Homesick

Autumn in Fort Wayne,
Indiana, solely known
From my love's tristesse:
The browning leaves he misses,
First snow, furrows in his brow.

I despise airplanes;
But if I had the money,
We'd fly back and forth
From the glades of Florida
To Indiana's corn fields.

Cutting Grass

I never minded 
Cutting grass (it's just a chore)
Until his outrage;
The next time I took notice,
Frantic grasshoppers cornered,

Butterflies driven
From screaming engines of blades,
Surviving despite
The razing of their green homes.
Before week's end they've grown back.

And from the neighbors'
The crimson cardinal and
His tawny feathered 
Mate return to our trees with
The red-headed woodpecker.

The showers of June

The showers of June
Have once again given way.
The same heat, more storms;
Summer shall soon take his leave,
While Earth weeps in hurricanes.

Who will turn their head

Who will turn their head
To the many obscure gods?
Lower and lower,
Where the tiniest detail
Gleams even in their smallness.

Rain like rolling dice

Rain like rolling dice
Clatters on the metal roof
Of my tiny porch.
I'm reminded of the holes
In my net by mosquitos.

That sweetest relief,
Allow me to praise its name,
Hydrocortisone;
The skin's itchy memories
Are soon forgotten in you!

Nothing like blossoms

Nothing like blossoms
Which flare to life for the next
Generation, cut
By their very existence;
Who will gather our petals?

Although, our seasons
Are likewise short, aren't they?
Billions of heads raised
To the sun; but are we such
Things that never bloom again?

Woodpeckers don’t fall

Woodpeckers don't fall
Even when they're upside-down.
Gravity may pull
Yet they trust in their nature,
Always light and fast enough.

Sandhill Cranes

Swaying red poppies,
The sandhill cranes make their way 
Pacing so slowly;
Such days are gifts to watch traipse,
Though always away from me.

Myrtle and Magnolia

The master grafted
A myrtle branch to a bough
Of magnolia;
At times more white blooms than black,
But the forms their mixture makes!

New Neighbors

While driving to Walgreens for you,
A pair of sandhill cranes
Stroll along the sidewalk,
Their foreheads blazing cherries.

They carry their tender frames,
So tall and russet brown,
Lightly as soft breezes
Going nowhere briskly.

We've seen a good few
Lately, are they here
Advising safety; it is 
Hurricane season soon.

Now they're rounding our
Corner as I return.
I hurry you outside
To meet our new neighbors.

I snap some blurry pictures
Of their graceful exit;
The leaves into the curtain
And sidewalks they make their runway.