small yellow flower,

nearly invisible, dwarfed

by towering trees

~

to some that tiny

oasis of color is

a vast and wonderful world

The horrors of war

and historic parallels

strengthen the call of the void.

~

May we put that call

on hold and answer the heart’s

calls for compassion instead.

It’s real hard to find

a way forward when holding

tightly to the past.

~

If you want to rise

from the depth to the surface,

you, first, let go the anchor.

Hawks and Doves complain

about the unreasoned stance

upon which the others perch.

~

All in a flutter

over differences but no

melodious songs of peace.

It’s lonely out here

in Poemville. I wish my

fellow poet would visit.

~

Asleep at the switch

again as per usual…

good thing this ain’t a railroad!

Pink streaked sky watches

over the close of a warm,

welcoming early March day.

~

A little known fact;

Virginia’s most epic snows

historically fall in March.

Was this what he meant,

when speaking of Putin fondly,

“I like the cut of his jib”?

~

If he likes to sail

with an autocrat, maybe

he has a similar jib.

Both remembering

and forgetting can be hard,

but compassion helps.

~

Compassionately

forgetting other’s failings

will surely be remembered.

Transitions and change

bring out the worst in many;

for some, it’s their time to shine.

~

No one can predict

with absolute certainty

which it is going to be.

Living fully means

accepting many muddy

ambiguities.

~

Ambiguities

don’t prevent living fully,

they just add subtle nuance.

When the Swiss take sides,

might that be a little clue

that you miscalculated?

~

The Swiss are walking

a fine line. The question is

have they actually drawn one?

Another rainy

February day. Wishing

warm sun would chase rain away.

~

As the rain comes down

and the thermometer drops,

the cat meows at the door.

Not all love is sweet

Neither all limits bitter

They are life’s dark chocolate.

~

Life is rich. Both love

and limits come in varied

forms and multiple flavors.

Now that Knox watches

DogTV, I’m being forced

to share precious viewing time.

~

So long as sharing

is limited to screen time

and excludes the food dish…

In the scheme of things,

is using the wrong pronoun

worse than, say, global warming?

~

Both issues need our

compassionate attention –

that’s the heart of the matter.

Hope today brought some

delight your way and you took

time to savor it.

~

Morning construction

segued into tech support

and later on, poetry.

This nostalgic ache

dwelling there, where grief once lived

has become life’s companion.

~

Such indwelling life

companions bring a depth of

understanding to us all.

As the sky brightens

our dark moods begin to lift.

It wasn’t a breeze.

~

There’s nothing breezy

or easy or bright about

lifting moods up from darkness.

These warm winter days

bring us a smile of joy… ‘til

we ken it’s twister weather.

~

Winter’s twists and turns –

Voila! We have learned how to

be real somersault artists.

Knox was lost, but now

he’s found, yet somehow I feel

like the one who’s saved.

~

Salvation will come

to those who are deserving

whether they want it or not.

“Practice makes perfect“

may be the easy answer,

but perfect chaos needs none.

~

Perfect chaos helps

one see the unpracticed skills

of imperfection.

Did he think he’d sweep

her off her feet with that broom

mop combo for Valentine’s?

~

That ranks right up there

with that old vacuum cleaner

one sad Christmas years ago.

Diamonds everywhere

on this winter day. Surely,

we are very rich.

~

We were rich before

diamonds rained down from the sky;

such is the way of blessings.

If you try to duck

the fact you’re a silly goose,

I’ll crow about it.

~

I’d pay a pretty

Guinea, for those waterfowl.

I’ll just try a Squab instead.

Socialization

is more than recreation,

it’s more of a way of life.

~

But not for hermits

whose preferred way of life is

one of solitude.

After Knox watches

DogTv, I hope he comes

away edified.

~

Likely mortified

by the populist dogma

that populates the airwaves.

In whom do you trust

and is your faith well founded

if you’ve chosen unwisely?

~

I trust compassion

wherever and whenever

it flows. It’s there my faith grows.

Fat squirrels smile

as they down the last bird seeds.

The birds and I groan.

~

Smile in relief

because chubby smiling squirrels

won’t eat your car’s wiring.