April 30th, 2013

Evening fox is here again

I hear the rumble as he hits the porch

in search of cat kibble

April 29th, 2013

Yellow Water Iris

looking cool in the pond

Tadpoles play at her feet

Fish nibble her toes

You can almost see her smile

April 28th, 2013

Flamenco

~

Vivid

orange velvet

bold beauty shines

moving seductively and proud

Iris

April 27th, 2013

April 27^th, 2013

Six Word Saturday

~

Crickets sing lullabies

birds are asleep

April 26th, 2013

Mountain ranges are draped in veils of amber

resembling a large Christo installation

Shapes are revealed~ details obscured

We saw the reason for our altered views today

on our way south through the valley

farmers plowing the land

thick clouds of earth picked up by the wind

They are readying the fields

for their watery crop of rice ~grown in a desert state

already some fields are flooded reflecting the sun

soon tiny seedlings will rise above the surface

yet we've had no rain for weeks

April 25th, 2013

Night falls swiftly

first bats appear

flapping small leathery wings

diving and swooping

as sonar locates their prey

we sit and watch as the

full moon slowly rises through the oaks

spilling silver into the garden

crickets sing

April 24th, 2013

Have you ever seen

a French Poodle playing in the sky?

Sitting on his haunches

tail wagging, begging for a cookie?

April 23rd, 2013

Creamy

baroque ruffles

luscious coy Debutante

ready for the waltz

Iris

April 22nd, 2013

First tender unfurling

purple pearls suspended from prickly leaves

healing Comfrey blooms

April 21st, 2013

Large, glowing cups

seemingly overflowing with

the milk of kindness  

April 20th, 2013

Rose scented air

Orion hovers~ belt twinkling

cricket night song 

April 19th, 2013

Opulent

rich colors

exotic textures entice

enchanting like an Odalisque

Iris

April 18th, 2013

Snapdragon, Snapdragon, open wide

let me feel your gentle bite

Take a nibble make me smile

back to a childhood long gone by

April 17th, 2013

Gilded

bright eyed

wearing black cap

flitting moving nibbling twittering

Goldfinch

April 16th, 2013

April 16^th, 2013

Dutch

looking fine

ablaze in color

ready for the dance

Iris

~

Dutch Iris

meant to bloom

to greet our visitors

alas they cannot wait

the warm spring sun

tickled them awake

and now they burst

hearts wide open

impatiently donning their

fancy frocks of satin

yellow and purple

with a dainty stripe

not willing to wait

even for a few more days

too eager for the

dance to begin

April 15th, 2013

Not long ago

our little table's glass top

burst into a million little bits

sprinkling down to the ground

in heaps of sparkling diamonds.

Not sure what made it happen.

It looked so sad sitting there,

topless, with two chairs to match

My dear one rose to the occasion

he spend day after day crafting

a new top, made from wood and

assorted bits and pieces creating art

Now it shines again, better then new

because this top was made with

love, from the heart. Priceless!

Book Spine Poetry #3

Without Reservations (she abandoned)

A Sensible Life

(following) A Trail of Crumbs

(which lead to) Educating Alice

(in turn leading to) An Imaginative Experience

(across)The Chamomile Lawn

(ending with her) Harnessing Peacocks

APRIL STONES April 1-14th, 2013

April 1^st, 2013

~

Raindrops quiver like tears

on the edges of leaves

rainbows sparkling in their hearts

Nature's tears of joy

Storm has passed

~
#2

Sometimes I sit here

no stone formed yet

I look out the window

sipping my tea

suddenly the Universe provides...

raindrops in the sun. 

An Experiment ~ Book Spine Poetry

The Adventures of Elizabeth in Ruegen

(enjoying)The Solitary Summer

(looking) Beyond the Glass

(sees) Celia

(with) A Dedicated Man

April 2nd, 2013

Days ago rainwater rushed down the small wash

now a flood of yellow spills along, following rain's trail

dazzling the eye with a glorious stream of gold

eagerly running all the way to the hills it seems

as if trying to catch up with the clouds

who sit snugly atop the coastal range

no doubt satisfied they've brought forth such treasure

with their gift of rain. 

April 3^rd, 2013

Her rain filled heart

grew heavy

broke the stem

which held her

gazing at the sun

now she graces

the little fountain

wiggly tadpoles

at her feet

she still shines bright

golden heart aglow

MOLDAVITE

Suddenly knowing in my heart

that perfection was not needed

just courage to move forward

I picked up wire, jewelry tools and started

to give my Moldavite a secure home.

