50th wedding anniversary

TO HAVE and to HOLD

dedicated to JFS

first date-

he reaches across

to take my hand;

in an instant I know

he will hold it for life

the winter sun

through a window

warming my back;

the lazy comfort

of lunch for two

if I could turn back

I'd revise some stories

of my life,

yet, the part in which you come

would always be the same

youthful excitements

long ago put aside

for comforts of home;

my books, my music and wine

and you in my life

all these years

learning the ins and outs

of a marriage,

the last chapter not yet read,

not yet written

Red Lights, January 2011

The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland

Wild and raw. rugged and dangerous. Sheer layers of sandstone and black shale rising from the beach 394 feet to 702 feet at the highest point, extending five miles long, formed millions of years ago.

a gull's flight
the speed in which our lives
come and go

Jutting rocks, ledges of tufted grass and small crevices shape the sides of the Cliffs, providing nesting places for numerous birds.At the southern end, a cave entrance, a black hole inviting speculation. A hidehout for robbers? A sacred place for Celtic tribes? The lure of legend and myth. At the northern end on the beach, a column of rock rising 230 feet, the giant sea stack called Branaumore.

waves and wind
washing away the Cliffs
now...and now...

These majestic Cliffs require my silence to absorb the sights and sounds, the smell of the sea and the dampness of the mist. Sea birds screech and cry; waves pound rocks sending up a roar and heavy spray; the wind teases one minute and bullies the next.

shifting clouds
in the sequence of a breath
the mist clears

Simply Haiku, winter 2011

Winter

sleet and rain-
stirring extra sugar
into hot mush

all day long
the rhythmic beat
of melting ice

blank date book-
the gray afternoon
turns to white

Modern Haiku

Acorn

Chrysanthemum

Winter

frosted meadow-
the white horse turns
his rump to the road

heavier snow
in the afternoon
pacing the rooms

winter sunshine-
eating a tangerine
section by section

wind down the chimney
behind the glass doors
old ashes stir

Daily Haiku
Stylus Poetry Journal
Magnapoets
Acorn