Postage Paid

i want the cute cat
and not the cracked-up pavement
through the broken woods

Goodbye My Beauty

it's almost over
(we say goodbye tomorrow)
for now, there's a view

Grin and Bear It

Toy Story 3. Now.
i could carry the bag out
and cry all morning
a toy, a trigger?
my girl is off to college.
(this is no cartoon).
and so he will stay.
though i know she will leave me.
each grinning their truth.

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

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 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

Road Trip 2021, Day Sixteen (Boston)

the Constitution 
(a ship in Boston Harbor)
has won my man’s heart
a tavern lunch date
for our last family road trip
with all of our girls
all grown up, my girls
(they’ve been everywhere with us)
and soon they will fly

Road Trip 2021, Day Fourteen (ROAD Island)

this “bike path” presents:
sea-level cycling; beach
(rode on Rhode Island)
there’s seafood here, too.
and family filled with smiles
and gardening goals