spirit week beckons
dynamic duos, western.
even better: grins.
even behind masks
you can see my girls’ smiles
(it’s hope. returning.)
and the Finger Lakes
connecting the three of us
in this Denver school
let’s not forget hats
of the Colorado kind
western girls, my girls
a Denver date day
trains, bikes, breweries, face masks
how i love this one
'welcome to our house'
they even opened their car
to the teens’ delight
if they could see them
maybe they could listen; help them
maybe they’d be safe
this is how it starts:
with a circle and some words
and a little hope
family tradition:
plant trees for graduates
and watch how they grow
my mother's tree stands
at my great-aunt's former home
taller than us all
my sister's tree shades
disappearing middle-class
(our childhood home)
and my tree shocks me
evading the ash borer
with grandiose grace
these rare teen moments
everyone together; joy
minus jobs, school, stress
my mother’s birthday
surrounded by flowers, kids,
laughter in all forms
snowy petals fall
as spring goslings first appear
(seasoned mockery)
all i want today
is to watch the sunlight shift
on these reborn blooms
the blue-sky morning
can't capture a year of loss
(oh Lord, that sweet scent)
yet afternoon light
so perfectly shines rosy
(ends this hell-frost year)
when April snow comes,
she draws perfect silhouettes
before spreading soil
perfect skyline view
from this lonely bleacher seat
(as cold as your words)
