road clearing

the bladers are out
sounding like dinosaurs
roaring through the hood

imprints

pathways in the snow
poopy petters in the snow
yellow dribbles in the snow
muffled sounds in the snow
knitted slumbers in the snow
dreams dreamed dreaming
dreaming in the snow

solstars

the longest night
in a dark year
that draws to a close
lit up
shine
in darkness
burn brighter

wooden chimes on the mountain ash

the wind is singing today

magic moments....

...
when the discarded tissue on your nightstand
resembles a perfectly constructed
origami bunny

a good thing

so say you find yourself at a seasonal party
a party near the river in historic buildings
remote
rural but in the city
a party where sleigh rides are planned for the kids
and where Santa will show up before the night is through
but the evening's plans are altered because it is very very cold
lots of snow and bitter winds
so everyone hankers down inside the cabin
and tucks into a tasty dinner
and among the festivities you notice something
almost a flash or a whiz
something zooming around
it turns out to be a young cat crashing the party
and later you learn that a friend has found a box and put a little meal for the cat outside
a bit of refuge from the wind and blowing snow
a little turkey for the tummy
so you put on your coat and go outside to see for yourself
and there he is
a small grey tabby sitting in the box
you kneel down in your big winter coat and he hops into your lap
you sit together there for many many minutes
as he purrs and purrs and purrs
you eventually rejoin the party and you ask the staff
'Is that the cabin cat?'
and they say no...there are some strays there and the staff isn't supposed to feed them
but sometimes they do
and as the party is winding down and your ride is leaving soon you wonder about the little cat
the little cat in the blowing wind and snow
you and your partner wonder what to do
and you decide on the spot the little one is going home with you
even though you are both allergic

and on this cold night you think back to eighteen years ago
and how bringing a little one home was one of the best things you ever did
making a small friend for life
and you hope that others might be inspired one day
to do the same
some years Christmas comes early

breaths

the warmth of a cat
exhaling
snoozing on your lap

blessings

kitten!

• hungry kitten
• snoring kitten
• breezy kitten
• licking kitten
• meowing kitten
• howling kitten
• sleepy kitten
• racing kitten
• noshing kitten
• drinking kitten
• sniffing kitten
• kneading kitten
• pawing kitten
• purring kitten

nether regions

The Muskrat asked The Pigeon 'what should we do today?'
Pigeon said 'we should jump on the snowmobile and head down to Whyte Avenue for a pint.'
So they pulled on their snowsuits, their toques, their mufflers and mittens and headed on their way.
Being -20 and colder with the windchill they wasted no time enroute and were there licketdy split.
Just as they were about to head into the pub, Muskrat said to Pigeon 'have you heard that it's warming at the poles?  That the polar bears and penguins don't have enough ice for their highballs?'
Pigeon was shocked and said 'we have to do something for our friends.  Let's send them some jet stream.'  And Pigeon started flapping her wings and Muskrat started waving her arms and they sent frigid air north and frigid air south to fend off the warming.  'That's way better,' said Muskrat.  'Way way better,' said Pigeon.  And having worked up powerful thirsts they headed into the pub to cheer a job well done.

radiating

sending warmth today
to everyone everywhere
one big swaddle huddle

wonders

all the jack rabbits got together
and had a little conference

they wondered why it was that although nearly december
everything was still brown

they decided this was unacceptable
and started thumping in protest

they thumped and thumped
and thumped so more

they thumped so much that it woke up the sky
the clouds answered their thumping
and everything turned white

now the jack rabbits can get down
to the serious business of hopping

beams

and then there are unexpected bright spots
like when a christmas cactus blooms
for the first time in years and years

shining on the inside

coordinates

the days lately feel a little dark
like some ominous cloud has rolled over us
and just hangs there:
gloomy
looming
but a month from now the days get longer
bit by bit
more light each day
so let's hold onto that tether
and make our way ahead
sleeping through long nights
rising up
to slivers of sun

soon

we'll wake up in a little while
shake off the cobwebs of sleep
and realize it was all just a very bad dream

oh...wait...

the way the wind blows

the chimes are chiming
serenading the magpies
lulling the squirrels
and the edges are softer
as we all await
tonight's superlune

a little more light
in the dark days

burroughing

dig down
a little deeper
a liitle deeper
and you will find them
maybe a little drowsy
dormant
sleepy
but there you'll find them
the sparks inside

reality check

if the sun is shining
why does it feel so dark today?

