by Kelly

despite Indian

summer, the tree frogs have gone –

soon, fall will go too

by Kelly

in the quiet of

my pause, a muskrat rises —

overhead, a V

by Kelly

I approach the pond

mating frogs sing and sing but

stop as I arrive

by Alison

.

.

.

I wake to her barks.

What dangers lurk outside?

Coyotes? Black Bears?

.

I wake from a dream

of a long ago danger

I wiggled my way past

.

every woman

has her stories of danger -

some end well, some don’t

.

this story ends well -

I look outside into the

dark and see nothing

by Kelly

just steps from the house

the hollows of my cheeks freeze —

the dogs press onward

by Kelly

another dead mouse

in the recycling bin —

I cry for lost lives

by Kelly

our wind chimes buck like

rodeo horses on the

eve of Valentine’s

by Kelly

Stuck behind a light

that goes red green red three times —

I breathe mindfully.

Suddenly, hundreds

of crows fill the sky. Hundreds.

I mean it. Hundreds.

From where? Going where?

Their doings are a puzzle

I wish I could solve.

Then maybe, maybe,

I could also figure out

which path I should choose.

by Kelly

the dogs keep eating

the bread crumbs I spread for birds —

good inentions ruined

by Kelly

I wake to fresh snow

and deer tracks in the driveway –

life can still amaze