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.

When expectations

exceed our capacity,

what is the best path to take?

~

Quickly acknowledge

the limitations you have,

and make a counteroffer.

There’s this odd goldfinch,

hanging around the feeders,

sporting a red striped forehead!

~

There’s no accounting

for taste, not even among

our avian friends!

That late day clearing

bodes ill for all the moisture

saturating everything.

~

All the resulting

moisture becomes icing on

winter’s frozen cake.

When being here now

gets to be too much, then should

we take refuge in our dreams?

~

Flights to fantasy

seems to offer some comfort,

but those harsh truths still remain.

It’s a human truth

that most people just ignore:

When voices raise, reason fades.

~

And when voices raise 

and reason fades so do all

hopes of real understanding.

By late afternoon

the sun appeared and with it

many welcoming smiles.

~

Relish this moment

of transient elation

for more storm clouds are looming.

The old ways must be

nourished, though so difficult,

for when technology fails.

~

Yes, the old must be

nourished when technology

fails. That’s where you young come in.

Dominion Power

lost its dominion over

this icy weather.

~

Yet they still retain

monopolistic control

over our access to light.

In cacophonous,

crackling, icy chorus,

breezes caress these frozen trees.

~

Some trees rejected

such cold caresses and bent

down and took a knee.

When I slid on that

white carpet, illusions of

winter magic went away.

~

You’re no Michelle Kwan,

but you kept yourself upright,

did not stain the carpet red!