one sleep...

soon we'll know
which way this wind
is gonna blow
i would hold my breath
but i need it
for breathing

the visitor

there is something a little bit magical
about a blue jay landing on the windowsill
peering in
winged greetings
a fleeting visit
before flying away

soundbites

cackled by a sparkly web caped sprite
scrambling down the walk:
'this bag is SO full of candy!'

silver lining

so many red pickup trucks
on such a grey day

sometimes
it's about the little things

fairylights

the shadows are long today

blooming through

a purple anemone is blooming
through the frost and the snow
through the shorter days and fading sun
a purple anemone is blooming
through the hottest year on record
and temperatures off the charts
a purple anemone is blooming
through election debates
boasts and bluster
a purple anemone is blooming
through what will be layers of scarves, mitts and parkas
you may be getting sleepy
but this party
is just getting started

hold dear

petals of a flower
pedals on a bicycle
a bear in New Jersey that walked upright
named Pedals

love love love
the small things you love
in whatever form you find them

white white

lay your ear down on the snow blanket
listen to the silence
and count the flakes with me

airwaves

successful attempts at ventilation
can be achieved in many ways...
an outward stretch welcoming the new day
an acknowlegement followed by healthy denial of 'news of the world'
a communion with bees
a comfort in the small kind gestures of strangers
in the ways that summer plants relinquish their roots putting them to bed
in so many ways i have not thought about yet
but would like to hear from you...
what creates that space...opens you up to just a liitle more
air each day?

tucking in

the first snowfall in October
means putting things to bed...
today begonias, dahlia, marigolds and delphiniums
tomorrow fuschia, portulaca, geraniums, pansies, snap dragons and sea holly
asters, anenomes, straw flowers and coleus
so long to the gardens of 16

random natural fact

it is commonly known
(but seldom acknowledged)
that spiders rule the world

big brown spiders
beady red spiders
tiny black spiders
weaving as they go
webs webs webs

should you come across a spider today
make friends and give thanks
thanks for keeping things spinning
in such tidy order

Big Wheels

so...in your dream...
there is a conference or gathering of some kind
involving various thinkers from all over
and one session in particular is one that you're attached to
to facilitate and oversee that all goes more or less well
and among the attendees is a friend who you admire
though you haven't seen for a long time
and things seem to be going well into the session
until the speaker starts saying all kinds of crazy and offensive things
this upsets you and you worry it upsets your friend
just then you see her wheeling her way out of the conference space
down a spiral staircase
escaping on a bicycle
you follow her on the only available wheels:  a sort of unicycle with an oval shaped wheel
you follow her up and down steep hills
marvelling at your ability to pedal power the oval wheeled unicycle
over hill, dale and snow covered roads
eventually you part ways and you make your way back to the conference centre
your unicycle has become a snowboard which you park in a wood panelled cabinet
there are tiny toasts of red wine as all agree that all is more or less well
a bit of restoration in an age of upheaval

late September

it's a day to watch the leaves fall
one by one
golden in air
down to ground
falling softly
without a sound

Your questions answered...

Dear Boho,
How is it that birds continue to sing, even on the gloomiest of days?
Yours,
MD

Dear MD,

It is a little known yet widely established fact that birds are made up of various receptive connecting points aligning them in cosmic ways invisible to the human eye.  For instance, a set of unseen strings radiate from within a bird's body to the tips of their wings.  On overcast days, birds have been known to flap their wings to stimulate their heart muscles which in turn inspire birdsong.  Intuitively, the birds seem to know that clouds and gloom are temporary occurrences...strings and songs defiant.

I hope this answers your question.

Love,
Boho

last boarding call...

