They tried to tell me
they were learning to live in
the now, those grandkids
of mine, when they announced their
new motto was “Don’t
do today what can wait ’til
tomorrow,” but I
well knew for them the dishes
could wait for all eternity.
JDG
Roadside Attractions
Here and there the gold
of forsythia, the pink
of cherry share road’s
edge with plastic bags, paper
cups, and tossed bottles –
nature and humanity’s
colors fully on display.
JDG
Legacy In Gold
Year after year they come,
connecting us to Dad
who connected us to them.
Their steadfast beauty brings
the gold of Spring
and strong memories of him.
JDG
(photograph by Andy Garrabrant)
Evening Treasure
Tree tops lit with gold
against a darkening sky –
sundown’s parting gift
JDG
Spiking The News
The door closed, shutting
out transparency today
when freedom from some
press trumped freedom of the press –
a bigly move in
an administration’s war
against critical
news and its preference for those
who speak alternative facts.
JDG
In The Pink
Cherry’s pink blossoms –
a Spring smile on this gray
February day
JDG
First One Thing And Then Another
First one thing and then
another: morning warmed by
sun, evening chilled by
rain – such is the happy-sad
wonder of impermanence.
JDG
Beyond Contention
When I’m not arguing for or against,
who knows what will
come from a
center
where
all
are held?
What will sprout
when contention
cracks and new green is allowed to emerge?
JDG
A New Refrain
When I refrain from
causing myself and others
pain, it’s likely I’ve
not hopped some habitual
train, but stopped, looked, and listened.
JDG
When Awareness Returns
When awareness returns, I can see through
the fog of thought
and breathe in
shoulders
held
tight,
breathe out
tall, swaying
trees shimmering
at water’s edge in early morning light.
JDG
