So Fresh

summer garden joys:
second of many salads
grown and cut by me

A Tree Grows in Denver

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

summer days beckon
drinks on rooftop patios
(mocktails for the kids)

the cold creek calls us
with shade, icy refreshment
from the sun’s harsh heat

and these cousins bond
under summer vacation 
(our home is their heart)

my mother’s birthday 
surrounded by flowers, kids,
laughter in all forms

her party stayed dry
despite stress, rain, tent set-up
(smiles al around)

what you don’t see here:
picking rhubarb in the rain
for salvation pie

a rare, masked smile 
his first roller coaster ride
our life’s hills, splashes

three-thirty a.m.
my oldest’s footsteps. good steps.
intentional steps.

this is not a moon.
this is a lunar eclipse.
(Super-Flower-Blood)

and she’ll be gone soon.
(no early-morning steps).
and i. am. eclipsed.

shadows of loss win
the afternoon shines bright.
(we still have our moon)

the best time of year
is strawberry-rhubarb pie
(yes, it's a season)

baked by my daughter
the sweet and sour combo
shines as bright as spring