The Owl Orion

 The sage owl, Orion, sits perched on a branch 

amid the tree tops,

sitting and watching and pondering

What was and what could be.

Is he wise  or 

is it just his quiet nature?

Alone watching the world go by.

Nighttime:  his time to shine.

His sight is sharp, intense 

despite missing an eye.

At dusk his husky voice

laments the passing of another of day.

Still sitting but now on the hunt, watching.

He  transforms from a quiet wise soul

to a predator:

Swooping slowly down, 

he preys on the little creatures

scurrying beneath him.

He returns to his perch

satiated and satisfied

Surveying the underbrush again

Looking for other easy prey: 

Not wise,

but, condescending and unflinching

Looking at me.

O Sole Mio

 O Sole mio. …

I love waking up to your smiling face.

Some mornings I’m so blissful,

I just sit quietly drinking coffee watching you.

You light up a room when you enter.

It’s hard to feel depressed 

With you beaming at me

But lately I’ve noticed you’re changing your pattern.

There’s a lull in your appearance.

I no longer see you gradually waking up,

But, you are now fully dressed for the day

when I arise.

I miss those early morning moments:

just you and me

preparing for a new day

Soon, you will be gone on your chariot

in the early morning—-

off behind the hill, the bluffs

sharing your warmth with someone else?

Yes, I know you told me from the start

That our relationship would be brief

But I’m still heart-broken

that you are leaving me.

And yes, I know you’ll still be around

But, I’ll miss that early morning

come-hither face that gets me out of bed

and urges me forward:

to face a new day.

Apollo-Sol:

O Sole Mio

Winter in the Wetlands

The snow has melted on my patio.

The lawn is stlll green,

But just past my place is

Winter in the wetlands.

The ground, still frozen, 

has a blanket of snow covering 

the leaves of Fall.

 

The trees stand naked.

Rooted in the frozen ice of the marsh,

they reach for the sun:

the rosy dawn

wrapping them in warmth.

The sun rises above the treeline

like an innocent waking child 

poking her head out of the blanket of snow---

 joy-filled, happy to see me.

And I am happy to see her, too

radiating a spot of warmth on a 

cold Winter’s day.

Trash to treasure

 

Our trash room is nothing to write home about. . . .or is it?  

Before Christmas I had seen photos of some beautiful light displays using crystal and glass candle holders to display vintage Christmas ornaments.  I loved the look but I'd sold all of my vintage ornaments last year and left all of my candles holders behind when we moved because we weren't allowed to have candles. . . .I regretted that decision seeing that beautiful display and discovering battery operated candles.

One day I walked into the trash room where a box was sitting on the floor that said, "FREE".  So I decided to look through the box and I saw these lovely Mikasa crystal candle holders (2).  The tea lights were a little big to set underneath so I set them on top with a glass Christmas tree.  I have thought a lot about how fortunate I was to find that.

Now, it is January---so cold and dry.  I bought a humidifier on Amazon but it couldn't keep up.  It was small and I was regretting that I'd left my big humidifier behind.  I put a kettle of water on the stove which helped with humidity but I was afraid I'd forget about it and burn my pot or start a fire.  Two days ago, I walked into the trash room and saw two boxes with this sign.   

I really only needed one so I left one behind.  It has worked out great in our living area---holding 6 liters of water.

Another thing I miss was all of my empty recycled containers.  I had glass jars and plastic tubs that food had been in which I used for storing things like bird seed.  But, I left them all behind because bird feeders were another banned object in our apartment building. When winter came and birds were huddled together on my patio which is L shaped and protected, I started wishing I had some bird seed.  I had suspected one of my upstairs neighbors was feeding the birds.  After a windy night, remnants of a ball of bird food  was scattered on the grass and on our patio. .. .

We enjoyed seeing the birds so much, I decided to be a rebel and buy some bird seed---waste free---so when the bird ate it, they wouldn't be leaving behind hulls.  Now, I began to wish I had some of those recycled tubs I used to store the seed in.  Look what I found in the trash room last night.

Now I do have some standards---I refuse to root through the trash bins.  But if an item is just sitting, there and I need it. .. . .I'm beginning to think there's something magical and mysterious about that trash room.  I'm also enough of a "Monkey's Paw" fan that I have to be careful what I wish for. . .

Winter Solstice

Candle light

Twinkle lights

Fire light

Street lights

Moon light

All bring hope, promise,

And direction in the dark.

Without the darkness,
During the day,
Those lights are dimmed--
Seldom seen
Rarely followed.

I’m not afraid of the dark
With those dots of light

Always coaxing me on.
I celebrate the dark and light,
Walking hand in hand.

He is the light that keeps me

Moving forward on our darkest day,

In the dark days of life.
Walking . . .his hand in my hand,
Urging me on.

Garden Glow