all the meanies on the rocket ship
time to blast you on outta here
no hard feelings
just tidying up
while we build a gentler place

flight paths

an unwelcome backyard sound this morning:
'thud'...
collision of feathers with glass
flying into the reflected pane

on the patio
a small sparrow dazed and grounded
time for timing out
a blip on your radar
but this will not undo you
you will not be undone

there and then a little later

gone

airborne

sparrow wings away

bookends

i share a date with Martha
the last of the Passenger Pigeons
the day she checked out
i checked in
(albeit decades later)
i think of her sometimes
alone in her cage in the Cincinnati Zoo
the last of her kind
once there were billions
then there was one
then there were none
we are all passengers here on the big blue ball
and hope is the thing
the thing with wings
the thing with feathers

tabulations

greckles are falling from the sky in Boston
and the Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 3-2

extracurricular

seems that spam is a kind of canned processed meat product
and also where you'll find filtered messages
of a really suggestive kind
like...really really suggestive
spam
spam
spam
spam a little
spamalot

pointy nointy

the elves seem to have visited in the night
and were apparently very busy
stuffing my head full of cotton
cotton balls
cotton wool
cotton candy floss
any cotton they could get their elvish hands on
my head is so full of cotton that i need to be mindful going out in the rain
in case i soak up and expand
get too ahead of myself
but it looks like a sunny day so i should be alright
perched here on the curb
counting my blessings
and tabulating my thread count

Cumulative Clouds

when you find yourself congested

wheezing and stuffed with remnants of cotton fluff

find a new way to spin them

in your semi-vulnerable and soft focused state

invent a new language

a series of symbols

with which to get your point across

some nuanced gestures to let your respondent know

that 'yes'...'yes'...(despite signs to the contrary)...

all is well however momentarily uneasy and unwell

one might feel...'yes...yes...yes'...

one season is waning but another waits in the wings

and hope is the thing that tethers

nice work if you can get it...

post away time
means hanging at home
a little TLC on Labour Day
serious feline laptime
catching up on all things tabby business
a mouth that opens and closes muttering no-sound/sound
just means 'glad you're back both of you...
mine all mine'

Crooner Schooner

a dude on Duckworth today just before noon
was serenading some eastward bound folks
with a rousing rendition of 'I Did It My Way'
and I think Frank and Elvis would've approved and bought him a round or two
riding that Black Horse to a wee boothy
and a little liquid lunch

Stain PreTreat

• Tomato
• Dirt
• Grass
• Wine

The four categories of the clothes soiling apocalypse.

9/1

a little drizzle
a little fog
some sun and clouds again
new moon
solar eclipse
the little dog in the window
is nowhere to be seen
maybe on the lam with snail on York street
pods and pads
tethering
another trip around the sun

happy anniversary

so...say someone has a bike
a robin's egg blue bike
that they found one day abandoned in the bushes while walking down a hill
the bike was heavy and old and a little rusty but it was lovely
and so someone rescued it from the bushes and took it home
and someone decided to give the bike a little love and had it repainted
in the original colours of robin's egg blue and white
and later that summer on a trip to Italy
bought a bicycle bell at a little bike shop in Florence
and every time someone rode her bike and rang her bell thought of how people are connected
and no matter who you are or where you live you might enjoy riding a bike if you get the chance
and then one day someone woke up and wondered 'where is my bike?'
it was parked on the front porch but it isn't there
just the bike cable cut and tossed in the hosta patch in front of the porch
and someone thought that's not a nice thing to do
especially the day before someone's birthday
and today someone is thinking about their robin's egg blue bike
wondering where it is who is riding it
and thinking all these years later that you...the cable cutter...whoever you are
are still a real jerk
happy anniversary
whatevs...

Avalon

the air is soft
the rocks are rugged
the catnip is blossoming
the water is glistening
and the folks are friendly
here in Placentia

tiny gum shoes

little wee feet in
tiny gum shoes under the bridge
they flit and flutter
and make big big messes
little wee feet in
tiny gum shoes making all kinds of trouble
rats with wings
no matter smatter what
little wee feet just keep on comin

rock on tiny gum shoes

Squirrel syndrome

'L' is for looking for stuff that has gone mysteriously missing
could happen to anyone
from time to time things just get misplaced
yet sometimes it's a little more haphazard and random
like 'where is that other boot?'
or the giant prop fan from the play we did eight years ago?
or maybe like the last few days and a book I'm determined to read and was given as a gift
nowhere to be found
maybe it will turn up eventually
'L' is also for libations
and on more than one occasion this squirrel (when sozzled) is especially inspired to share and says
'here...you should take this....I think you'd really like it'
and 'W' is for wondering where did I put that book, who did I lend it to but also whatever
here on the spirit plane
in a world of stuff

