We shiver, not from

the winter’s cold, but from his

self-centered and heartless words.

~

Who would have believed

Archie Bunker’s hollow hate

would have the bully pulpit?

Sun implies a warmth

belied quickly by the wind

biting bitter from the north..

~

Sun‘s implicated

in providing some relief

from wind’s bitter bite.

Sitting here waiting

for inspiration to come,

but there’s been a slight delay.

~

Muses rarely come

to any one location.

Better to go seek them out.

Yet one stubborn patch

still remains, tenaciously,

when the rest, to melt, succumbs.

~

Some patches can show

a cold shoulder to the sun

though others melt in his gaze.

The magic has gone

into hiding waiting for

the next snowfall to appear.

~

Magic yet lingers,

merely having retreated

into the warming soil.

Monday… Saturday;

makes no difference, either way,

to those old, retired men.

~

All days seemed alike

until the snow left its mark

making it clear they could fall.

This blanket’s not warm,

probably because it’s made

mostly of packed snow and ice.

~

Neither is it dark

and conducive of resting;

begging us to go and play.

Again with the snow?

This time falling in daylight;

so no surprise on waking.

~

The surprise was how

much and how long the snow fell.

Just glad we didn’t fall too.

Nighttime visitor

went through our trash, frantically

searching for a midnight snack.

~

Meanwhile his bud

became a nationwide meme

searching for a midnight nip!

Savor the silence

and simple soft susurrus

of that shawl of falling snow.

~

I wrapped myself in

silence and in no time I

found myself at peace.

On snow covered ground

creatures leave traces

of their comings and goings.

~

Meanwhile above

defying gravity’s pull

snow clings to bark, limb and branch.

Out of his mouth pour

words that make no sense and have

zero relevance.

~

Sounds like word salad.

Oh well… add it to the long

list of diagnostic traits

Why bother with words

when it’s clear they must think they

only make verse worse?

~

Our verse could be wurst

if we wrote our wurst verse

in a noise Biergarten!

December’s arrived

with its usual blend of

hellos and goodbyes.

~

Standing on the brink,

always overseeing change,

could it ever not be such?

Descending cloud deck

and dropping temperatures

herald my westward journey.

~

When you’re on the road

so often, you are met by

a variety of things.

Sophira nudges

me, meowing suggestions

meant to improve my writing .

~

Flat, feline affect

inscrutable countenance

achieves desired effect

Gnarled, sun bleached bones

rising from the frozen earth

grasping naked Sycamores.

~

Sometimes nature has

its moments suggestive of

darkness and despair.

Knox told me I should

send you a squirrel or two

as thanks for the things you do.

~

We’ve got plenty here

for Begorroh to pursue

at the top of his small lungs.

This Canine guide dog

barks to his blind companion,

directing him to dinner.

~

He has access to

a fuller life now that his

canine friend is at his side.

Drama in the sky.

The sun makes a fiery

entrance as the moon departs.

~

Because I slept late

I missed all the morning drama.

Will this work for holidays?

Sparrow’s cheerfulness

May it be a contagion.

I so need that infection.

~

Let’s hope it’s catching.

How great it would be to have

an epidemic of cheer!

~

Piggy? Talk about

a pot calling a kettle

black…and so presidential.

~

Personal attacks,

often mastered by first grade;

incompetency’s bolthole

Walking this old dog

with our stiff and aching joints;

just the exercise we need.

~

Necessity of

two different kinds gets both these

old dogs a’walking.

After spending time

in darkness, maybe we’ll learn

to appreciate the light.

~

It is often said,

there can be no happiness

without, first, feeling sorrow.

Unexpected gifts

shocking white among the brown

November roses blooming

~

Such surprising gifts

are received with a smile

on these gray November days

Songs can pick us up

and carry us to places

we left years ago.

~

When such trips arise

best we board that magic bus

down the road to Shambala.

Though it’s difficult,

we can often find our path

even on a moonless night.

~

Though it should’t be

hard, we often lose our way

on the sunniest of days.

These days the weather

is as unpredictable

as Trump’s mental state.

~

Forecasts have become

much more unpredictable

since he fired forecasters.

Incivility

by unreasoned idiots

led to this heated climate.

~

Too burned up to think,

they let the fire of their

feelings burn everything down.