welcome home

inspired by Carry on Tuesday's prompt # 81

 welcome: from the day 

we arrive on the planet

this becomes our home

do you see the signs?

invitations to belong?

they are everywhere

links between us form

from the moment we are born 

open your eyes now

just stop fighting it

synchronicity abounds

here on planet earth

family in grief

Dad and me on the dunes

sitting around in

baseball caps and bolo ties

family in grief

even in sadness

nothing stops us from eating

shall we start dinner?

a soul has been freed

who will be missed by many

such lucky angels

art in the city -pt 3

escaping the frame
step out of limitations
create your own dream

fibers spiral in
a swirl of brilliant color
infinity now

water is sacred
millions are without it
what a crying shame

post peak oil options
plan B town says let's make do
make our own music

invasive species
they're unwanted, unwelcome
fish in our great lakes

art in the city - pt 2

city of women
celebrating the unique
fascinated me

she sparkles and awes
small tiles of bright glass glitter
goddess of the surf

temporary art
creativity happens
without attachment

can a bronze bird fly?
taking flight against all odds
I am lifted too

art in the city- pt 1

Grand Rapids is in the middle of the second annual
Art Prize -
More than 1700 pieces of art displayed in the downtown area.
click for more info

when pigs fly downtown
sculpture, paintings and much more
city full of art

maples all ablaze!
they know how to do color
while transforming trash

guardian in bronze
your scales are strong enough that
this art can be touched

opposing viewpoints
are are shadowed against the wall
who will back down first?

narrow hot pursuit

once upon a time
my half-way house of wisdom
tumbled to the ground

narrow, hot pursuit
the tight rope walk is simple
illusions dissolved

empty tubes and pots
false rainbow melts harmlessly
was it ever there?

a question of make up

Rabbit Write has begun a No Make-up Week.....

toxic chemicals
disguised as skin enhancements
why poison your face?

an unadorned face
reveals true beauty inside
why cover it up?

come out from hiding
behind the grand false palette
why do we fear truth?

little stories

perfect spider web
conflicts with removing the
air conditioner

lying on my back
three layers of flight circle
dragons, gulls & hawks

television glows
exuding late night humor
the cat and I laugh

metal guardian

tin man on the roof
a knight in shining armor
looks down on sidewalk

sundogs

sundogs guard the light
streaks of color barking now:
join us in the sky!

counting down yellow

three lemon lilies

turn their faces towards the sun

catch some rays for me!

two golden finches

aerial dancing above

rest on the phone wire

one yellow leaf falls

early seasonal shifting?

no climate change here;-)

problem of balance

over time
all systems will fail
see the moon?

stop looking
and you may find it
inside you

in my house
there are at least 5
types of ants

they don't seem
to have a problem
with balance

cloud busting

thoughts arise
drifting through my mind
poof! they're gone


sky visions
ever changing views
don't hold on


cloud-busting
burn holes with my eyes
illusions


[with thanks to Richard Bach for the inspiration]

rainbow of lilies

never liked lilies
but the star gazers have me
mesmerized today

tigers against the green
bright golden yellow ones too
winning me over

no comment;-)

silently reading....
I've been cut off from comments
google won't let me access

sorry friends
not forgotten, but
out of reach

pretend it's not there

glistening surface
plumed with danger underneath
watch out birds and fish!

take away the shine
and see death trawling beneath
pretend it's not there

earn a few more bucks
deny reality and
look the other way

the limbo

in limbo
the unknowing pause
tick my tock

which way to go now?
stray cat nervously eyes me
guarding the catnip

flexible
spines easily learn
new rhythms

how low can you go?
don't let your hand touch the ground
bend knees and arch back

holiday shoulders

glistening with sweat,
holiday shoulders are now
sun-kissed and glowing pink

too hot to garden,
darkness of the theater
provided relief

muster up respect
and remember the fallen~
those who took the heat

never pressed for time

never pressed for time
the chipmunk crosses the road
in no big hurry

me, I spin my wheels
and still don't arrive on time
I could learn from him

between a "rock" and "time"
which one is really harder,
when rubber meets road?

irises

flags unfurled
purple irises
salute dawn

playing tag with the universe

today's haiku is prompted by carry on tuesday #53


playing tag
with the universe
hey you're it!

no escape,
very exciting
to be now

lift a toast
let's celebrate the
occasion

never far

today's haiku is prompted by carry on tuesday's quote: The road to a friend's house is never long

patterns repeating
in vast dendritic arbors
we are linked, my friend




comfortable home
distance dissolving the road
you are never far

20% left
How appealing can you be?
let's raise the money!

ready to break ground
but needing a few more bucks
to meet the budget

calendar niggles

carry on tuesday's prompt inspires today's back-from-the-Low-Country haiku....

back from vacation...
only the young have moments
of forgetting time?