frente

kittens come in all shapes and sizes
ages too
one kitten i know is 17
(ballpark 17 but likely 17)
likes (among other things):
romping under sheets when the bed is being made
fresh catnip treats
long grasses
yogurt
cantaloupe
cucumber
residual cereal milk
and pretty much WHATEVERYOU'REHAVING
dislikes confined spaces
rides in the car---especially trips to the vet
does okay with pills as long as they're pocketed away in TM malleable chicken flavoured treats
took up howling for awhile, less so now (possibly related to new thyroid med pill regime as mentioned above)
greats us at the door when we arrive home
usually comes running when his name is called
and is just generally a sweet cuddly guy
for a 17 year old cat
our companion
our masco
our kitten

athens rug

another lap around the pool

if you happen to be a greenland shark
you've likely been around for a while
a long, long while
like...maybe anywhere between 272-512 years
lots of candles on the aqua cake
that would make you (scientists figure) the oldest vertebrate on earth
i guess a lot to take in...plankton...schooners...others
over the years, decades, centuries
1504-1744 (ballpark numbers)
wonder what you think of what's up
more burger than bun?  the plastic vortex? a hole in the collective heart...?
another trip around the sun coming up soon
comforted by thinking of you splashing away around and down under
keeping on keeping on
you and redwood rings

Silver medals

nasturtium seeds are a kind of b list capers
days and days of clouds without rain are like reading a mystery novel and getting to the end only to find the last few pages missing
enduring grade ten math meant listening to my teacher referring to me as his 'favourite underachiever'
hearing someone set off fireworks last night in the neighbourhood (too close to home?) makes for anxious moments with none of the dazzly fun
bread, bagels and buns from the grocery store up the street taste like one basic dough mix fashioned into various shapes and sizes
ranunculus grown from corms with leaves but no blossoms holds two middle fingers up to my less than green thumbs
the sports story preview mentioning that 'so-and-so was hoping for a gold medal 'had me wondering who was on caption duty until i reflected that yeah, maybe not everybody
for some silver is preferable
or at least
white gold

busy

someone is peeping
someone is flitting
someone is tweeting
someone is sleeping (after noshing and a hot ride in the car)
someone is dodging raindrops under a stormy sky
someone can't believe how late it is in the summer
someone is dressed in yellow and black like a bumblebee and going for a run
someone is laughing and yelling something and then yelling something again
someone is procrastinating about a writing project (or is that 'gestating'?)
someone is mopey about the state of the world
and someone is inspired that we are evolving and moving in the right direction
someone far away ---maybe the other side of the world---is reading this
maybe someone like me enjoying a lovely day in august
the sum of us
the someones

passels of hope

and wondering...can that be plural?
does it reckon, resonate...compute?
on the 8th of the 8th i think:  yeah it can be and yes it does absolutely
because while some good things come in small packages other things are needed in abundance
(aka mass quantities) the sooner the better
no time like the present
and no present like the present that keeps on giving
in all the time capsules to come

Casting call

non blooming ranunculus as 'petulant ingenue'
gorging squirrel in bird feeder as 'drunk uncle at family reunion'
quack grass puller in flower bed as 'finger in dike wooden shoes boy'
whistling postie as 'long lost cheery snowy eighth dwarf'
aquatic algae bloom as 'who invited you to the party?'
relentless hope diver as 'desert oasis diviner'
you as 'you (only more you) with every passing day'
a day like and unlike 'any other'

While Supplies Last

Attention Shoppers!
One day only...
Special discount sale on Hope in various departments...
Limited edition CandyGrams sugar coating news of the day
Higher than a kite Needle in a Haystack Swaddle Sheets with thread counts outtathisworld
El Niño vintage bubbly Brut guaranteed to smooth the edges
Glacial melting in the freezer section and 'clean up party in coastal aisles'!
Monogramming while you watch and wait for tomorrow's discounts
Tomorrow's discounts today

laying low

a bit overcast
a bit muggy
the ranunculus are mimsy
and the paws are twitching
as someone naps outstretched on his Hello Kitty catnip pouch
dreaming dreams of 7/16
the last Saturday in July tiptoes out on a lazy afternoon
all is peaceful here

lilting

if I were a vaquita tonight I might think
'Thanks!' And 'whew!'
Those guys aren't so bad afterall...
And maybe there's just the chance that we'll look out
And take care of one another

if I were one of about 60 remaining vaquita
I might think...'hey!  Let's swim around....engulf the Gulf...
Count our blessings and good fortune...
Maybe things will be alright...'

