Orange leaves collude
With brown, and russet, and red
In my October
Bonfires blaze brightly
Crackling logs, shooting embers
In my October
Hoodies and sweaters
Tall boots with warm woolen socks
That’s my October
Okay, I live in Florida. Our autumns here are fairly subdued, but I have fond memories of autumns in Illinois where the leaves turned impossibly beautiful colors and the sound of leaves crunching under foot was music to my ears.
Peace, people.
Morning sun reveals
All the wrinkles that appear
In a certain light
Arms, crepe-laced, seem frail
Strong enough, though, for lifting
Grandchildren and cats
In a certain light
Fine lines crisscross her tired brow
Turn out that damned light
She seeks the future
In the tea leaves’ swirled remains
Such intriguing shapes
Tasseomancy
From the handle, then clockwise
Reading ’round the cup
What fate awaits her?
Which symbols reveal the tale?
She hovers and yearns
For some reason yesterday morning I responded to a comment on my blog with the phrase “reading tea leaves.” The phrase stuck in my head and formed itself into the poem above.
I’ve never had a tea leaf reading done; although, many years ago I had my palm read. At the time Studly Doright and I lived in Kansas, and the palm reader told me I’d soon be moving to Florida, and that I’d meet my soul mate there. I just laughed at the time, but within the year Studly accepted a transfer to Melbourne, FL. Of course, I already had my soul mate, so I suppose her reading came true, since I meet him at the door almost every night. 😉
Peace, people.
Clouds gathered today
Promised rain, then they scattered
Vandals on the lam
Gardeners’ hopes dashed
As wisteria wilted
And daisies declined
No apology
From the clearing azure sky
Only empty vows
(All photos found on Pinterest.)
These slippery stones
One, overturned, upended
Victim of the rush
Unimpeded stream
Gallivanting riverward
Leaves casualties
Whoever names them
Will placate the roiling rocks
Calm the water’s roar
As someone who occasionally tries her hand at writing haiku, often with lackluster results, I had to share this:
I see every year
Those past and those yet to come
Regrets, yet no fear
My youth in review
Awkward forays into life
Painful lessons learned
Shaken crystal ball
Some future tense imperfect
A roll of the dice
Is today misspent
If tomorrow never knows
And yesterday’s gone?
Often I wonder
What reward is forthcoming
For surviving now
While demagogues rant
And keep children in cages
While walls divide us
I was listening to the radio yesterday afternoon and heard a reference to the Beatles’ song “Tomorrow Never Knows.” I had to pull over to listen and to jot down the first part of this poem that came to me in an instant.
I paused in the sun
Lifted my face to the sky
Offered a prayer
An invocation
For this day and those to come
Protect those I love
Comfort those in need
Cushion every wounding word
Heal winter’s hurts
Insistent cat paws
Tap tapping on my forehead
“Up human! Feed me!”
Inquiring meow
Catnip toy batted about
“Human! Play with me!
Sweet kitty kisses
Velvet nose, nuzzling cheeks
“Please human, pet me!”
Praying for Eyebrowz 