Treading Water

“How deep?”
she asks
as she considers
the swim.
But why
does it matter
when it’s not
the depth
but how far
you have to go
to reach shore?
Don’t worry.
You can’t drown
if you know
how to float

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

In Need of a Bath

Tiny strands
and bits of fluff
tangled up
in spiderweb stuff
stretched between
delicate moss
and fine fronds
of lichen
soft as down
it builds up and up
as everything
waits for rain

the world
needs a bath

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Restlessness

Strange energies
ebb and flow
like currents
of air
skimming
over wings
and as they shift
I stand still
waiting
knowing unrest
is a warning
that something
comes

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

The Nurse Log

Damp forest
full of life with
little nubs
and clinging scales
feathered wisps
and waxy skins
fuzzy tendrils
clinging close
to jagged cracks
on rough bark sides
fallen trees
teeming with life
nurturing growth
with sacrifice

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Transitioning

Summer sliding
to a close
as August
sighs its last
and delicate petals
seek the sun
and a bit more time
before they
fade away
as each day
that passes
brings the dark
to stretch longer
and flowers
fade away

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

The Lazy Day

Sit with me
on gritty sand
among the stones
on the shore
and tilt your head
to lean back
and rest with me
look up
beyond verdant green
to the stretch of blue
above
and daydream
away the day
in the summer balm

Photo © ZenStatePhotography