under construction

some things are ending
and others just beginning
the wheel keeps turning

boxes filled and emptied
open arms five blocks away
a new vista waits

seasonal verbs

when the blizzard hits
torporeal* sluggishness
and denning* sound good

warning: keep
some water & food
stashed in car

steam rises
sweet hot chocolate
and sprinkles


(*nods to my friend Kathy)

why only one day?

happiness lives where

gratitude for all that is

is expressed fully

why only one day?

searching for my abundance

I see it right here!

smells and memories

of savage past indulgence

tasty little lies

reconcile the past

with over indulgence now

I'm so full of it

missing the trends

fashion designers
generally aren't so shy
they hang it all out

one season is all
(or maybe just one day) and
then it moves along

no more schemes

no more schemes

just look at what is

and see it

what unfolds

in the space between

illusions?

don't blink

sometimes I
must move so quickly
or miss it

gray branches
waved a pink shadow
on the ground

brush strokes fluttering
images flicker, dance, and
evaporate- poof!

open your eyes now
beauty is all around you
be careful, don't blink

control issues

there are muscles and
there are some other muscles
my brain's the biggest

exercise them all
find your freedom and power
control yourself girl

the meaning of pink

I was wearing pink
by happenstance last night and
still they gave me more

ribbons emblazoned on
suit coats, shoes & KitchenAids
profits show we care

racing for a cure
is the profit line pink too?
yes, I love my breasts

use a pink trash bin?
it is still full of garbage
marketing disease
 

would you like to help?

don't use without permission

pink is property

sibling rivalry

sibling rivalry

has always been a problem

in my family

jealous of the brush

the cat rubs against my leg

eyes the empty dish

fear of landmines

avoiding land mines
what is non-negotiable?
it's all up to me

do not draw the line
unless you're willing to play
this is scary stuff

bedazzled by sound

spirit filled voices
harmonizing sisterhoods
of sacred vessels

bedazzled by sound
voices soar in ecstasy
give it up for god

what would it be like
to find everything in song?
no thing left behind

5 things I love- (I don't normally play these games)

I've been tagged again
and only do it for you
consider it done

creating haiku
these seventeen syllables
dancing through my soul

the feel of fresh wind
caressing my whole body
pedaling like the wind

floating in the lake
remembering my own birth
at one with water

sharing the kitchen
I'll chop, you add some spices
we'll cook a great meal

opening focus
to find the last puzzle piece
solving mysteries

all bets are off

an invitation
for those who don't feel this love:
start spinning right now

come on in
just open your mouth
and say hoo!

dervish foot
toe finds the center
turn from there

borders dissolving
no more winners or losers
all bets are off then!

letting go

trees shimmy

orange showers down

letting go

un-attached

don't try to hold still

falling leaves

speaking in tongues

struck down by

glossolalia

wordless sounds

body shakes

in holy language

understand?

pentecost-

gift of spirit, or

devil's tongue?

who chases who?

two kittens perform
a ferocious circus act
in the living room

chased by change
tumbling in laughter
it's all good*

(with thanks to Devika)

break out

everywhere I turn
the Universe is teaching
therefore I must learn!

explosions of light
rearrange the molecules
is it really changed?

one minute soaring
then stumbling towards despair
take off those high heels

some heart

I'm celebrating
my daughter's marriage today
now there was some heart!

a goddess and god

stood before us spilling joy

the cup overflowed

bridging the gap

even in union
there will always be a space
which cannot be crossed

remember we are
mostly made of energy
balls of light in flight

(with thanks to Rilke)

lesser tyrannies

kitty and squirrel
have made friends in the driveway
see how they frolic

one tail is bushy
the other a silky swish
tumbling in gravel

lesser tyrannies
are cropping up between them
who gets the puddle?

requiem for a mouse

he cannot resist
the lure of peanut butter
my small opponent

music to my ears
the snap of a wooden trap
soft gray silky fur

his face is so cute
too bad he poops everywhere
a mouse dies tonight

the flower and I

see how the flower

bending toward the morning light

sparkles with dew drops

please stop noticing

these vulnerable longings

all over my face

while running

pinatas for sale
candy-filled papier mache
hanging on a porch

just before daybreak
a star whispers to the moon
you have tipped over

cool wet grass bending
under my new running shoes
I kick my heels up

morning sky

bird songs competing
with the roar of morning cars
who will win the race?

