Nature's orchestra

At dawn freight train wind

hurtles rain in staccato bursts,

a cacophony assaulting the senses.

sgreerpitt

February 5, 2014

Rain

Lying in the warm dark
the silver liquid sound,
rain on the roof, dripping
from the eaves sooths,
yet raises questions.
Will it turn to ice or snow?

sgreerpitt
#smallstone

A January of Small Stones 30

Deep in the night, down the street
dogs bark frantically, a great crescendo
at the affront of two cats calmly strolling
beneath the street lamp.

sgreerpitt
January 30, 2014

A January of Small Stones 29

Steep driveway arching away from the road,

frosted with a inch of smooth, sparkling snow,

touched only by tiny cat prints,

a perfect single line up the center. 

January 29, 2014

A January of Small Stones 27 & 28

Two meditations on the cold

#1 physical

Hat, hood, scarf,
‘til nothing shows but eyes,
and still the cold is a knife
in the lungs,
I retreat indoors,
Wheezing and coughing,
Struggling to breathe.

#2 Mental

The cold is amber, crystal clear,
allowing the tiniest details to be seen,
while immobilizing my spirit.
My eyes records a hundred small stones,
but my hands stuck in amber cannot write.

A January of Small Stones 25

Flash of movement

in stark, still landscape

dry leaf scampers

over the snow

like a brown mouse

seeking shelter.

January 25, 2014

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 23

In the snowy woods

unexpected robins flock

flashing rufous breasts,

rise, wheel and settle again.

January 23, 2014

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 22

Ode to an Office Chair Now Deceased

Four sturdy ball-bearing wheels

to scoot quickly out of the way

or cozy up to the desk,

a smoothly twirling seat

from keyboard to desk to bookcase

and back over and over,

soft padding for the rump,

firm lumbar support,

and a back just right

for perching cats.

A few short years together

ended in an awkward crash.

January 22, 2014

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 21

chill eiderdown blanket

covers imperfections,

creates unity in white and black.

January 21, 2014

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 19

dark crisp air
carries lilting melody
from a penny whistle
calling the "king of the faeries"
but only the dogs 
set dance in reply.

January 19, 2014

A January of Small Stones 18

daily three or four times

deep booms and tremors

of dynamite

are followed by the long

waterfall of rock against rock,

the assault of the mountain

continues.

January 18, 2014

A January of Small Stone 17

That rare moment, just before dawn

between shifts, silence settles on the mountain,

and only the brook burbles softly

while the moon makes silver ships

of clouds scudding across an inky sky.

January 17, 2014

A January of Small Stones 16

Moments before setting,

slipping beneath

the grey cloud blanket,

Rumplestiltskin sun

turns hillsides of straw

to gold.

January 16, 2014 

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 13

January 13, 2014

desert

open the faucet
tiny dribbles 
then sucking air,
the pipes are dry.

flood

small, repetitive, insistent sound:
tick, tick?
tap, tap?
drip, drip?
search reveals
spreading puddles 
from the water cooler.

January 13, 2014
#smallstone

A January of Small Stones 12

Old Locutus

Body light with age

she concedes to lifting,

old claws catch

as she kneads my chest.

Her ears so silky

but tiny rough spots

mar her back.

I stroke the hollow under her chin

and a warm loofah tongue

washes my knuckles.

We drowse warmly

in the early morning dark.

January 13, 2014

A January of Small Stones 11

Waiting for dog in a dark alive
with ceaseless shifting pines in the wind,
the small brook swollen with rain
beats against its banks,
and behind it all 
the mechanical clang and scrape of the dragline
on the mountain.

January 11, 2014
‪#‎smallstone‬

A January of Small Stones 10

Neither dark nor light,
neither warm nor cold,
lingering to breath
moisture laden air,
mild January twilight.

January 10, 2014
#smallstone

A January of Small Stones 09

empty hallway,

two small boys,

rosy cheeks,

sparkling eyes,

huge grins,

kick their legs

against the bench,

heads together

playing games.

January 9, 2014

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 08

January 8, 2014

On the porch

where feral cats

daily find their food

are unexpected

delicate traces

left by feathered guests.

sgreerpitt

A January of Small Stones 07

January 7, 2014

sunshine beckons.

toboggan snugged, shawl wrapped,

coat buttoned, bear-waddle

to the mailbox.