For Papa

What a marvel it is to me

that the hummingbird

with its minuscule proportions

should remind me of my papa

who as a baby slept in a shoebox

but as a man could scarcely find a bed

long enough to keep his feet

from hanging off

What an enigma it is

that a shimmering insect of a bird

calls to mind the mill worker

who moved steel for a living

with bear claw hands

and hard helmet nails

What a mystery it is that I can see

the slow moving gentle giant

in the zig and zag of an avian wisp

And yet, when it flies overhead

the flutter of soft wind on my hair

reminds me of his cheek

resting on the top of my head

the glint in its iridescent feathers

is the wink in his blue eyes

Nothing can rival the hummingbird heart

save that of a hard working long loving

proud Slovakian whose hands

were large enough to hold forever

whose heart is light enough

to float on the breeze of eternity

Racing the Moon

With the advantage of of such luminosity

I am surprised when he falls behind

flickering like an old news reel

he must be swifter than I suspected

or perhaps he is more fallible than he lets on

he bobbles and falls from view

tripping over tangled tree limb laces

and I begin to believe that I might win

so I dig deep and press into my lead

lungs burning, tears flying from my eyes

the world blurs with the promise of victory

but when I round the next bend

he has somehow risen far ahead

titling now he sizes me up

and giving a nod of respect

he slows enough to let me gain

until soon we are in a dead heat

side by side we swim through the night

united by the fierce and simple love

of speed and wind and breath and sky

Growth

It is the very core of nature

yet how unnatural it feels

to be utterly broken

to be split like a seed

torn in two by a shoot

somewhere deep beneath the earth

to be ripped and divided

like a perfect round cell

making way for something new

life growing in the dark

conceived in uncertainty

this pregnancy is hard to bear

wisdom is a breech baby

born in the wilderness

with no epidural in sight

there is only deep breathing

and hopeful anticipation

to midwife the pain

only the flowers

formed beneath the dirt

to show the way

Saturday Matinee

Play for me oh wind and green

rustling raucously for a few bars

whilst the gold dipped paint brush

dabs and flecks the soft leafy stars

Dance for me old leaning fence

all smiles and chipped teeth

gliding with that Virginia vine

toe to toe and cheek to cheek

Sing for me chorus of barking spaniels

while falling petals pirouette

and nimble bees sway with the clethera

proving mother nature's triple threat

Act for me players costumed in wild glory

for this lavishly staged show

before an audience of newly shorn grass

and the angels who bid the blades to grow

Fishing with Terns

Float upon the wind

and then flap like mad

spot what you want

in the clear waters below

channel the hummingbird

as you hover overhead

while the wave breaks

back up and then dive

holding nothing back

let gravity drop you

like a stone into the surf

maybe you will come up

with a silver flash

thrashing in your beak

or perhaps you will come up empty

either way you gave it your all

you will get one next time

and when you do

you will throw your head back

and celebrate with a throaty trill

before beginning all over again

with the earned wisdom

that the only way to soar is to fall

Self defense

My father taught me self defense

when I was just a girl

How to twist my arm and pull down

if ever I am grabbed 'round the wrist

by some menacing assailant

How to seek the weak link

between the forefinger and the thumb

and break the controlling circle

in one swift unexpected move

But I have not yet learned

how to twist and break free

from the unseen grip

that encircles my heart with worry

Where is the weak spot

amongst the icy fingers of fear

The grace of gravity

Stillness is the key

to unlock this great green world

it is not until you sink

deep into the swing

through the wooden seat

into the wild earth

so that the breeze itself

becomes you breath

that the invisible door

hinged between two tall pines

opens just a crack

so you may glimpse

the world beyond

the dance of the dragonfly

part aerial dogfight

part Viennese waltz

the grace of gravity

guiding the twirling leaves

swirling like summer snow

it falls upon the pond

and the water holds its breath

there is a ripple of sheer delight

as sunlight brushes the surface

like a warm breath

on the back of a lover's neck

and you see now that humans

have much to learn of love

we think it is ours alone

but the shivering birch knows better