missing.

~

And then there are those

we didn’t sign up for, but

before we knew it,,,boom!

A welcome sun shines

on this frigidly cold day –

a true Christmas gift.

~

A radiant gift

bringing joy to every heart

if not warmth to icy lands.

Nurturing the soul;

life’s singular endeavor.

All the rest, mere distraction.

~

Feeding our egos,

we starve our souls and we can

never get enough.

Morning winds foretell

a day of icy chill as

the sun looks on from afar.

~

Falling temperatures

sends people in for cover

as the darkness falls.

In this jacuzzi,

gazing past palms at the sea,

denying winter exists.

~

With a forecast of

nine degrees, that denial

will be quite short lived.

Just a tiny dot

between two immensities,

the sky, the ocean, and me.

~

Though the other two,

both, be vast and eternal,

neither holds an equal spark.

On the horizon

great ships travel to and fro

whispering of adventure.

~

By listening to

distant whispers we often

miss adventure’s nearby call.

The sea surrenders

itself to the waiting shore,

then slowly retreats.

~

And with every pass,

the sea fetches bits of shore

to carry as it journeys.

A good rule of thumb,

if you’re parsing with adders:

Stock up on anti-venom.

~

If they’re known to be

adders, why parse? Save your words

for some appreciative folks.

A moment of peace

on a sunny day. Ocean

waves talk softly to the shore.

~

Smart seagulls strolling

in that gentle dialogue

wisely beak their raucous calls.

As they near the shore,

grey waves break into a wide,

white smile as seagulls soar.

~

The horizon hides

shyly behind misty veils

freeing the eyes to wander.

Aromatic oak

suffuses meat with its smoke

yielding gastronomic bliss.

~

There’s something about

the smell of burning wood – it

has a feel of home.

Woke up in fog, both

inner and outer. Wonder

which will be the first to lift?

~

Atmospheric fogs

form and lift with the weather.

Mental fogs tend to linger.

A true game changer!

A technical miracle!

…another flash in the pan…

~

Our poetry is

written and posted on time?

A true miracle!

~

Lately our poems

seem reluctant to travel

from heart to paper.

~

Bodily travels

sometimes seize the precedent

and are subject to delay.

Is a poem lost

a chance to rewrite gained or

a hint to be more mindful?

~

Even lost poems

speak to some audiences,

when, per chance, they resurface.

Deep introspection

produces rich benefits

priceless and… untaxable

~

Untaxable, but

taxing nonetheless – such deep

thinking has a hidden cost.

Eighty years ago

I made my grand entrance and

I’m in no hurry to leave.

~

That “Three score and ten“

may number the years for men;

women get a bit longer.

Hateful rhetoric

is not polemic debate,

it’s just ego run amok

~

Hateful rhetoric

reveals the smallness of those

who need to feel big.

~

Moonlight falls and lights

our path as we take our last

walk on this cold winter day.

~

My last walk’s later

in the colder, darker, night

with my spazzy, smaller dog

On a cold evening,

which provides greater comfort;

a fireplace or lapdog?

~

Why choose when you can

enjoy both sources of warmth

and comfort at the same time?

I watch the cat watch

the bird watching the squirrel –

home entertainment.

~

But who watches you?

Certainly, it’s not the dog.

After all, you’re not a stick.

Unexpected thanks

from someone helped unknowingly

is a treasure beyond price.

~

Savor the pleasure,

Let its memory warm you

on unexpected gray days.

December begins

with a warm daytime tease topped

with a nighttime mini freeze.

~

Frozen grasses crunch,

yet the sound is overwhelmed

by brittle leaves shattering

In so many forms

victory can manifest,

how is defeat possible?

~

Victory and defeat –

two sides of competition’s

coin when you play games.

Sometimes it’s a small

moment that could make a big

difference if we’d just seize it.

~

On the other hand,

sometimes big moments are made

when we dodge effectively.