bright summer morning
 lit by sunstreamed river view
 as seen from my bike
 
 lazy afternoon
 peppered by cottonwood shade
 for a nice ride home
 

career doubts reign in
 a week stolen from summer
 runaway horses
 
 
 

 kitties make our lives
 filled with wonder and laughter
 no matter what age
 
 

beauty in nature
 found in poppies and chalk art
 on summer Sundays
 

excitement abounds
 with an overdue award
 and the trip of dreams
 

happiness captured
 in this twelve-year-old’s selfie
 snuck into my phone
 

first of finals week,
 two days of house guest visit:
 word of day: tired
 
 

trapped in between lives
 mother, teacher, housekeeper
 fear failure in each
 
 
 

a yellow-eyed cat
 black as the night that plagues her
 steals sweet sleep from me
 
 

with classes half full
 and their apathy piquing
 why can’t school be done?