a weak pea harvest
(summer slips through soft moments
between camping; school)
yet the girls giggled
as they shucked their peas from pods
(no longer my peas)
summer’s soft moments
so fleetingly green and fresh
each year grown harder
my pup, lake, camp, board:
seemingly perfect weekend
(calm before the storm)
the weather plagues me
sending wind when there was none
and stealing these views
if i could lift wings,
glide pelican-like, headfirst,
it wouldn’t matter
alas, i must walk
through all the humanoid storms
that we’ve created
recent garden news:
our tenth homegrown salad meal,
lupines, lilies, love
a rainy weekend
yet with my loving daughter
nothing was flooded
the most perfect park
the most perfect afternoon
marred by words, actions
my innocent girl
who only wanted this day
not a broken mom
but it's just a blur
one day bleeds into the next
watered with defeat
yoga, gardening:
life skills and English practice
midsummer dream
surrounded by blooms
(yet the reality kills)
as they slowly die
you can feel the heat
creeping into the photo
burning from within
i used to write poetry
broken lines, imperfect syllables, heart
so hard so imperfect so fucking bright
like the blue sky trying to break through and taunt a hailstorm but instead instead
instead
it's just ice
not the rain we needed to cool us in a heatwave
just ice
tearing through my well-tended garden
stealing the blue sky
steeling the blue eye
and ruining me
eighteen long months late,
we celebrate our friendship
of thirty short years
she survived COVID
now, we're both vaccinated
to celebrate love
what a perfect place
green grounds, infinity pool
for endless friendship
Step Write Up 