time was meaningless
as this nearly 50 chick
frolicked on the shore

living this moment...
but in the back of my mind
calendar niggles

this blogger has been on vacation....
we will return to regular programming shortly:-)

imaginary bars

cage door opens wide
the bird flies out free at last
it was never locked

I thought I was trapped
in cycles of crash & burn
seeking cool water

my eyes open wide
those imaginary bars~
they were never there

thing of beauty

Today's post is inspired by "carry on tuesday" prompt #49

innocence of youth
grabs your attention without
really trying to

natural movements
uninhibited by fear,
such amazing grace

a thing of beauty~
can it be captured and held?
we all must grow up

salmon pink

salmon pink
swimming through the green
cheery cups

Public Announcement

all the world's a stage,
if the press shows up with their
cameras & mic's

one million dollars!
the good news sure gets around
already online

real or memorex

[Inspired by carry on tuesday prompt #48]

bald guy in hot pink
plays god in a french movie
see him leap buildings

bright yellow undies
my mind fills in all the blanks
dreams of orange peel

tiny camera emerges
from fragrant fresh-cut flowers
rose colored glasses

random neurons fire
building bridges in my mind
real or memorex?

stretched out on the bed
how long have I been awake?
is it morning yet?

broken crockery

broken crockery

impermanence is revealed

shards of love scatter

no crying over spilt beets

no time to eat lunch
back into the bag it goes
with cash deposits


to the bank teller:
there's no blood on this money
just some red beet juice

vive la difference

[from carry on tuesday's prompt: Vive la Difference]


one thing I do know:
whether from venus or mars
we are different

the planets rotate
at very different speeds~
men and women too

innies and outies
say: Vive la difference
let's get together

kissed by the universe

early morning sun
peeps over the garden fence
kissing daffodils



warm breeze ruffles fur
kitty in the windowsill
he's kissed by the wind



stopped at the red light
a stranger blows me a kiss
I smile and drive on

absence

there are things I miss
signs of past visitations
only traces remain

puff of dust

wood grain reflections
light and shadow on the floor
one small puff of dust

each the love

Prompted from Carry on Tuesday:
"We are each the love of someone’s life"



we are each the love
that makes somebody's heart sing
I know it is true

somewhere a song lifts
the soul's longing for true love
a minor refrain


blistering guitar
and sultry vocals crooning
tell me it could be true


match made in heaven
like the singer and the song
where is my grace note?


end of a long search
turning around, there you are
let's sing together

all clear up here

swish and dodge away
red-winged black bird surprised me
dashing across the trail

a bright flash above
the eagle's white tail told me:
it's all clear up here

thumpety thump-thump
whirring sound of swans landing
run across water

shhh

the stupidest things
can cause such bad behavior
let's just get along

dragging home from work
exhausted from a long day
can't I pick tonight?

longing for silence
to hear the sounds of the house
or nothing at all

open-mouthed with joy

[from Carry On Tuesday]
This week our prompt is the opening of the poem
The Poet and his Song by Paul Laurence Dunbar

"A song is but a little thing,
And yet what joy it is to sing!"

black fingers spread wide
the crow swooped across the road
open-mouthed with joy


one note symphony
a song is but a little thing
cawing's how he sings

you make me wanna wear dresses

pale bare legs
taste the weak spring sun
(they like it)

no more pants
dresses for me now
ah, sweet air!

special talents

Carry on Tuesday #44 ~
This week our prompt is the opening of
Isabel Allende’s 1999 novel
Daughter of Fortune:
Everyone is born with some special talent

daughter of fortune:
with your gem encrusted touch
you leap into life

to those without grace
nevertheless, a gift falls
pick it up and run!

everyone is born
to specialize in something
what is your talent?

all the little lives

crumbling mushrooms
fed mice and squirrels last year
now return to earth

everything must die
so another may be fed
all those little lives

each breath means a choice
death is happening inside me
yet I am alive

no longer lonely
microscopic views reveal
the web of our lives


inspired by Simple Gestures: Part One

the pearl you seek

if you seek freedom
get out of the comfort zone
take a leap of faith

a new path beckons
get lost in the unknown space
find the pearl you seek

the essence of the truth
(and what is that anyway?)
open the shell and sea!

oh, the chair is so comfy!

thoughts flying inside
oh, the chair is so comfy
get up and move now!

buy a map
plot a brand new course
make it real

far from straight
the road meanders
(so do I)

springtime for crows

phase one: chase the hawk
bring a friend along with you
aerial highjinx

phase two: eat some road kill
receding snow reveals deer
winters left overs

phase three: form a choir
hang out in groups making noise
decorate branches

yellow blooms laugh

true, you never know
the innermost perspective
just enjoy the gaze

old stalks fall away
making room for new green shoots
first yellow blooms laugh

my camera is off
on another adventure
documenting spring

baaaa!

oh, we're the black sheep
it's human (versus) nature
I wonder who'll win?

to the yard

December move-in
many things were hidden then
under winter's coat

take off you white robe
and let me see your body
I want to know more


snow melting away
earth emerges from beneath
who is living there?


