They gained the whole world

but did they also lose their

souls in the process?

~

From my perspective,

that seems like the deal they made.

Guess we’ll see how they profit.

Here we go again,

collecting numerous likes

on another empty page!

~

Wordless poems must

be all the rage and no work

is needed. You can’t beat that.

A Virginia spring

has a magic all its own –

medicine for tired souls

~

Now that spring has sprung,

Cicadas will soon emerge,

making us long for winter.

Velvety velour

somehow seems sandpapery

because of one bit of grit.

~

No matter how hard

we try, the grit seizes our

attention and won’t let go.

A tangerine sky-

promise of a juicy end

to a busy day?

~

Going farther west

that tangerine looks peachy

and rather more sfumato.

Beneath this downpour,

those dejected daffodils

hang their heads and cry

~

The morning brought change,

but to their dismay, what came

was not sun, but snow.

When racing against

clocks, it’s hard to make the time

to track each fleeting moment.

~

Racing against time

hardly seems worth the effort

since it has such a head start.

Active deception

builds a climate of mistrust

regardless of intentions.

~

It’s especially

hard to trust the sunniest

forecasts in such a climate.

Going somewhere slow

sure beats going nowhere fast

unless speed is all that counts.

~

Fools always rush in

where Angels are reluctant

to fly supersonicly.

Fairy lights dancing

in hues of purple and blue

through the distant misty woods.

~

You will trip the light

fantastic if you decide

to dance among them.

Often when we go

on a quest, we find something

much different than what we sought.

~

There’s no pot of gold

lurking rear the rainbow’s end,

but magic’s found in searching.

Idling away

this resplendent afternoon,

kenning life’s meaning.

~

and not so many

miles away, you are joined

by another life kenner.

A sane voice rings out,

calling us to remember

that truth does matter.

~

Sane voices can’t quite

drown out shrill insanity

rehashed with such stridency.

This feuding must end.

We can’t be a whole nation

full of Hatfields and McCoys.

~

We can disagree

with civility and use

differences creatively.

Sometimes the best thing

to do is nothing, but that’s

an affront to can-doers.

~

Nobody can tell

when nothing’s being done if

everybody looks busy.

…And just how often

must a person be cautioned

before they will heed advice?

~

Many a classic

tale centers around just such

a perennial question.

Color me confused.

They’re pro-life but they won’t take

the COVID vaccine?

~

 Odd… They won’t wear masks

yet still they hide behind them?

Fundamental enigmas!

Asleep at the switch;

is that what poetry shares

with a railway disaster?

~

 Poets do sometimes

doze off, but we hope we don’t

put our poor readers to sleep.

Tiny birds visit

the pile of fallen trees,

paying homage to what was.

~

In life, a refuge

from weather and predators,

in death, still, refuge for prey.

A single blossom,

this one lonesome daffodil,

will, anon, become many.

~

This early bloomer

lights the path with golden light

for all who will soon follow.

Even our dogs know

you can learn a lot from the crap

that is left behind.

~

Let’s hope the Bureau

lets slip their dogs to follow

the crap back to the crappers!

Pulled so many ways

by pleasures and duties,

how is one to cope?

~

Coping begins with

learning what to say yes to

and when to say no.

Sunny and cold beats

warm, gray, and wet. I gladly

don my coat as Spring draws nigh.

~

Can we both agree,

regardless our preferences,

a freezing rain is the worst?

This incessant gloom

is begging to be replaced

by the approaching springtime.

~

Even the gloom seems

to yearn for a bit of light,

a wish soon to be granted.

When did taking down

a wall become cavorting

with abandon for you, Son?

~

Wall demolition

was but one task for today,

thus yesterday’s cavorting!

Oh, partner in rhyme,

wherefore art thou? The day ends

and you’re nowhere to be found.

~

Alas, I was out,

cavorting with abandon

as poets are wont to do.

Had my second shot

and already I feels more

hopeful and alive.

~

Until tomorrow.

So enjoy it while it lasts,

’til the side effects arrive.

Who knows what you’ll find

hidden in the laundry room

when you bother to clean it.

~

Such discoveries

while cleaning can sometimes bring

elation, sometimes dismay.

Suspecting today’s

sunlit warmth might be a tease,

but it’s one I’ll gladly take.

~

Let outdoor labor

continue unabated

as long as this weather holds.

This sudden warm snap

turns the mind to gardening

until sunset approaches.

~

As warmth and light wane

body and mind retreat, find

refuge in rest and in dreams.