variations on a theme

thunder claps
thunder rolls
thunder wraps
thunder ponchos, vests and capes
intermittent thunder
constant thunder
dicey, unpredictable hear ya now, see ya later thunder
'when thunder roars, go indoors' preachy thunder
someone up there is bowling and just aced a strike thunder
holy moly that was close! lightning and thunder combo thunder
just another afternoon in the summer of '16 on the 53rd parallel
thunder along with me
a crow is cawing and thunderbirds are go

news of the world

the chickadees are flitting around
like flying miniature drunken sailors
all hepped up on birdseed
one wild riotous party
that's the kind of thing I needed to see this week
needed to see and feel
more love of small things
more love of all things

still tuesday

sunny
a bit breezy
shadows on spruce
trash truck barreling through the hood
shades of Brazil careening around the corner
tough start to a kitty morning:
soggy towel/stinky carrier
thanks and see you next summer!
crazy crazy news of the world
such agitatition
on such a lovely day

A & D

the doves
are cooing
tonight
xo

Just sayin'

"This Is Just To Say" -- William Carlos Williams, 1934

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/56159

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

"Letter for a time capsule to be opened in 2112" -- Warren Cariou, 2012

http://imaginations.csj.ualberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Cariou.pdf

This is just to say

we’ve burned up all the oil

and poisoned the air

you were probably hoping to breathe.

Forgive us.

It was delicious

the way it burned

so bright and

so fast.

blue delphinium

sweet strumming from below
vibrant
surges of urgency

and the blooms are electric tonight

tethering

an anchor is a symbol of hope

i need a little anchor attached to my heart
today

counting crows

one perched on the fence
a wee fluffy baby
possible meanace in future
but for now just learning the ropes
the tropes
what it is to be
on the big blue ball

Leporidae Day

okay
I'm coming over
will drop on by
hop on in
planning to nestle in the geranium planter
---you know...the big one---
and then make my way
around
do my rounds

• yard daisies
• low hanging leaves
• bishop's weed

would be great to catch up but if we don't will have to catch you later.  a lot of ground to cover in the hood of ground cover...if you know what I mean.

laters...

xo

pica pica

in their twittering
in their chittering
the magpies
are magnificent tonight

air

your shadow
is breathing

tableau

and here we are
three at a table
four hands
+ four tories
lately
loo pads
drinking from the bowl
the sound of bubbling beans
tips on keypads
the clasp of a cuff

the solstice ring should turn the other way
the days ebbing
but we're only just getting started
what it means to stay up all night
cooing and wooing

lull us to sleep
tug us to wake
slumbers in summer
sums in sums

shasta solstice

the annual riot of daisies
has ascended on the backyard
marching eastward from the lilies
threading steadily through the tangle
no doubt intent on taking over
bloom by bloom by bloom
they're not asking me
but i say 'go for it'
happy to aide
abet
abide
each petal a pedal
in the right direction
(meaning veer to the left ofcourse)

weighty

some days hearts are heavy
even though the sun is shining
and the wind is gently blowing
and the leaves are rustling
and the gazanias have opened lifting their faces to the sky
and the kitten is snoozing having tucked into his afternoon shrimp
still
an undercurrent
a whorl of a kind
tugging

but best to emulate the small ones
close your eyes
face the sun
resist the pulls
and float on
and on and on

still
in the moment
be still

50 plus a dozen

the annual robin count is now at 62
possibly the same two over and over and over again
potentially duped by the red ones
no matter
flit along and sing us your songs
with daybreak earlier each morning
the presents of the present

dappling

the other day
hard to breathe
overcast but otherwise fine
and then suddenly thick
hazy
smoky

today rain rain rain
the kind that brings up earthworms
and has robins chirping

a day for sweaters and cups of tea
beading drops on leaves
more of this please

for now
more of this

chirpy chit chat

the squirrel is really letting it fly tonight
in the dogwood
on the mugo pine
chittering
chittering
chittering

apparently an urgent message of sorts
doing my best to decipher
the spaces in between
the ones lost in translation

nuts

the merry month of may

and it happens as it always seems to
every year
you wake up one day and suddenly it's here
colour pops of green everywhere
canopies in the air
dustings of pollen too
tiny sunny grains
fragilities of bodies
strength in spirit
here we are
here we all are

the measure of feathers

numbers 23 & 24 were really going at it today
like really going at it
first squawking over some berries
limb to limb to limb
and then down on the ground up and over
going at it
and in a day of disheartening news
(projected depletion of oxygen in the oceans)
i didn't quite know what to make of my robin friends
but hoping for more cheer
less churl
counting on limbs and wings

Sturgeoning...

illustration for Sturgeon by Smokey...swimming your way soon...

