Flatiron Fresh

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)

Always in Line

i’ve tried hard for grins
as hard as they are to earn
(teen reality)

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

entrepreneur 
winning with her lemonade 
even as a teen

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)

graduation day
bleeds into normal doldrums
(life's quick, painful truths)

she graduates now
my baby girl, all grown up
in this Red Rock Land