The Fog of Summer

The damp days of summer,

The green and the gray,

The wet grass on bare feet,

fog rolling across the lawn in gossamer curtains.

I feel a chill in the air,

The harbinger of change—a hint

of Autumn in late July.

There are more summer days ahead,

filled with sunshine, sand, and warmth.

There are waves to ride and sandcastles to build, but

always the winter chill

barks like a dog on a chain

tied up at the back of the barn

where I try to forget him,

and hope I will silence him with starvation.

But he will bide his time and grow strong again.

One day he will break his chain

and glide over the north county in his loping stride

bringing ice on his breath

and snow in his fur

to banish the summer sun

and the autumn plenty.

He carries hunger in his belly

and gobbles up hope.

~Kathie Adams Brown (July 20, 2015)

At Last

At last the warm air drifted in

after a long, cold and bitter winter

a day when birds landed in droves

and fresh warm air filled the land.

I, breathing the scent of that warmth,  

cast off my chores for the day,

and stayed outside.

All day.

It was as if I had been released from a long imprisonment.

I walked through mud that sucked at my shoes.

I listened to the trickle of melting snow as it formed puddles around me.

The music of song sparrows drifted over the wet, melting earth

—a song of joy to me!

And then in the evening, as dusk settled like a fawn to the ground,

the peenting of woodcocks was heard

and the winnowing of their wings in an eager mating flight display

and I stood in the yard, my mouth agape,

Listening to the music of spring—at last!

~Kathie Adams Brown (April 4, 2015)

NaPoWriMo/ 30 Poems in 30 Days

A Battle with the North Wind

You roaring wind,

You arctic sledgehammer

pounding out of the north,

I turn my face to you

and beat my wings to fly

You push me back,

You seek to overpower me,

and still my chest expands,

My sinews elastic and powerful as my lungs

fill with your icy breath.

You push me back, and back, and back,

I feel my pinions fill and spread

with the power of your wind,

as we do battle.

You pour a winter’s weariness upon us,

refusing to release your grip,

while I fly on with a fierce hope

into Spring.

Kathie Adams Brown (March 22, 2015)

For World Poetry Day 2015 (One day late!)

To Reach for the Sky

Cattle Egret in CA 2012

What joy it is to reach for the sky

Arms open wide

to receive all there is,

or to celebrate

and cheer

With elation.

These arms of mine

So taken for granted

Are essential things

I use them every day—in so many ways;

to hug, to reach, to grasp,

to perform essential tasks!

How wondrously and marvelously made we are,

Birthed into this world, perfectly formed,

We crawl and walk and run through life

Arms outstretched and open wide

As if we were always born to fly.

By Kathie Adams Brown (March 15, 2015)

Common Terns, Chatham, MA 2011

Why are You Singing

Tufted Titmouse

Why are you singing, Mr. Titmouse?

Do you not know a blizzard is on the way?

I hear notes of romance

In your song this morning.

Are you declaring your territory,

Or enticing a mate?

It’ll be awhile yet before the nesting is begun,

But just to hear your song gives me hope

—that all is not lost

—that winter is not endless

—that crocuses will bloom again, and

—that somewhere under all that snow, there is, indeed, grass.

~Kathie Adams Brown (February 14, 2015)

That's When I Need Beauty

When there is darkness all around me—

that’s when I need light.

When there is ugliness displayed—

that’s when I need beauty.

When the man-made world overwhelms—

that’s when I seek out Nature

to soothe and restore me,

to refresh my spirit,

to remind me that all is not lost,

that there will always be light, beauty, and hope.

~kathie adams brown (May 10, 2013)