A common gull that flew toward the dawn Was suddenly with pinkish orange aflame, As lead by alchemy had undergone Its transformation, baseness overcame. I knew it was a trick of light, and yet Its unexpected beauty gave me pause, I fixed it in my mind, not to forget The transient perfection that it was- … Continue reading January 6 (2015!): This Gull is on Fire

I soar above the waves with little clearance, As if an unseen cloak fashioned of breeze From choppy waters wanting interference Protects me over other devotees. I rise in joyful arc into the sky, Then turn my shoulder to the sea below To dive upon what fodder I espy And fill my bill, and through … Continue reading December 29: Pelican

The darkest hour is often said to be Before the dawn, but those who know the verges Of night and day acknowledge they will see A lightened sky before the sun emerges. The hour at which the night is most persistent: That midmost point between sunset and rise, As any solstice should be equidistant From … Continue reading December 21: In the Dark

A pair of red galoshes for my feet, An a-line skirt to ward off puddle splash, With tights to help retain my bare knees' heat And extra shoes for when the boots I stash, A cotton sweater to wick off the damp, With matching scarf for my cold-roughened throat, My dapper raincoat, belted like a … Continue reading December 2nd: Overdressed

When one lives in a coastal chaparral, The joke is that we only have two seasons: One dry, one wet, and by that rationale Our climate is monotonous, and reasons To shun it are abounding, for the mild Of winter weakens us when faced with cold, Expecting it to suit us, like a child, As … Continue reading November 10: Seasonettes

The sheeting nimbus, redolent of rain, And crowns of cumulus turned fiery rose Beneath the wispy cirrus entertain- Illuminated structures that compose A sunset of confusion, all ablaze, With altocumulus in fluffy grids And cirrostratus fading into haze- The sort of thing Occam's Razor forbids. And yet the sky and I are of one mind … Continue reading October 30: Dreams and Schemes

Four ravens sat upon a branch's vee Attempting to usurp the prime position, All croaking in four part polyphony As if rehearsing for a crow audition In which their size conferred no special edge, Requiring the quartet to hone the skill That might just help their common dream to fledge- But feuds for fame are … Continue reading October 22: Corvid Composition

A pachyderm, as its name would imply, Is quite encompassed by a rugged hide. Alas, that epithet must needs belie The tenderness the creature keeps inside. Enormity and strength too often tempt Some smaller, weaker entity to force Them into yoke, their seizure will exempt The captor from all pity and remorse. And even those … Continue reading Ocober 11: Elephantine