lime

she says it is now

the size of a lime

and it is growing a liver 

and we are proud grandparents

always proud 

whether a lime growing a liver 

or a two and a half year old who goes 

tweet tweet before jumping in the water or 

a 9 year old doing the actions to a song at camp 

for it is no small thing to be a lime 

try it sometime 

moving

things in every little corner 

and closet in this house that need to go 

or get boxed up for the movers 

32 years worth of papers and pictures 

and shoes and dishes 

and dvds and cds and books

and electronics and clothes 

and nick knacks and vases 

and tea and winter boots 

and all the pictures on the walls 

that point to other places and 

people with their own piles of things

what May brings

heat waves 

snow 

wind 

wildfires 

hot hazy skies 

walks outside 

summer clothes  

open windows 

what springs in may 

day lilies lilacs 

lawn growth 

dandelions 

leaves bud out 

rhubarb 

what we bring to May

getting ready to move 

leaving our home of 31 years 

soccer and croquet in the yard 

fire pit 

hot dogs 

another 1000 words for Norah 

sitting in the sunroom 

watching birds 

watching baseball in all weather 

Hockey playoffs

bringing what may

v and j sisters

we are at brunch 

outside are goats and rabbits 

and snow in the woods 

they spent days talking and puzzling 

and watching Britbox 

today in the picture V wears pink 

and J has a red sweater  

they raise their mugs of coffee and smile 

on the verge of a laugh 

February 2025

mounds of snow on 

our front yard a few rabbit footprints

and my love is outside scraping and shovelling 

adding to the mounds 

love piling up in this frigid winter 

rabbits finding warmth

Claire newborn

we wear masks to hold her 

this tiny girl with 

little lungs 

asleep with soother 

and we  are pierced 

through the heart by this little love 

so trusting and beautiful 

we don’t notice our masks 

birds and squirrels

today I’m watching small birds 

flitting on the branches of our pine 

white markings on their heads 

snow covers ground below 

white sparkle in the sun 

today I’m watching the squirrels 

chase each other across the snow and up the tree 

perfectly balanced along branches 

today I’m watching life in winter