In the urban heart,

twentieth century walls

reflect a bygone era.

~

Reflectors become

the source of reflection for

poets who pass by.

Police car stops. Blue 

lights flash. Traffic halts. Mother

duck and ducklings cross the road.

~

There are some hallmarks

of languid southern culture

that the north could emulate.

Remain dignified

when filled with indignation!

Confusion to the rival!

~

In these times nothing

is more confusing to foes

and rivals than dignity.

Monday? Snow. Friday’s

forecast? Eighty one – and yet

many who count aren’t counting.

~

They’re all to busy

to worry ’bout the weather;

tending more pressing concerns.

Do all graduates

of the Wharton School perceive

life as a zero-sum game?

~

Those who excel at

the business of life don’t think

you must lose for them to win.

How can we listen

to others if the only

voice we can hear is our own?

~

A conversation;

both talking and listening?

Who can even imagine!

One lone sentinel

stands over fallen comrades,

survivor of Winter’s wrath.

~

Such early spring sights

sadden and gladden the heart –

a seasonal paradox.

How many teens does

it take to pick up

a dropped morsel from the floor?

~

With my lazy teens

and hyper-vigilant dogs,

the answer, of course, is none!

Everyone believed

spring, at last, had finally sprung,

but winter had other thoughts.

~

Winter not only

rained on Spring’s parade, it snowed!

But then this IS Virginia.

A woodpecker’s tongue

helps him shield his brain. Perhaps

Trump’s tweets help shield his brain too.

~

Many find true wit

from Woody Woodpecker’s tongue.

Not so much from the other.

The structure of spring:

Evident in every branch;

Manifest in every bloom.

~

The structure of your

magic is visible in

your photographs and words.

Sometimes nothing is

better than something. A blank

page can speak volumes.

~

Oh for pity’s sake!

And sometimes death is better

than life; but should we seek it?

After long hours

of helping with dire need

must we find more need at home?

~

Need knows no boundaries

as every helper knows. It

 helps to find a song within. 

Smile turned to sigh…

it was”perils” not “pearls” in

your last night’s mondo reply.

~

Both pearls and perils

may linger, undiscovered,

even on a well trod path.

I’ve  been told many

times that there are better ways

of doing things than mine, but…

~

Sometimes someone’s best

may contain hidden perils

for those following behind.

Good days and bad days,

seems to be the way of things.

Help me Zen my way past that!

~

You’ve taken your pen

and found the zen that took you

  to the laugh in you.

Our beliefs are made

manifest in our lives’  fruits.

Let’s cultivate compassion.

~

And in so doing,

prepare, for our progeny,

a most bountiful harvest.

When plans go awry,

do we wallow in sorrow

or do we go with the flow?

~

Sometimes one, sometimes

the other, depending on

frictions and other factors.

If it looks like Spring

and feels like Spring, does it mean

cold Winter has fled the scene?

~

After long winter,

any evidence of thaw

will be named a new springtime.

Oh! Anxiety!

An unexpected audit!

Strangers come to judge our worth!

~

Audits can’t measure

the worth of those giving deep

understanding and wise care.

When overwhelmed with

matters both large and small, where

do you find relief ?

~

Glorious sunsets

and radiant spring blossoms

provide helpful perspective.

Some chains are iron,

tangible signs of bondage;

some are hidden… yet stronger.

~

Links freely chosen 

 bind us together and form,

not bondage, but connection.

My goal for today

is to accomplish nothing,

but enjoy a lot.

~

Productivity

has it’s place but it’s no crime

to find joy in idle time.

What may this portend,

this living emerald mist,

hovering near forest floor?

~

Nature adds its green

voice to the rising chorus

chanting “Give life a chance.”

The early bird might

get the worm, but what if she

much prefers crickets?

~

Then she should cuddle

down in her well feathered nest

’til those lazy crickets rise.

Yesterday’s icy

whiteness yields, in rural fields,

today’s vernal green.

~

If only today’s

icy hearts would yield their cold,

 and allow new life to bloom.

Almost April – what

to my wondering eyes should

 appear? Snow but no reindeer.

~

Fleeting, like reindeer,

these soft spring snow showers are,

here today, gone tomorrow.

These once barren boughs

show faintest hints of color:

yellow-green, muted maroon.

~

Joining with sister

trees of pink and white, they let

us know Spring’s in sight.

Sometimes wouldn’t you

like to pause and push “reset”?

It is just a breath away.

~

Reseting machines

often solved many problems:

us poor humans- not so much.

As we grow older,

do we all lose our patience

for incessant yammering?

~

There are those who would

say this is true except when

yammering is done by you.