November is a subtle month.

The trees take on a quiet beauty, very different from the flashy brilliance of October. Brick red, mustard yellow, bronze and copper are the hues of November, punctuated with the greens of pines and spruce.

By the end of November most of the trees have…

I heard a raven today,
a solitary figure atop a solitary tree.

His croaking called a weary warning:
The best is over, the worst is yet to come.
There is nothing to hope and no one to love.

I stood transfixed, pinned like a faded butterfly.
No longer able to enjoy…

It is late morning. My cat jumps from his warm bed, arches his back, and treads with cool deliberation to the closed door leading to the screened porch at the back of the house.

Ready as always to assist, I open the porch door for him, and stand in the…

To an ant, a grasshopper’s a dragon.
To a grasshopper, a sparrow means doom.

When we fully embrace relativity,
we learn not to panic too soon.

We are born without many defenses,
except our remarkable brains.

Before we can find a solution
we must use our brain-power to change.

Engaging…

Folded hands upon my lap
suggest a calm I do not feel.

Wrapped within a sheath of silk
my feelings hide behind a veil.

Sins of omission and wordlessness,
hide my fears and mask my flaws;

ensure a life of loneliness,
hide the keys to many doors.

Steadfast and reliable
bright…

Howling November
Wind-whipped leaves scatter like birds
Summer skies have fled

Just a few days ago I wrote with such pleasure of the bright, clean skies we have enjoyed this November. Very few clouds, mild breezes, and everywhere a feeling of cheerfulness and well-being.

Awakening early this morning with a…