Early

The dark will soon struggle
To meet the rising light. It's 
Still and eerie, this early late
Night. Early to bed early to
Rise, I am not wealthy. Nor
Wise. I am awake in a pre-
Dawning, in a pre-morning
Yet I have slept and dreamt
Now I await the sun's rise
Like any office worker, will
Have my coffee. I am up
Before the first rooster's 
Crow though no rooster
Perches on my city steps
Daylight will emerge from
Night's darkest hours. It
Will lighten. The sky will
Be a revelation after the
Difficulties of a starless 
Night. Maybe there were
Stars, like the crowing
Rooster unheard in the
Thrum of a city street, 
Stars are darkened by 
City street lights, lights
That do not illuminate
The deep dark of night
The sun will clarify its
Gloomy intensity, it will
Brighten into a singing
Light.  A new day sits
Beyond, opens like a
Flower in springtime, 
Steals hope from doom

Creaky

It wasn't like this, you say.
Everything hurts. Why do
You think that is? You ask
But I haven't the heart to
Place the blame squarely
Where it belongs, age, It's 
A starting point, I am sure.
My cousin Daniela, I miss
Her, like I miss my mother, 
She, Daniela, would say it's
The aches in the morning 
That prove we're still alive.
I answer your question and
I say no it never was like this
When we were young. I was
Never stiff or slow. Nothing 
Hurt to the bone. That's true.

Perfection

These clouds are like smoke
They billow across the sky,
Puffing their way north by
Northwest, making way for
A patch of blue as pale as
Periwinkle, a color perfect 
For the walls in a newborn's 
Nursery. A first home color
Gentle on the eye, but sure
Of itself and unmuddled. Its
Baby blue as pure and light 
As air on a balmy clear day

All in Order

My hair was more interesting
Before I ran a brush through 
To create some order out of
The nightly chaos. It seems
That order bores and chaos
Revitalizes. Who knew? I did,
I think, and I am sure you did 
Too. Yet we disparage all that 
Is chaotic. We crave order in 
The little things that make us
Domesticated. We say "A place 
For everything and everything 
in its place." We say it with the
Grim self-satisfaction of chaos
Conquered. Order everywhere.

The depth of clouds

Who sits in judgment when
The sky turns dark, clouds so
Rich in blackness and texture
As to invite a pad and ink to 
Navigate its appearance. You
Need to document what you
See when the billowing clouds
Burst through with a charcoal 
So brilliant as to shape your
Vision and leave an outline in
Your memory. The sky wants
Nothing more than to write a
Commentary on contrast and 
To commemorate the evening.
Clouds substantial, shadowy
Wispy, solid float overhead,
The contrasts made real and
Solid in dusk turning to night

Dawning

Light begins seeping in
Lightly, gently, so those
Obscured objects begin
To take shape and come
Out of their darkness, out
Of hiding in the dim room
Into the morning light as
It seeps slowly past the
Shade, turns shadow into
Substance, awakes all of
Us lying here with hunger
For a new day, eagerness
Of hope and of renewal

Fall

Do you, like I, have a 
Favorite time of year
I am fond Ado Annie
Style whichever time
It is. When I'm not near
The season I love I love
The season I'm near. So
Sorry R&H for my huge
Transgression. All times
Are good seasons to 
Celebrate. What? well, 
The seasons, of course 
But I love best of all the
Season known as autumn
I love it best, I do. Fall
A blinding sun and rippling waters
Are an inspired sight, soothing a
Tired heart calming the weakened
Nerves. It distracts the mind from
Everyday worry. The ordinary will
Be made into a feat or a fete. We
Will celebrate the running river and
Toast the brilliant sun. Allow it to
Allow us the joy of a summer day
As it turns towards autumn. Our
Thoughts are not autumnal, you 
Know. They can not be now under 
This bright sunlight with eddies 
Capping white and clean, all in 
Motion, moving forward steadily.
There's a sea out there somewhere
It will meet. River and ocean kissed
By the dazzling sun become one.

Moon verse

Describe your life in an alternate universe.

I told you about the man who's
Been living on the moon. He has
A source of water so he like we
Stays hydrated. But you didn't ask
About him or his issues with food
On account of there's no cheese
There. You wanted to hear about
My life in an alternate universe not
His. On the moon. My alternates
Are deep in the core of this green
Earth. [Still no cheese.] Truth to tell
Not very green deep in the center
Of the earth, in its beautiful heart.
Life up on top was lusher, greener 
More verdant but that's just being
Redundant. Alternative universes
Swirl among the stars. I am over 
The moon. Somewhere behind 
Our sun and up over the rainbow
We can play dodging black holes
And golf ball sized meteors no 
Longer buried deep inside earth.
This is some alternative to life as
I have known it; as we know it.