Hallway Dresser Throne

cats will rule the earth
(i was told at a party)
because they are queens

Permitted

with a perfect score
my youngest surprises me
(she’s ready to drive)

Bull-Hearted

like this worn-out dog
i have nearly given up…
yet, i’m a Taurus.
and so i garden
though it, too, is a failure
stolen by flowers
this year’s loss, in pics:
weeds and grass and tearing out
for one little heart

Sunflower Anniversary

twenty-three years back
i married this blue-eyed boy
who brings me my sun

End of Road Trip

reality bites
with all that waits for me here
yet i shall chew it

Road Trip 2021, Day Twenty-two (The Final Day)

before the long drive,
enjoy the perfect park. shop.
soak up cousin time.
eat your sister’s meal
till the next time you see her.
too long (just too long).
your daughters will drive.
together, we can make it.
we will rule the night.
it’s all we can rule
with the oldest off to school
we can rule the night.

Road Trip 2021, Day Twenty-One (Water)

cycling through hills
of perfectly green horse farms
before paddling
bucket lists are short
but should include Kentucky
for its soft beauty

Road Trip 2021, Day Twenty (Lex Beauty)

Kentucky surprise:
shadows, trees, sun, nieces, joy,
progressive murals
don’t assume you know
the beliefs of a red state
until you’ve been there

Road Trip 2021, Day Nineteen (Views)

sunrise on a pond 
a historic capitol
and these endless hills

Road Trip 2021, Day Eighteen (Memory Lane)

my grandparents’ store
in this perfect little town
where they’ll always rest
Uncle Tim’s hard work
built for them from the ground up
(now he’s retired)
the pond where we swam 
and where i brought my toddler
now off to college
how harsh time can be
taking everything away
yet giving us life