*

The first try was an absolute mess

so nervous about not getting it right

I unwound what I had done

then held the stone and asked it

to guide my hand and make it steady

*

I am not sure if it heard me

but suddenly a wire star appeared

on the face of the stone from the stars

as if saying to me, honor my birth

which came at the behest of a meteor

*

Slamming into the earth a millenia ago

along the banks of the Moldau

It sucked the sand into it's heart

transforming it from mere grains

into the treasured forest green stone

*

I am at peace now

knowing that while it might not

be perfection, it's just right

I look into the mirror

The star shines bright and winks

April 4^th, 2013

Delicate bells

gently swaying

on slender stem

enrobed in spider finery

waiting for fairies

to hear the faint ringing

they will come dance

once moonlight spills

through the trees

illuminating the glade

April 5^th, 2013

The Tempest whips across the land

the mighty oaks are forced to dance

Out in the flat lands it really blows

Cattle hunkered down and laying low

chewing their cud, taking their ease

waiting for this crazy weather to cease

across the valley sun spills down the hills

but here it's not done, thunderstorm for thrills

but even with rumbling high in the clouds

spots of blue now appear, we're riding it out

Book Spine Poetry #2

Growing myself (starts a spiritual journey)

(which leads to) Herbal Recipes

(bringing to mind) Aromatherapy

(smiling with the heart) Mit dem Herzen laecheln

(what lovely) Spiritual Illuminations

~

April, 6^th, 2013

Six word Saturday

~

New Year

brought joy

New Friends

~

Prose Challenge

So much has happened this New Year,more then I could have ever imagined. I'd been feeling so restless , like something was missing from my life. Though happy with a dear husband of many years and our furry family, something was needed. And then it found me, the missing bit. A challenge shared by a longtime friend, inviting me to join a Mindful Writing Group and write, for just a month, a small stone each day. I was taken aback at first, me write? And put it out there for others to see? How my hand shook that first day, untried, untrained, writing in a language not my mother tongue. But something stirred and started moving in my brain. Cogs fell into place and soon the writing came. Not perfect, not always correct, grammar at times my nemesis. But it started flowing like a river and flows still. Always a lover of nature and beauty, now there's a purpose to my vision. To put what I see into words and thus share the joy. Not only did I find a creative outlet, adding new meaning to my days, friends came along as well, kindred spirits, fellow creators. How my world has changed....and changes still. I smile more, feel more positive and hopeful a whole new me is emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon. I am testing my wings at last!!

April 7^th, 2013

Yesterday I saw his face again

while chatting with a friend

Googling Earth so she could

see where she'll be later on this month

I guided her to the final destination

both of us flying above the earth

then zooming into street view

walking down the street side by side

the place looks bare and spare

in January, not a leaf or blade of green

then there he is, laying by the fence

looking straight into the camera

and seemingly at me

because on Google Earth

he's still alive, guarding his domain.

Can he see me?
~

April 8^th, 2013

Thirsty sparrows are sipping delicately

from tiny leaf cups spilling mercury droplets

on the thirsty ground below

~

April 9^th, 2013

Silvery

threads descent

drifting in breeze

sparkling in the sun

Inchworms

~

Parachute silk
sparkling in the rising sun
inchworms land
~

April 10th, 2013


Ode to Spring Joy

The serene floral river of gold
 now turned playground for calves
jostling and bucking with childish joy
sniffing the wondrous gold at their feet
having a nibble~ then off they go again
head butting, heels kicking, racing
full of life and spring joy
~~~
The mothers graze peacefully
no time to indulge in such frivolous play 
their days of springtime fun long past
yet some remember~ breaking suddenly
into a brief trot~ udders swinging madly
We laugh as we pass~ cheering them on
infected by their exuberance and spring joy

April 11^th, 2012

Icy tongues of white

licking delicately

at a bright blue sky
~

April 12^th, 2013

Spring...........sprung so quickly

Now everything's ablaze in color

Budding and unfurling..........

like time lapse photography

gone too fast. Slow down!!

Let us savor you a bit

Let us feel your balmy breezes

your gentle spring rays

do not burn.........not yet

you've barely said hello.

April 13^th, 2013

Six Word Saturday

Shooting Star wears a Cardinal's Biretta

April 14^th, 2013

White Lady Banksia

spreads her arms

spilling white fairy

lights across the arbor

illuminating the gate

to the Secret Garden