Melting into Spring

snow blown night, scarf tight
high snow dune drifts swirled
in front of my door

perched on fence post
the meadowlark announces
"SPRING!" in april snow

tall snow drifts melt
to unveil green grass
fast eaten by horses

mud on cowboy boots
mud on fast running dog paws
mud on kitchen floor

blind white furballs purr
cuddled up with mom in barn
horse trough a warm home

Barn Cats

tiny paw prints
freckle fresh snow
on back deck

pregnant barn cat
cries, curls around my leg
for more spring chicken

like a queen on throne
sits the siamese barn cat
on green lawnmower

grain bin opened
hay forgotten
-horses pause
cat chow pulled out

Feeding the Horses

antelope play
eat the horse grass
like a locust swarm

veil of morn fog
cloaks hay on my pitchfork
from hungry horses

giant snow boots
big brown horse gallops alone
to barn, greed for feed

february cold
slaps my face at morning feed
wyoming prairie

Japanese Love Haiku

I usually write my own haiku, but this week I was reading a book called "Japanese Haiku" printed in 1956 from the local library. Here are a few that spoke to me:

In these dark waters
drawn up from
my frozen well...
glittering of spring
-Ringai

Arise from sleep, old cat
and with great yawns
and stretchings...
amble out for love
-Issa

Moon so bright for love
come closer, quilt...
enfold
my passionate cold!
-Sampu

Ah, unrequited love
now elevate your
chin
and keen
Tom-cat, to the moon!
-Kyorai

Snow Frosted Cupcakes

will take a bite of
these frosted wyoming hills
like a cupcake

Peacocking

peacocking house finch
perched so the ladies can see
his bright red scarf

My Valentine

my first valentine
pink hearts in mailbox
recently touched by him

Twigs

You know spring is coming when you see twigs in bird beaks. I saw my first this morning on my drive to work.

twig in pigeon beak
plastic great horned owl watches
overpass nest mess

Yesterday's Backyard Drama

cat spying on me
window blinds sway with her tail
hidden curious eyes

horny thrasher song
breaks the winter silence
hoping for spring love

snowflakes falling
like popcorn from the kettle
in God's kitchen

worried birds huddle
around the feeder
for comfort food

my cat screams!
wobbles in the house
white fur in her claws

My Run

smell of moist dirt and
tropical flowers on run
under orion's belt

Grackle Cackle

I am currently in south Texas for work, where winters are very tropical.

electric lines
sag under the weight
of thousands of birds

grackles cackle
and laugh at the bird crap
on my truck

Sound of Crunching Snow

stillness broken
by the sound of crunching snow
as coyotes race by

blur of wild fur
they pause - - - - -
to stare at me

Swarm of Snowflakes

I haven't posted as much lately, but I have been busy planning my new life. Here is one I wrote in my head a few weeks ago on the way home from work. More soon.


little snowflakes on
highway, fly around my car
like a swarm of gnats

My Guiding Goddesses

aprodite longs
for hestia's family hearth,
the smell of fresh bread

wilderness calls,
artemis gallops into
energizing new lands

collector of hearts
trades the hoard for
one she treasures

Christmas Cleanup

on snow lined streets
christmas wrapping paper peeks
out of neighbor trash bins

Winter Scenes

down at winter's pond
walks a wigeon gracelessly
on frozen water

white paper snowflakes
dance on the window
my niece inside with coco

neighborhood flashing
with colorful christmas lights
grinch stole our snoopy

Falling Snow

snow falling on mountain
like sifted flour into
sugar cookie batter

a dozen deer
peering at me through snow
from mountain side

my footprints
alone defile
the virgin snow

Cat Hugging Heater

fresh snow
blankets ground
leaves us in cold

icy howls
give me
chills

warm spot,
curled up cat
hugging heater

puffy juncos in
snow covered pine
busy bird buffet

Cowboy

wyoming cowboy
warms my heart with texts
from cold coal pit

call from snowfall
while watching surfing
class on warm beach

simple life, desire
everyday survival
to modern world

Winter Scarf

cradled wood in truck beds
snow dusting cowboy hats
at mid-day chat by road

mountain wearing
a gray fluffy snow cloud
like a winter scarf

warm noodle bar
in downtown albuquerque
on a cold city street

Rough Roads

every
electric pole
a raptor

every
grassy field
a cow

every
empty highway
a cop

mountains portruding
like jagged white teeth
from grasslands

down the
roughest roads
delightful places

Dark Wilderness

- alone -
dark wilderness
gnashing it's teeth

crescent moonrise
peeks over dark canyon
ribbon sky blue bright

eerie bull's echo
bouncing off canyon walls
ground vibrating

yip-yap cries and howls
ripple in quick waves from
excited coyotes

Snow

red mountains calling
fresh powder of snow
frost pines higher up

dog eating
the fresh snow
paw prints

wet gloves
high above the city
snowball fight

icicles decorating
the large boulders
covered in snow

Enchanting Mistress

the red mountains
luring me further up and in
- an enchanting mistress

red wilderness
lifting her skirts
showing her secrets

Storm

clouds
blowing in
-rain

thoughts
blowing in
-sadness

drops cascade
off my hood
down cheeks

Behind Juniper Beneath

"Lay" versus "lie"...I had to look it up. You lay an object, you lie yourself down. Click here for Grammar Girl. Please comment if I still used them incorrectly.

bushy red fur
behind the juniper
a coyote

pine infused breeze
as i lie here with closed eyes
chickadee calls

trail from my house
desert scrub to large pines
unseen red mountain

purple berries
beneath juniper
lay near cones

green pine branches
in the center
jay bright blue

Mustache

spell cast from
wyatt earp's mustache
now broken - freedom

Claustrophobic

walls in office
covered with birds
none in my binoculars

that plant
on office shelf
has grown roots

mountain hike
pink valley below
with twinkling lights

when did this
small city get too big
for me to breath?

Moon Rising

reading till sunset
on top my private hill
overlooking the city

we watched
the moon rise
over the ridge line

hike at night
through juniper and grass
moon lit path

bright full moon
reflecting off
patches of snow

Sprinkled Powder Sugar

white cold mountains
the chickadees came down
for bird seed and warmth

backyard pine and aspen
now full of mountain bird calls
fight with the sparrows

looks like God
sprinkled powder sugar
on the mountains

its hard to
drive to work
when the seasons change