In a rush to unload
the dishwasher before
I left for work, I happened
to glance out the window
and there on a nearby branch
was a bright red cardinal
with a tiny yellow flower
in his beak. I stood and watched.
Unloading the dishwasher could wait.
JDG
Though I sometimes feel
separate and alone, it just
takes a furry paw
rubbing against my leg to
show me my misconception.
JDG
Watching Knox survey
his kingdom as he slowly
strolls through grass covered
with morning dew, I give thanks
for this place we both call home.
JDG
Two cardinals, one bright
red, the other a bit dull,
fly to the bird feeder
where they find a morsel of food
and a bit of romance.
JDG
Every day Knox shows
me a newly found treasure,
but some I’d gladly not see.
JDG
Today I will try to remove
the shackles of old stories
telling me who I should be
and who you are.
If I succeed, who knows
what I might unlock.
JDG
I wait impatiently
for the traffic to move.
Tension grows. Questions begin.
Why didn’t I leave earlier?
Why didn’t I leave later?
Why didn’t I go a different way?
Waiting’s not easy.
It’s all about wanting.
wanting what’s not currently here.
I shift gears. I breathe.
I look up at the sky.
We’re here together –
the sky, the stalled traffic, and I.
JDG
They’re not trying for first,
those trees, bushes, flowers
and shrubs. They note conditions
and bloom in their own way and
in their own time.
We could learn from them.
JDG
After consulting Google
my grandkids have found
an assortment of diagnoses
which they say fit me.
Ah, the joys of technology.
JDG
There’s no need to read
between the lines. Knox does not
hesitate. He tells
it straight and is dismayed when
I understand but say no.
JDG
aholdingplace 