winter melt —
a steady drip down
the back of my throat

weirdly warm weather —
I blush at even the idea
of her hands

rabbit tracks
in the snow by the maple —
her loosely woven braid

radio buttons
pre-set to the old songs —
loyal listener

flash of a white wing
catching the last rays of sun —
short-eared owl dazzle

I open the door
to let in some moonlight —
the cold tags along

leaden sky
with the sun
trying to burn through

blue jays boxing out
as the iced-over bird bath
unfreezes at last

the steady drip
of melting ice —
waning gibbous moon

no 911 call
no call for an ambulance —
Nex Benedict's gone

we describe for him
the way he sang in his crib —
new bedtime stories

three-day weekend —
the lake starts to think about
freezing over

one more suicide —
no one who was on the train
will ever forget

the urge to clean —
last year's sweet gum balls
spiky underfoot

invisible love —
knowing how everyone else
takes their coffee

harvesting ice
after two sub-freezing nights —
no forgiveness in sight

waxing crescent moon —
shining down on the hills
that turned into slopes

a three-day-old moon
and inside-out pajamas —
snow day spell-casting

dead leaves and petals —
every morning the sparrows
come looking for spring

lunar New Year —
the sound of cardinals checking
in on each other

thick and forceful wind —
I think of all the times
when no was needed

dark-eyed juncos
sketching their plans for the day —
the wind makes a change

who cooks for you? —
a pair of barred owls
map the forest shade

a break in the storm —
space for the urgent scratch of
pencil on paper

rain and more rain  —
seed catalogs offering
sun on every page

by the maple's root
a tiny stand of snowdrops —
who will tell them?

cherished tradition —
he sits beneath the coat hooks
in his cozy spot