beside the green house
small green things are popping
and saying hello

someone should tell the bugs

our 10K mosey
Michigan Nordic combined
skiing and shooting
(photographs)

a bit of blue glows
foot bridge across the river
just beyond the trees

I hate to say it

someone should tell the bugs
it is still winter

patterns in the ice
a message around the trees
snow and ice dancing

a promise of spring!
seed pods arching gracefully
hang in the balance

today is special

notepad in my hand
an apron around my waist
a diner looks at me

she said: make mine with
extra ordinary, but
put it on the side

that love is
too spicy to eat
all at once

whatever you want
it's all yours for the asking
try today's special?

veggie scraps

vegetable scraps
will compel folks to visit
or so I am told*

compostable words
dissolving all illusions
return to damp earth

layer with ashes
make an organic parfait
they keep down the stink


(*with thanks to my friend Kathy)

red bird can't wait

eternal questions:
who am I? why am I here?
do the flowers ask?

impatient for spring
grasses still bent under snow
the red bird can't wait

finally a pearl

Neptune's mighty fork
eagerly spears trespassers
no wisdom for them!

from desert to deep
knowledge lies hidden away
water or sand both work

mysteries unfold
and some questions must be asked
many many times

how many oysters
are opened and found empty?
finally a pearl!

wishing for swishing

promises of snow
have kept my ski poles leaning
wishing for swishing

blinded by brightness
sunny skies may be pleasing
but they don't drop flakes

there at the window
kitty perches on the sill
swishing his long tail

restlessness, hunger
these motivating forces
drive evolution

the turn around dance

do a brand new dance
180 degrees
turn night into day

twirling on tiptoes
a feather drops on the floor
tutu fairy flies

see the tricky fox
heyokah teacher tells us
turn it upside down

invictus!

mastering shadows
contrast light against dark
possibility!

Invictus! the cry
an old soul undefeated
bloody and unbowed

brilliant strategy
unite hearts around the ball
circle of life

empty the red pail
toss the scraps onto the pile
sprinkle with ashes

a dreaming shell

Cecropia moth
can't see beyond the footlights
careful of the flame!

who is watching who?
butterfly dreaming of me?
catching dreams in nets

see these little sparks
experience created
by a dreaming shell

hit send now

the sending
can be the ending
can it not?

destination: now!
just let all be as it is
discomfort and all

the cow doesn't moo
because flowers wilt & die
she still gives sweet milk

counting lines again
once my fingers stop their tapping
time to hit send now

this old heart

sometimes this old heart
wants a little tenderness
just can't take a joke


chocolate is good
85% pure dark
but it's not a kiss


what are these silly
illusions of happiness?
but blinders on now

heart on fire and guns a-blazing

she charges forward,
(or is that barrels onward?)
both guns a-blazing

who has time to wait?
fingers, maps or instructions
they just slow her down

her philosophy?
experience the moment
but do it right now

the moon and I

The moon and I laugh
together we light the night
we don't mind pointing

the moon and I shine
bounce light off sparkly fresh snow
we're like diamonds

the moon and I hide
clothed in clouds we're shy tonight
see you tomorrow

baring my soles

the trouble with shoes
is when I have too many
and still long for more

high heels, lotus toes
always going downhill, so
hobbled by beauty

heavy leather boots
do they keep feet protected
from the elements?

under leather straps
my poor soles long for freedom
please let the air in

throw them away now!
a taste of reality
comes with touching ground

unburdened and free
there's space in my closet now
just one pair remains

comfortable creaking

oh, boisterous one
he smiled, you are not quiet
but it's quite okay

shivering in cold
when the fire turns silent
I prefer the roar

kitty rubs my legs
the old floor creaks like my bones
somehow it comforts

soft power

something approaches
soft pink light is sliding
on the horizon

canyons out of rock
dissolve instead of slashing
water always wins

purrs against my leg
gets the kitty a good skritch
sooner than biting

page won't load

intermittently
power connects ideas
poor service ratings

neuro nets collide
with quantum calculations
creating patterns

one day here
another day gone
how it is

sub zero morning
still the sun's rays melt the snow
powerful glitter

stay awake

comfortably warm
the cat dozes on the couch
purrs in contentment

where is the firefly?
having experiences
no doubt, while I sleep

dark is less scary
when shared with other small lights
wake and fly with me

hidden in plain sight

hidden in plain sight
soften your focus to see
camouflaged message

smuggling donkeys
a great job for the Mulla
they search but don't find

cats' wisdom beats mine
blending in where they want to
they find their way home

I stay home
not speaking about
the journey

unpacking boxes

unpacking boxes
a packet of love letters
memories revealed

once upon a time
refrigerator poems
took away the chill

children's arts & crafts
in various media
motherhood recalled

passport to my youth
did I really look like that
before age set in

fairy tales are sweet
but too much sugar rots teeth
then it's hard to chew

am I awake yet?
the old eternal question
keeps me on my toes

new snow

thrust and lift
new snow fills my drive
skis await