American Eagle

Seated at the top of the tallest tree,

The eagle’s always on the alert for prey 

And views us useless humans down below 

With little interest, and possibly contempt…

Protection

Who taught you that you need 

To hide your beauty behind a screen; 

That protection will always be more important

Than letting yourself be truly seen?

Cry for help

All nature, 

Reaching out for help, 

And we’re too busy on our phones 

To notice…

Appreciate variety

I’ve never understood the urge 

To reduce the world around us 

To a single color.

 For me, the pleasure I find 

In my neighbor’s garden 

 Lies in the mix of styles and colors; 

The variety of scents and shapes —

 Especially when echoed 

 By the colors in the sky…

Ornamental cherries

And still, despite the changes in our world, 

The cherry blossoms turn to fruit 

And glow like Christmas lights amid the branches.

Love from a distance

We share our yard with so many furry animals: 

The rabbits, and the squirrels; 

The racing fawns, the does, and the four bucks 

 With their fuzzy horns, 

The neighbors’ dog, and the horse 

That once came galloping through… 

I long to stroke them all the way 

I soothe the kitten on my lap 

But sometimes love is best shown from a distance, 

With our eyes, our thoughts, and hearts; 

Not with our hands.

Look up and out

Just because you feel that you are caught 

Between a rock and a hard place, 

That doesn’t mean there is no path 

Out of the situation; 

Only that you may well need 

To look up and out 

 To find a way to extricate yourself.