maple blossoms and other dreams about spring

St. Patrick's Day weather full of bluster and blarney

Abalone

I am writing a haiku a day for the next 7 days using a word generator.

The first word is "ear shell" which is another word for abalone.
There are seven types of abalone indigenous to California: red, pink, green, black, white, flat, and pinto. The red abalone is the most common.

rocky beach the ear shell empty of everything but its iridescence

this morning's snow

this morning's snow sideswiping the maples
a cat running through a waterless fountain
day after Valentine's Day the flags at half-staff
february madness gunman's murders blamed on the fbi
rumbles of thunder the washing machine off balance
pond low with high hopes for rain
hawk squawk spring keeps switching to winter
foggy night full of last-minute curves
sweet memories your words mixed with flowers

words for rain

drought running out of words for rain
new dryer a song for each cycle
wrapping paper I error on the side of paper cuts
sore throat even silence is painful
the creaking floor mimics my voice
romance by now he's drunk and dancing with himself
the silhouette of horses without names
punch happy sleep eludes me
earlier today you were later than usual
crickets in winter there is no winter
a family reunion on a christmas card
train clackings I imagine myself away from here

Warm November

trumpeter swans close enough to hear their wingbeats

your lies eating up my phone minutes

pink clouds drift into the unspokenness

winter doldrums two pregnant women compare bellies

heron pond the sandhill cranes elude us

warm november in the wrong hemisphere

the plane takes off full of baggage and empty promises

new path I carry your leaves with me

the scent of you in the pines...


summer light a few candles away from winter

the rain I'd hoped for falling on you instead of me

shrimp tails the best part of the conversation

wordless evenings the brim of your hat coated with dust

bald cypress I could use another set of knees

fork in the road we become separated from our dreams

light-headed the scent of you in the pines

birthday surprise not knowing you'd remember

if opposites attract then we're soulmates

oppressive heat the catalpa leaves retain their coolness

white house insecurity--know that you will soon be fired

affordable care standoff the GOP can't find a better plan*

cactus acupuncture sticking me without a license

*Inspired by the Pearl Jam song, "Better Man." 

reopened quarry the dust under new ownership

Eleven Lines For Those Who Are Counting

  1. unknown throughout the universe my new address
  2. mother nature makes it clear I own nothing
  3. lit streets after the storm there are still fireflies
  4. political speech so many words multiplied by zero
  5. two jobs to learn I must unlearn
  6. healthcare reform the misshapen leaf of a sycamore
  7. pondface today belongs to the herons
  8. saturday morning fog slowing down the productivity
  9. deer crossing if only the opossum kept moving
10. a necessary stop. . .I brake for turtles
11. turkey family leaving the cornfield for other uncertainties

unwanted detour the cat hurries past the fireworks tent