Tender Bits
the world within
colorful and bright
is protected
by a hard shell
and defenses
meant to repel
all who might
come near
and yet
somehow
you
have broken through
and have seen
all the tender bits
I try so hard
to hide
Dinosaurs
broken bones
and bent tires
are the
least
of your problems
should you cross
in a moment
of rumbling earth
and ear splitting
whistles
as dinosaurs
pass
too close
for comfort
Wilting
berries
once ripe
wrinkle
on their stems
as plump skins
once
stretched taut
now wither
as fruit within
turns
from ripe
with promise
to decay
Held Breath
beneath
the waves
where everything
is calm
there is a moment
where floating
and stillness
is everything
the world
is made of
before the peace
is broken
by the need
for air
and we must
surface again
to breathe
Invitation
come
get lost with me
among the
cedar fronds
and craggy
douglas fir trunks
until all we see
is a sea of green
closing in
around us
in a welcoming
embrace
that asks us
to stay
forever
Lazy
lazy days
deserve
cuddles
complete with
soft purrs,
the scrape of
a rough tongue
in greeting,
and warm fur
nuzzled into
that somehow
always smells
of sunshine
and home
Twisting the Leaf 