The dog and I

nap on the sunporch

while the sound of cicadas

rise and fall.

The volunteer tulips that show their faces each spring may have been part
of a well-ordered garden
many years ago.
Now they flaunt themselves like streetwalkers, showing up where they please.

The first harbinger
of earth turning toward longer days;
these hearts bleeding light.

The old dog
finds the best places
for sleeping
except when
there’s any possible chance
to pilfer a treat.

Winter birds
are showing up now
in search of
a banquet.
Cardinals and chickadees,
house wrens and sparrows.

Hunker down
against the cold rain.
The full moon
is waning
and is hidden anyway
behind late fall clouds.

The weather
felt seasonable
the day of All Saints
but today
we are back
to open windows and cats
basking in the sun.

Tenacity

The flowers
that hang on until
November
has arrived
still bloom with tenacity
despite the first frost.

I’ve neglected my blog for many months. To kick myself back into gear, I’m doing 30 days of poetry. This time I’m using a form called shadorma-—a 3/5/3/3/7/5 form. The form can include multiple stanzas, but I will be doing well to create one a day. Here is day one:

Late Bloomer

Three weeks late,
Autumn finally turns
to reveal
in stages
most spectacular color
hidden until now.