555 on wednesday

bluejay in the dogwood
xo

the annual robin count

#16 is sunning herself in the yard
on the lawn between two trees
seeming quite contented
no worm pulling
no fast meandering across the grass
just there
after many minutes
still
still
still
does she know it's unusually warm for april?
has she heard the news of the world?
maybe
but why spoil a bright spring day
with too many thoughts of tomorrow

tastes like chicken

walking home today from the drugstore/post office
with hydrangea stamps in my bag
i was serenaded by birds along the curving streets of Gold Bar
blossoms popping out too:
pasque flowers
daffodils
hostas
and two tiny pots of tulips that looked a little
too good to be true
silk flowers?
in the way that 'silk flowers' are plastic flowers
with the texture of silk
a little petroleum in the mix
or maybe just a measure of my cynicism
my reluctance to clap my hands and believe
in nature's perfection

where is tinkerbell when i need her???

no place like home

the winds were swirling today
in a way that only sudden spring winds can
churning up all at once
like a cartoon tasmanian devil
one big ball of whirl
as long as the tall trees remain happy
and rooted
not rerouted
all will be dandy
kansas might be lovely this time of year
but i'll take dorothy's word for it

dervishing

the thing about spring here is that there is a lot of dust
a lot
also gravel...sand...little remnants of what laid beneath the snow for many months
so you'll encounter things like puddles, crocuses, sunshine and birdsong
but also gusts that will envelope you curb side in the wake of city buses peeling away
it just comes with the territory
and it's easy to forget in the urban scheme of things that we're here
landlocked
in the prairie grid
so at least for me the next time that i'm out on the street and a little wind whirl
flies some grit between my teeth
i'll do my best to remember my place in the scheme of things
to embrace it all
in all its dusty glory
thankful for a whirlwind and not a tornado
however gritty
no place like home

self checkout

'89...cents
89...cents
89...cents...'
and like that for what would've been nine more tins of cat food
if the 12th hadn't been dented

and it was soothing and rhythmic in a weird automated way
with a kind of numb yet calming voice
that might've been comforting except it probably meant
that someone else was out of a job

1/12

sensoring

the sound carries in such a different way
once the snow has melted
once the muffle of flakes have faded
once the blanket has been pulled back
once winter had been put to bed
crisp in the air
crisp in the ears
the buzz and snap of spring

listing

a stash of pinecones
a peal of bells
a beam of light
a handful of hope
a museum of waxwings

Flow

walking home today
passing the larches
'turning golden high upon the hill'
a little stream running down the curb
tiny bubbles beneath the ice flowing
as water ran down to the grate at the bottom of the road
and in the sun it all seemed so true
that so much is melting away
and there i was
watching it go
on a bright bright day

wormsicles

waking up to falling flakes and wondering how the red ones are doing
are they early bird returns or ones who over wintered?
regardless they may find it tough sleddin the next day or two
not so much springing ahead but falling back on dusted lawns and boughs
a bit tricky to navigate the new waves rolling on over us
but we wend
bend
surf
fly on

Rx Playlist

less dischord
more harmony

canis latrans

northbound on the 94
up 106 ave
along the stretch with the abandoned bike
tethered to the chain link fence
wondering what I might see who would greet me
from the back of the bus
and there you were...foraging for something
your coat blending in perfectly with the carpet of sleepy brown grass

is it you we hear late at night?
howling...yipping?
I hope so...or at least that you make it back into the ravine
down around and out again
find the trails that wend your way
wishing city smarts on all the coyote friends

The bamboo chimes outside the bedroom window...

