Ball or Line

In the heat she stretches her paws out in front of her, lying long on her belly, her head low, chin on the bed. Her back legs extend the line of her body, stretching out behind her. How sleek she is, and black. And how relaxed. Total abandonment. 

In the cold she curls, paws and head drawn in, conserving her body warmth – a clump of darkness, rounded, almost a ball. How trusting, given up to sleep, completely safe here with me. Comfort and safety express themselves in all her resting shapes.

Of course, as soon as I bring out the camera she changes her pose – to something between  the two!

Written for Writing Ourselves Alive, week 1: Curiosity

Also an example of a prose poem for dVerse MTB Prose Poetry

My Frangipani Has No Leaves

...the #awakeaugust small stone for day 30, is over here at my other poetry blog ('The Passionate Crone') – because it is also doing duty as a quadrille written for dVerse.

Small Cat

compacting yourself

against morning cold

gazing at the window behind us

its garden reflections

yesterday was early Spring this reversal jars

yet you choose to keep me company

let us go inside leaving the garden 

to dream a while longer of warmth to come

#awakeaugust day 16

Also written for dVerse Quadrille #14: jar

(A quadrille is exactly 44 words, excluding title. I also wanted to experiment with unpunctuated couplets.)

My Blue Horizon

I stand on my top step

morning after morning

rejoicing in the sky opposite,

and the undulant line of the mountain –

their many different moods of blue,

on different days, in many weathers.

Today both mountain and sky

are clear and full of light.

#awakeaugust day 10

Also written for Poetics: Breathing in Blue at dVerse

Downpour

the window
rain running down

just a few inches
visible grass

For 'Finding Your Way Home' written as another me — recalling observations of my child self.

For dVerse, a tenWord poem, sourced from a longer piece I once wrote about childhood experiences.

At Home

(Sijo*)

The familiarity of home, garden, my two cats,

the little town where I live and the people who are my friends,

all these and autumn — ah, glorious autumn! — they nurture me.

*A three-line Korean form explained at dVerse Form For All: Out of Asia

Confusion of Season

The usual mild Autumn.

Again the plants are fooled,

blooming as if in a second Spring —

yellow gorse everywhere along the roads, 

gardens profuse with new colour.

Submitted for dVerse Poetics — Spring

Suddenly Summer

We have Summer at last, for one day - one day of clear blue, deep blue sky; enough warmth for me to wear a sarong; the slightest breeze rippling the ferns just a little, behind the flight of a white butterfly. The drone of a mower somewhere is too faint to disturb; it makes a pleasant, bee-like hum. The fern fronds are softest green. I nod off in the noonday heat, which increases. I think of beaches and rivers and backyard pools, of immersing myself in lovely water. But I think lazily - sitting here, peaceful, in my sweet green garden.

  Submitted for dVerse: It's not easy being green and poetic - or is it?.

Sodden

Bleak, bedraggled,

my garden misses me.

Ceaseless rain 

strands me indoors.


Submitted for dVerse Poetics: Short verse