damp gravel crunches
my shoes get coated by dew
morning smells so fresh

pale sky glows so white
sun peeks around a building
here comes the blue now

sometimes my
imagination
doesn't work

not waiting

go one step further
making silence quieter
feel space between words

spiritual appliances

language as tool
spiritual appliance
brings transformation


losers understand
we can't escape the mad world
why not cackle?

a thousand desires

she wants many things
wrangles with desires and
puts space around them

why resist feeling?
be overcome with longing
dissolve into love

trying to see

maybe I'm afraid
that it won't be what I thought
if I look closely

scales fall from my eyes
beauty of the morning light
I thought it was night

keep trying to see
something that is just not there
that's pretty silly

a temporary sidetrack into politics

behind that smile a
very dangerous woman
stirring up trouble

not afraid to quit
too bad she ever started
Alaskans were duped

phony patriot
so full of contradictions
wave that flag some more

expensive wardrobe
somehow seems perfect for a
political whore

I hear an echo
hello!! anybody in there?
Sarah's empty head

the best thing she did
was provide beat poetry
for Shatner to read

ghost in the machine

grind, hiss, whirr
computer sings a
death rattle

but whose is that voice
is it the ghost of bill gates
crying for more ram?

please back it up now
tiny stick can hold so much
precious data saved

nothing out of place

the poppy
has nothing to prove
me neither




once again
saved by second wind
pedal on




taken by surprise
single bright red bloom roadside
one nodding poppy




nothing out of place
exquisite imperfection
each weed a flower

inescapable information

no matter how it turns
the compass needle finds home
by pointing at me


I may twist and turn
roll from side to side but still
my bed has one groove

can't carry it with me

castles made of sand
precariously balanced
all things wash away


castles in the sky
wheelbarrows full of nothing
light, color, and thought

petals viewed pedaling

three tender petals
celebration of purple
when blue and red meet

come closer
says roadside beauty
have a peek

center is here now
sometimes it's way over there
simply perspective

rickety old web
still managed to catch a fly
imperfection works

riding through a rainbow of scent

ew! my nose wrinkles
the swamp is beautiful but
it's a bit smelly

pedaling through pink
lungs fill with scent of roses
a heady fragrance

just beyond the fence
swishing tails waft towards me
a whiff of horses

one last hill to climb
after the rain, fresh green breeze
cleanest scent around

how did my
fingernail get caught
in the sky?

golden glow
a sliver of moon
setting low

cosmic goo
has struck once again
now I'm stuck

silken hair
braided together
becomes strong


listen now:
where you lay your head
that's my home

hey there, cottonwood
up to your armpits in sand
water finds your roots

light movements

look into the light
it spills over the green earth
nothing blocks its path

history of stones
once again the turning path
beckons waking wombs

climb baby spiders!
it's a race to see who wins
a spot at the top

Venus in Aries

Venus in Aries
probably just an excuse
trail of broken hearts

god threw the planets
they scatter like bright marbles
and fall into place

no other choice

is this devotion?
without a care in the world
the bird sings its song

happy to be here

just another day
ordinary in its charm
and oh so perfect

another journey
three hundred sixty-five days
dance around the sun

perfection

sand, water, my feet
dance together on the shore
perfect harmony

my haiku
washed away by waves
perfection!

somehow in nature
I feel perfection expressed
and don't resist it

waves leave lines
art need not be made
yet it calls

marine blue sparkles
cross currents celebrating
a gorgeous palette

wrongness is
in the eye of the
beholder

[lou reed~ perfect day]

light casting shadows
on the sparkling sand beneath
a pearly white glow

imagine
space between the planks
expanding

pay attention now

what a difference
a week of sunshine can make
so many new greens

seasons unending
delays only imagined
progress is assured

the iris says
see my gorgeous hue?
have a sniff

while I was driving

surely I had some haiku thoughts

but now they are gone

forces of nature

shocked awake by light
while pleading with thunderstorms
illusions shattered

spring beauties
tender pink cups with
striped petals

shy wild oats
teased me with longing
I see you

a day late...

