love signs (for Bob)

words of elegy tightly woven

into microphone

remembrance of life lived well

and she’s off to the side

hands and arms speaking

in graceful gesture

sculpting              the         air

to resemble a

man gone too soon

grief for

brief gift of kindness

until he stands revealed

eyes smiling through graying beard

and tears come  

unbidden

blurring sight

seeing signer’s gentle eyes 

perform a benediction

monarchy

November wind shivers snow along street

north to south

winter taking on shuttered senses

yet         there is that blue jay

regal crown bright robe

thriving

expertly balancing dancing branch

he’s got food stashed somewhere

and plans on staying through

no migrant he

royal beauty bossing

shivery coward wind

Anne holds Elisha (pic on my iPhone)

gaze shoots straight at you

green arm elbowed up

hand curved tiny fingers furled

mouth learning to lift corners

and your hands hold smallness

firm tenderness

all are turned to admire this

noble newness

gracing our table with

free green-sleeved joy 

Te Deum (for Tim)

it’s sparse and bare like winter white

with washes of snow falling from spruce boughs

for we have had our MRIs and CTs

and scopes and scalpels and chemical baths

and know uncertainty and know fear

and know despair and let in care of others

so look up with single line of melody

lifting floating in vertical rise

flawed ragged fragmented pebbled with doubt

yet still rising unhindered free flowing still

in unhurried phrases toward ultimate

creative love simple prayer of praise 

Trump haiku #9 (thanks to T.S.)

will this sorry state

change the world forever or

can we shake it off?