Snow, freezing rain,

and sleet; can we know the truth,

when they’re all mixed together,

~

The core truth of all

is cold -a truth that can be

beautiful but mostly not.

How damning does it

have to be before they can

just stand tall and say impeach?

~

It takes character

to stand up and do what’s right

after such a huge mistake.

Righteous indignance,

though seemingly laudable,

often results in ulcers.

~

But holding it back,

unfortunately,

often results in hemorrhoids.

Every now and then

we have a really good day

and take the time to say thanks.

~

But when the day stinks,

how often do we take time

to respond with gratitude?

A sudden absence

allows another person

to step up and shine.

~

Sudden changes test

our flexibility, our

skill and our resolve.

If we want wishes

to come true, we have to be

our own fairy godmother.

~

Mostly fairy tales

prove the age-old axiom,

“Be careful what you wish for!”

Rush now, to achieve

all our outside tasks today

while the weather’s bearable.

~

Because the forecast

looked so grim, Knox and I rushed

off to the dog park to play.

When crazy became

the new normal, were Repubs

backbones affected?

~

Norms of behavior

used to circumscribe limits

around what’s acceptable.

Ravens and Blue Jays,

for all their raucous chatter,

still elicit harmony.

~

What is harmony

to some can be discord to

others. It’s what your ears hear.

The squirrels don’t know

or just don’t care that the seeds

aren’t for them. They’re for the birds.

~

Avarice, it seems,

is no strictly human vice

as squirrels, are too, afflicted.

Tutelage pays off

when the unexpected comes

and reflexes take over.

~

We often don’t see

the why of all our training

until we need it.

Separated by

a mere pane of glass, our cat

hungrily observes the birds.

~

Sometimes there exists

impregnable barriers

between us and baser wants.

This evening cloudscape,

looking like ripples in sand,

whisper of unseen forces.

~

They say those whispers

will become a stormy shout

before the break of morning.

Seemed a no-brainer

at first, but some found a way

to make things complicated.

~

When people meddle

with things they don’t understand,

things will often go awry.

The lingering crunch

of this freshly fallen snow

provides gentle counterpoint.

~

The just-rightness of

this first snow – so soon lovely

and so fast to go.

Sometimes we don’t know

what we’ve missed until we get

it back and recognize it.

~

Constant background noise,

like the drone of Cicadas,

sets our teeth on constant edge.

Cortex for hire:

Faxes sent. Lost iPhones found.

Official letters written.

~

Not a bad deal I

unknowingly made almost

fifty seven years ago.

No matter how hard

we try, there will always be

something left undone.

~

And, therefore, we still

have something to drag us forth

from the comfort of death’s bed.

It is only through

our unity that triumph

can be truly manifest.

~

When we can look at

another and see ourselves,

unity begins.

At the dog park, Knox

is quick to find one special

friend for a rip-rolling time.

~

Making friends; easy!

One sniff tells you everything,

absent a frontal cortex.

Glorious weather,

now that we are in accord,

again, with changing climate.

~

That doesn’t mean rough

weather won’t lie ahead, but

the climate’s changing.

With eyes wide open,

let us begin to do and

undo. There’s work to be done.

~

Lend a helping hand?

Should we even have to ask?

At least stay out of the way!

Mister President,

A thoughtful and glowing speech.

I plan to hold you to it!

~

And I hope we’ll do

 all we can to help make his

vision a reality.

May the next four years

be as full of goodwill as

the last four were of rancor.

~

Rancor, I’m afraid,

is pretty much a given,

but we can still foster hope.

Nothing says rigid

Like the loser’s campaign sign

Standing Proud, still, in your yard.

~

The loser’s campaign

continues as he proclaims

he actually won.

A bird nest village

in one small, parking lot tree –

wonder why they chose this spot?

~

Seems those feathered friends

chose their congregation spot

for some tangible reasons.

It can be hard to

admit your mistakes, accept

defeat and move on from there.

~

It’s not difficult!

All you need do is suspend

grandiosity and ego.

Gutters and downspouts

and clutter and broken tools,

and still I found time to write.

~

If we make time for

what we love, we’ll do all else

with a lighter touch.

Over and over

we have to be reminded

when it’s dark turn on the light.

~

Even with lights on,

darkness, sometimes, will not fade.

Then we sing to lift spirits.