Another
summer of drought
the Matta, Ni and
Po rivers come and go
signs noted along the highway
At the Rappahannock
I become aware how
devastating the absence
of rain has been
there is little evidence
a river ever ran through here, but
Somewhere
to the southeast the
Rappahannock
gathers its waters once again unto itself
becoming wide and deep –
slows to gain strength, then
quickens to reunite with the Chesapeake
Together they will flow to the sea.
Earth so dry Beginning to relinquish hold on a landscape slowly losing the struggle to dig deep enough for life sustaining moisture – sprinklers small comfort. Into each heated night, cicadas loose a relentless, high-pitched plea – no relief and dawn arrives – gray as the day before. And yet – yet the strawberry pot…
Slowly my fingers search the rough stone ignoring wrong turns formed by the moss Some stones will not give up their secrets From atop the church I guessed God could see forever beyond the marshes, rivers and bay, far beyond the sea where they came from and where they came to Take thy rest. William,…
One by one bright colors rise silently into the sky Each evening throughout the summer it is the same: boys and men and their kites drawn to the empty beach A few kites soar and dive recklessly only to crash in the water or lay lifeless on the sand – others seem to strain against…
No sooner had the calendar turned its page to December then God spread His blanket across the eastern half of the continent. Pre-empting deck the halls and fa-la-la, deer stayed in their thickets and geese fell silent. Caught by surprise littlejennywren darted from her berth ‘neath the boat cover and chattered incessantly at our back…
Nights you’d prowl the house in stark contrast to days of nursing/moving/coaxing Did you slip away, certain your baby was asleep – forgetting she was an only child soon to miss the warmth of your body? or was it a need from deep inside to have some part of each day silently to yourself? It…
Who made you king? Do you terrorize the neighborhood in retaliation for your abandonment? Twenty pounds of arrogance straining to exit the storm drain gangster cat Your slovenly swagger down the street means nothing to me Watch out Some day I might tame you.