hey I just noticed
cinco de mayo passed me
no margarita

small things
pushing up mountains
act on faith

cheerful blooms
sprinkled in the lawn
they taste sweet

stamens arch
contrast against the
bright color

free as a bird

a blessing or curse
it's all about perspective
notice the options

open the window
let in fresh air this morning
the breeze caresses me

bluebirds are singing
their song is a blessed sound
or just annoying

devlish angels wave

.
.

stop looking outside
the answers all are within
time to save yourself

the treasure of you!
those devilish angels notice
and merrily wave

fundraising haiku

fund raising poems
these enticing syllables
get us to the goal

rather like haiku
yes there is a formula
for reaching success

first gather the troops
get hearts and minds united
then go out and ask

building a campaign
or building a new clinic
like building haiku

the steps of process
a kitchen ready for work
we'll need clean counters

messages

sea foam on the shore
bubbles hiss pop and sparkle
energy recedes

symbols reaching high
santuario of prayers
lighted messages

hold the pause
and thread the needle
find the way

walkabout

monkey boys
showing off for me
climbing trees

water drop
in levitation
a nice view

zen noir

I see how it is
tea, women & oranges
best weapons ever

wait-less

look at how he swims!
the happiest little frog
knows not to worry

anchors a-wait-less
floating free without a care
this is how to fly

stop your holding on
he who would live happily
changes frequently

for that highest price
perhaps, on a hill with you
magic could happen

young boy runs
coat flapping open
signs of spring


celebrate movement
the sheer joy of this weather
arms & legs pumping


breathe it in
awash in sunshine
sparkle on

signs of spring

seats await tourists
the sun's angle is shifting
winter purified

pre-spring colors glow
branches tipped with hopeful sap
leaves and fruit to come



come close to
this stored power
can you see?



day lilies
start small and rise up
imagine

I swear to live

sooner or later
every curse is a prayer
a grand irony

in the center of
my bitterness a small seed
sweetness lies in wait

die to this moment
dive into the deepest void
in order to live

there is too much noise
rattling around in me
buzzing of stories

unhook the harness
stop holding it all back now
let the beast roam free

wander in the field
there must be something alive
new green shoots of grass

I chew thoughtfully
attempting to rid my self
of all false stories

ray of light

bring them to the light
these hidden motivations
look but do not judge

there's really no rush
but everyone still hurries
slow the moment down

prismatic essence
rays angle and reflect love
even when I hide

reversal

don't bring a full
glass to the mountain of knowledge
catch the better view

rocky mountain high

cheery red berries
wrinkled by winter's ravage
one points up, one down

I think the tree sees
slowly and with purity
patience is its crown

lichen grips the stone
but it seems like a sea shell
misplaced on dry land

glorious breakfast view
coffee tasted much better
when sipped on your couch

holding you tightly
this moment of noticing
squeezing out our tears

exquisite sunlight
spears through the clouds so brightly
unexpected warmth

what a drag

what slows me down more?
the wind caused by my running
or hiding roadside?

pulled into my lungs
air movement forced by suction
might not work the best

drizzle

coffee calls
I brave the weather
Gore-tex rules


wet drizzle
accompanies me
while walking


a pattern
of worms decorates
the sidewalk

damp

greeting the
unfamiliar greens
of Portland

look closely
there's a universe
in the moss

shiny crows
ignore me as they
peck at grass

the sky spits
shades of silver gray
now I'm damp

falling water

laughing white water
rushing down the slick black gorge
what's your hurry friend?

lace draped over green
a table cloth in motion
dancing in the wind

feeling for the edges

boundaries
by definition
show the shape

when I ask
about the value
of something

I'm seeking
motivation, not
rebelling

facial parentheses

do you know
how many muscles
make a smile?

stopping this
accidental curve
not easy

expressions
finding their own groove
on my face

map of the
adventures and
places I've been


(click for musical inspiration)

just for a moment

wild wild heart
show me other options
lost and found

broken glass
neither half empty
nor half full

notice now
explode the question
throw it out

.