Across the lake a loon's cry breaks the spell
of silent words we've spoken as we walk.
The years have kindly mellowed you and me
and what we share in quiet and in talk.
I anchor to that bedrock, stayed within
w.l. 2/95
She walks upon my memory now
"Pine cones!" I thought, "She must like trees,
She walks upon my memory still,
w.l. 4/26/94
w.l. 3/95
w.l. 10/20/95
Growing Steady (a sonnet)
I loved you with a love I thought could shield
us from each passing storm that came our way.
And yet no matter how much we had steeled
ourselves against the wearing winds of fray,
we were not galvanized against the rust
that creeps upon us after every rain.
So how can we unearth our bedrock trust
while raindrops fall corroding us with pain?
the tide of feelings' fickle ebb and flow.
I bind the tide of my love to the vow
we said must take us through the thick and thin.
Decisions dictate what the heart will know:
the love I gave you then I give you now.
just as she did upon that path
some twenty years and more ago
when we began to walk and laugh
together. Too soon we parted ways
and I, disgusted with myself,
still shy, departed and kicked stones.
But she walked, too, and wisely said,
"It's better to kick pine cones."
like me." Intrigued, my young heart hopped.
Relieved I had another chance
to show her that I cared, I stopped
and asked her, "May I write to you?"
And she said, "Yes," and her address
was anchored in my memory.
and pine cones still are special.
They garnished her wedding bouquet,
and turn our eyes toward each other
when we walk down a path today.The Flame
Firelight flickers on your face
as your dancing eyes embrace
an old flame.Twilight Song and Dance
Just below our eaves the wind chimes
five notes for the windsock tethered
not far away. Its weathered throat
dances to the songs and climbs
the breeze, one color for each note:
yellow, green, blue, orange, and red.
Of the latter two Mother would quote,
"These are colors which can't be wed."
But we don't think of clashes tonight
as we intertwine our fingers.
Nor do we light the lamp, but let
the house darken in the twilight,
and listen as the five notes linger
and the windsock dances silhouette.
Seascape
Drawing
me
Sketching
an oceaned meadow
where innocents
run free
Painting
a friendship
which swells with care
and integrity
Chasing
a wave of joy
that frolics froth
upon the sand
then calms
leaving
pure white memories
on the shore.
w.l. 10/27/97
And lest
I miss the sparkle
that is you
I turn to look
within your eyes
and find the glow
that warms my heart
and tells me I'm so
glad that I found
you.
(Valentine's Day poem to my wife, 1999)