What started out as one idea became corrupted by autocorrect and then decided tally ho




But then the wind stopped blowing
And then started blowing
Again

Took took took
Giggling ginglingir

waning days of...winter?

slips of green grass
robins
a mottled hare
tulips...tulips!!!
icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland
is it hot in here...or is it just me?

coyotes

nearer and nearer on recent days
and late day not even
night
howling circling yipping closer closer and closer
up from the ravine
times are tough
maybe for you too?
we'll nip on through
nip and yip and go on through
and wave to what is fading away...
letting go of what doesn't work so well
anymore

Happiness by halves

The Silverberry bus on the #1 route but not stopping for me
All the people (and all meaning + two)
Sitting on the outer edge of seats effectively no room for another
But Nevermind
We all eventually ring the bell
Depart at our desired destination
Today...just north of Jasper
Half of an halfly eaten apple
Still life among passers by
A bit too sleepy to undo/correct autocorrect
Giving over to the half lives
The ghosts in the machines

Flying by

there is a new visitor to the neighbourhood
red-y/orange-y head and breast
black and white wings
on the smallish side
here and gone
and here again
welcome to gold bar little one

Adelie

I keep thinking about all those penguins...

Aiming for the stars

so...
one of Santa's elves and the Easter Bunny are out on a bit of a tear
on a Saturday afternoon
and why not?
the sun is shining
the snow is melting
and everything is waking up after the slumber of winter
they decide to knock on the door of their old friend Cupid to invite him to come out to play
'Hey Cupid!  Wanna hit Happy Hour...shoot some stick?'
Cupid can't quite believe it...
'Are you kidding?   You know I have to get ready...rest my wings and sharpen the arrows...hundreds...thousands...millions of arrows!'
And if the truth be told Santa's elf and Easter Bunny were lost in a bit of a fog...one post-holiday the other pre- and joyously lollygagging.  They forgot it was the eve of THE BIG DAY for their winged friend.
Ever the opportunist...the elf sensed an inroad:
'But there are darts too...'
'Darts?'  queried Cupid.
'Hone your aim...'
And with that Cupid was persuaded and headed down to the pub for an all out sozzle fest lasting into the wee hours.
He promises to do his best...to be a straight shooter come Sunday but hey...what do you expect?
Leaps of faith in a Leap Year.

Songs of spring

the birds have returned and are very busy
piping in the sun
bidding good bye to the snow
celebrating in the ways
that winged ones do

lavosh

sometimes
the end of the day
is bookended
with feverish kitten washing
licks and love
and licks
and licks
and licks

Coggin

some days when you realize remember
or just make peace with yourself
that you haven't figured it out
yet
or least after two cups of strong coffee
a homemade muffin and conversation with good friends
that somethings are still a little slippery
in the way that i like to imagine
the sturgeon in the north Saskatchewan
the ancients among us
in the river that turns around as it flows
what was then now
around again

Rain in January

on the 53rd parallel
in winter
on snow covered walkways and limbs
little showers
melting
all of us
melting
just a little
don't worry
we're in this together

math of the anthropocene

4 heads of cauliflower $ > one barrel of oil

yesterday/today

so much of the snow from yesterday
hangs now on heavy limbs
bundles of soft cotton
on an otherwise still day
every so often a breeze
sending sparkling gusts into the air
lighting up the yard
boughs bending not breaking
bright white bounty

cold/flu snow day checklist

• tissues tissues tissues
• grated ginger tea
• mystery novel
• pillows
• red felted slips
• yellow woollen blanket
• flannel lined sleeping bag
• impressive bed head
• news of the world
• trash tv
• every room a rheumy room
• sweet Frente company

Thankful for so many gifts...

'and I will sit right down
waiting for the gift of sound and vision...'

xo

So...a squirrel walks into a bar...

or say, shinnies up a branch on the dogwood
and hauls in his tiny grippers
a page from a Home Depot flyer
a page easily twice his size
and the squirrel is so jazzed by the bounty
that he almost upends himself
a couple of times but hangs on determined to wrestle his catch
and a blue jay comes by and says
'squirrel...you are one nutty nutkin...wrestling that there!'
but the squirrel takes no notice and resumes wrangling the flyer page
dreaming of all the great bargoons that will line his nest
just then the flyer falls between his paws and falls to the ground beneath the dogwood
'shit' murmurs squirrel
'lousy luck' murmurs blue jay before flying away
and the squirrel carries on hoping that other great deals will be dealt to him
too good to pass by
too good to pass up
too good to slip through his eager nesting paws

Robins

dreams of streams and fluctuations
balmy at the pole...
the annual robin count began early yesterday
the first two at gold bar park
...
some kids like to make themselves dizzy
i was one of those kids
rolling down hills
seeing things twirl spin get upended
i like to think that the robins are twirling now
a little higher
a little warmer
springing into new year