thank you for the “no.”
as phallic as this lupine
(allium ignored)
i will learn from this
(things i tell myself at night)
and grow a sagebrush
it will bloom purple
(you can’t see my true color)
and you can’t taste it
yet, here it blossoms
as beautiful as the home
you constantly loathe
i know. i know. i…
you don’t see what i see. stop.
but god. how it hurts.
an eight-mile walk
through Colorado’s beauty
even before blooms
the mountains call us
with their peak views, quaking aspens
(listen for the call)
i’ve tried hard for grins
as hard as they are to earn
(teen reality)
the garden goes on
far into September nights
when i make salsa
and another quiche
made by my girl while canning
consumed my evening
instructions, really?
i’ll pour it into a pan
and hope for the best
zucchini: the best.
it will make anything work
(yes, like my husband)
can you imagine?
finding this at age nineteen?
this gem of a love?
why, yes, that’s a bloom
after a summer snowstorm
they both still love me
from smoky skies to ice
all the devil’s handiwork
(Earth in humans’ grip)
after the sun sets
stars put on their midnight show
in dark sky country
always find water.
brings relief to a hot hike
or just a hot day.
i will hike alone
well my puppy comes, of course
we seek alpine lakes
yet i must admit
this elevation gain kills
forty-something legs
but when the lake shines
on my ever-happy pup
it is so worth it
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