the murk of murkiness

defensive scultpures in the twisted crosses of Czech hedgehogs

tornado threat the wind knocks early

broken sidewalk outside the flower shop dandelions

minnows disappearing into the murk of murkiness

chris rock's joke deserving of silence but not violence

a night at the oscars starting to mirror real life

chernobyl photograph the black streaks on her wedding dress

still radioactive the letters and postcards they left behind

all the trees that can't leave

game of thrones saga I'm not opening those emails

passive-aggressive driver how long will you tailgate me

the                 wall                 places like             shapen 

     serpentine        curving in                  my mis            spine

drama surfers actively seeking troubled waters

stepping away from a guided hike maybe they won't notice I'm missing

abandoned mine a hint of salt in the desert air

trapped in the red forest all the trees that can't leave

stopped in my tracks by a rabbit's stillness

lucid dreaming

upturn downturn thank you for the roses

old shoes I've got a few rough spots too

missouri natives now the canada geese

shotgun blasts the neighbors enjoying spring break

kremlin's gremlins putin wonders where the leak is

squirrel leaps of faith coming to a tree near you

roaming calls the hoot owl answers

lucid dreaming where were we before the alarm sounded

magnolias turning sunshine up a notch

vacation plans I recycle the brochures

pollen count inflation the numbers keep climbing

Spring Is Moving In

daylight savings time give me back that lost hour 

declaring bankruptcy the loan sharks want to lend a hand*

too many battles a tattered flag in the moonlight 

tornado damage what words can heal these wounds

another storm in the capital yes, virginia, we've read your texts**

anniversary wishes I wish you were here

fairly certain daffodils spring is moving in

forsythia the flowers become stars

*Junk mail about taking out car loans

**Reference to Ginni/Virginia Thomas texts to Mark Meadows

the world yard by yard

cold war chill the thirst for power makes enemies of us all

invasive honeysuckle with plans to conquer the world yard by yard

crimes and crimea all those years we looked the other way

global warming about to go nuclear

darkening skies not our military so says the russian ambassador of lies

Gabbard, Carlson, and Trump names that have the ring of a bad law firm

seesaw temps winter isn't done with us yet

war is not about victors: it's about losses, it's about murder

sunflowers in winter no reframing what russian tourists have already seen

*russian tourists in the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Egypt, and elsewhere

unmarked trail a mosquito waiting for me

Groundhog Day

end of January bumping into old walls with the new vacuum

stood

I

am 

under

dryer museum we keep adding to the lint collection

back pain a winter storm on the way

trump think tank the capitol rioters were heroes

outdated world map the USSR in orange

groundhog day neither one of us going out

squirrel chatter too many nuts to bury 

rosacea patches of red in the cedar trees