starlings at dusk

seeking each other out

in the treetops

planning

to be a ghost —

Hallowe’en

remembering

where the stars were

when they vanish

midday nap —

leaves drifting

on the lake

autumn morning —

one tiny leaf falls all the way

into my blouse

early October —

remembering the weight

of blankets

swaying at the edge

of the canyon overlook —

homeless man

nights of new faces —

we smile and explain again

yes, we’re a couple

evacuation —

we stand still for a moment,

drinking in our life