soul tending

i tend my soul

as i would a fire

prodding, poking

banking, stoking

adding what is needed

at any given time

then gazing deep

into the flames

i listen to the

song she sings

ecdysis

if i were an arthropod

i'd most likely molt

rainbow exoskeletons

if i were a snake i'd shed

kaleidoscopic skins

but my blood is warm

and my ecdysis

takes a different form

dreaming woman

o honey-sweet

dreaming woman

you with the

ample breasts

and rounded belly

i love the way

your soft fleshy arm

makes a fine pillow

for your head

and the way your

generous hip curves high

as you lay on your side

calling to mind

all of the mountains

i have yet to climb

sanctuary

my heart is

heavy today

there is

so much pain

in the world,

so much pain

my prayer:

may all who are

in need of it

find sanctuary

today's sacred task

today

the

sacred

task

has

been

to

work

my

knotted

chain

of

thought

into

one

smooth

strand

of

contemplation

spider watch

round and round

i watch her traverse
the circuit of guy-wires
like an aerial acrobat,
she moves gracefully
from one radial line to the next
a slender leg stretches out
creating tension on the thread
as her abdomen deftly tucks under
lightly touching spinneret to web
another sticky strand successfully attached
and on she goes,

round and round
each movement made with
careful, rhythmic precision
her morning work is almost done now
she slows down
making her way back to center
weaving the final milky puffs of silk
that come from her body
into the tell-tale zig-zag
of a garden spider

verdigris

resist the temptation

to shine things up

the beauty is in life's patina